Scheme to decarbonise Salford’s public buildings underway

A £5m scheme to make Salford’s public buildings more energy efficient is now underway, with the Council expecting it to remove hundreds of tonnes of carbon from the city’s footprint.

Twelve buildings will be retrofitted with the funding that Salford City Council was awarded from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s share of the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Works at Cleavley Athletics Track and Clifton Country Park have already been completed with air source heat pumps installed at both sites, which is expected to save a combined 33 tonnes of CO2 a year.

Retrofitting public buildings to make them more energy-efficient is central to the Council’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2038.

The council is working to complete the decarbonisation works across the public estate by the end of Spring 2022 and it is anticipated that the total CO² saving will be 295 tonnes.

Cllr Mike McCusker, Lead Member for Planning and Sustainable Development, said: ‘To tackle the climate emergency, we need to take action now and do whatever we can to limit emissions. By decarbonising our public estate, we hope to lead the way in taking the steps that others can take to get to carbon neutrality in Salford by 2038.

‘The decarbonisation scheme is a vital programme that is not only creating and protecting jobs in Salford but is fostering and developing the skillset that will help us create a greener Salford.’

Graham Rothwell, Chief Executive of the RPS Group, added: ‘RPS Group are delighted to be partnering with Salford City Council on this decarbonisation scheme. The installation of ASHP systems will provide buildings with efficient heating systems that generate both efficiencies and contribute towards much needed carbon savings.

‘We are really pleased to see Salford City Council driving innovation by installing renewable heating alternatives across their buildings.’

In related news, a £19m government investment is expected to supply greener and more affordable low carbon heating for thousands of homes and buildings across the UK.

Photo supplied by Salford City Council