article thumb

TVBC secures funding to further commitment to making council-owned buildings carbon neutral

Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) has successfully secured funding from the government's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). This grant is delivered by Salix Finance on behalf of DESNZ.

The authority has been awarded up £221,871, which will help to further its commitment to ensuring council owned and occupied buildings will be carbon neutral. The funding is available for heat decarbonisation projects within public sector, non-domestic buildings.

Decarbonisation is the term used for the process of removing or reducing the carbon dioxide (CO2) output from a process – so in this case it is looking to remove carbon from how we heat buildings.

The secured funds will be used to install energy efficiency measures, by changing to LED lighting and improving insulation measures, and upgrade the heating system to one powered by cleaner energy at the council’s Bourne House depot in Romsey.

Paul Wykes, Head of Environmental Services at Test Valley Borough Council, said: 

“At a time when so many are thinking about the environment, the economy, and the future of our planet, securing this fund from the ESNZ and Salix is a great step towards our carbon neutral goal and creating a clean, greener, healthier, and more sustainable borough for current and future generations.

“I’m excited to see the improvements made at Bourne House and the difference it will make to our work.”

Works funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme aim to be completed by March 2024.

The council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan 2020 sets out our vision for a more sustainable council and what we will be doing to address the climate emergency.