Ludlow council to look into carbon reduction options after first greenhouse gas audit
Ludlow Town Council has pledged to improve energy efficiency at its headquarters and public toilets following its first ‘carbon audit’.
The authority, like scores of others across Shropshire, declared a climate emergency last year and committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
To assist with this, the council commissioned a report from the Marches Energy Agency to establish the scale of its carbon footprint and identify where improvements could be made.
The council’s first greenhouse gas audit has now been published and reveals the authority generates 40.388 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) greenhouse gases annually.
The report identifies the Castle Street toilets and the Guildhall, where the council is based, as the primary sites where greenhouse gases are produced, each accounting for just over 23 per cent of the council’s total.
Meanwhile 32 per cent was not site-specific, for example fuels, transport and waste.
Solar panels
It is recommended that the council looks into installing central heating, better insulation and double glazing at the Guildhall, and suggests switching off the under-floor heating at the Castle Street toilets entirely or moving to a different system.
Other suggestions include having solar panels fitted to the roofs of the Guildhall and the Ludlow Boxing Club in Wheeler Road and making the switch to electric vehicles.
Meeting on Monday evening to discuss the report, members said more work needed to be done before any decisions could be made.
Councillor Erica Garner said: “I think there is some validity in this report but for us to consider things further we need to break down what we could be able to do and put some costings next to it.”
Other criticised the report for not giving solid recommendations. Councillor Glenn Ginger said: “This report is not solid, it’s flaky. It’s not even half the report it should be.
Councillor Ginger said the suggestion of turning off the heating in the public toilets was “absurd”.
Councillor Diane Lyle said she would like the report to be considered by the council’s climate emergency working group.
Members unanimously agreed to examine the feasibility of each of the Marches Energy Agency’s suggestions.
