Cheltenham Borough Council plans to use more solar energy

Cheltenham Borough Council wants to be net zero by 2030

There are plans to use solar energy and a heat pump system at a leisure centre to reduce carbon emissions.

An air source heat pump is to be installed at Leisure at Cheltenham, as well as solar energy sources on a range of properties owned by the local authority.

Cheltenham Borough Council recently published its carbon report for the financial year 2021/22.

The council is aiming to achieve net zero by 2030.

Councillors use the annual report is used by to measure the level of greenhouse gases produced in the day-to-day running of the council and its services.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, carbon emissions have decreased 16% compared to the previous year.

The council's current trend is in line with its climate emergency action plan pathway to net zero, as an average 14% annual decrease in total emissions.

Climate emergency cabinet member Alisha Lewis said: "We can make significant progress early and that's the approach we are taking.

"We are looking at the easy wins, the low hanging fruit."

She also thinks that the new installations will have a "substantial" impact on the council's carbon footprint.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]