Bradford court buildings to connect to eco heat network

Bradford Magistrates' Court and Combined Court Centre will both be connected to the heat network

The law courts in Bradford are to become among the first in England to be heated by renewable energy when they connect to the city's new eco network.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service has signed a 20-year deal to join the courts to Bradford Energy Network, which will use air source heat pumps.

Bradford Combined Court Centre and the Magistrates' Court hope to save 8,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide as a result.

The £70m heat network is on track to open in 2026.

Bradford Council granted planning permission for the Bradford Energy Network last September.

The network, run by 1Energy, is due to be up and running by 2026

It will use air source heat pumps to warm water, which is then run through five miles (8km) of underground pipes to customers, including 30 major buildings in the city centre.

The company behind the network, 1Energy, said connecting to the network would be the most cost-effective way for organisations in Bradford to decarbonise the way they heat their buildings.

To help cover the costs of connecting to the heat network, 1Energy and partners Fairheat worked with HM Courts and Tribunals Service to secure a £3.5m grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Marissa Granath, project director of the Bradford Energy Network for 1Energy, said: "The Bradford Energy Network is a nationally significant project which will help to build the future of Bradford's net zero infrastructure underneath the streets of the city centre."

"Signing a 20-year deal to deliver low-carbon heating to two of Bradford's largest buildings shows the faith and confidence HM Courts and Tribunals have in the Bradford Energy Network.

The Bradford Combined Court Centre and Magistrates' Court are set to be the eighth and ninth courts to connect to a heat network.