£5m eco upgrade for schools, gyms, town hall and crematorium in Barnsley

The cash is part of the government’s £1bn Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) to install energy efficiency measures in a bid to reduce the borough’s carbon footprint.

The scheme offers councils across the country the full cost of of costs of upgrading public buildings, which must be spent by August 28 2021.

The Digital Media Centre, Westgate Plaza, Gateway Plaza, Town Hall, and Crematorium will all be upgraded with LED lighting, building fabric improvements, air conditioning controls amongst other energy-saving measures.

Leisure centres at Hoyland, Ropyston and Dearnside will aslo be upgraded.

Eleven secondary schools will also have their building energy management systems upgraded, at a total cost of £1.3m; Dearne ALC, Springwell, Netherwood, Greenacre, Horizon, Holy Trinity, Kirk Balk, Carlton, Darton, and Shafton.

The grant was accepted by Barnsley Council’s ruling cabinet at their meeting today (March 24).