MORE than half a million pounds has been spent on making a council building more energy efficient.

The Civic Centre in Pershore has undergone numerous upgrades as part of Wychavon District Council’s ongoing effort to cut its carbon footprint.

£515,000 has been spent on replacing all 410 windows at the building on Queen Elizabeth Way as well as upgrading the Building Management System control panel has been upgraded to make the heating system efficient.

It is hoped these changes will save money on energy bills and reduce the building’s annual carbon emissions by around 28 tonnes.

Cllr Tony Rowley, executive board member for climate change, environmental policy and regulatory services on Wychavon District Council, said: "This work will make a good contribution to our efforts to cut our carbon emissions.

“Funding is available for businesses to help them cut their energy bills and support the fight against climate change.

“I encourage business owners to explore and apply for the support available."

The work is part of Wychavon’s Intelligently Green Plan, which sets out how the council will cut its carbon emissions by 75 per cent by 2030.

Most of the funding, £417,000, came from a Public Sector Energy Efficiency Programme grant.

Other businesses can apply to the Business Energy Efficiency Programme for grants of up to £20,000 to fund projects such as installing LED lighting, heating and insulation systems, and heat recovery.

Meanwhile, the Low Carbon Opportunities Fund provides grants of up to £100,000 to help small and medium-sized businesses install renewable energy systems.

The work at the Civic Centre was carried out by Joedan Windows and Doors’ commercial division.

Nathan Swenson, commercial sales manager at the firm, said: "We are pleased to have contributed to assisting the council in its drive to reduce its carbon footprint.

“Replacing all the timber windows with powder coated aluminium not only makes the building look great and meets green credentials, but dramatically lessens the maintenance too."