Helsby High School is one of 14 west Cheshire buildings set to benefit from a multi-million-pound grant aimed at providing greener heating and energy measures across the borough.

Cheshire West and Chester Council company, Qwest Services, has secured £5,836,172 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

The funding will go towards the installation of air source heat pumps, hybrid heating systems, solar electric systems and LED lighting in each of the buildings selected.

As well as Helsby High School, Deebank Primary, Ellesmere Port Catholic High School and Greenbank Primary will be part of the scheme.

Six Brio Leisure sites - Ellesmere Port Sports Village, Christleton Sports Centre, Northgate Arena, Northwich Memorial Court, Neston Recreation Centre and Winsford Lifestyle Centre – will also be involved.

Leisure Centres not named in the initiative include Frodsham, Rudheath, Ellesmere Port Civic Hall and Northwich Moss Farm.

Brio's Managing Director, Elly McFahn, said: "This decarbonisation investment comes at a really opportune time for Brio sites, as we are already underway in refurbishment and upgrade at Northgate Arena, and during the Covid-19 crisis and cessation of leisure activity have been working hard to improve and invest in our facilities.

"Brio sites are a significant user of utilities so having cost effective as well as carbon reducing solutions will ensure their longer-term sustainability for many years."

The PSDS funding furthers the Council's ambitious plans to achieve carbon neutrality for its own emissions in 2030 and for the borough as a whole in 2045.

Councillor Matt Bryan, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Climate Emergency, said: "We have a responsibility to take concerted action at a local level to limit the impact of climate change.

"Last month, the Council published its plans showing how we will take collective action with our partners, industry and communities to make this borough carbon-neutral by 2045. Schemes such as this are critical to creating a cleaner, greener, fairer and more prosperous area."

Now the funding has been secured, the next stage is for all buildings to have a technical design assessment. Installation works will be phased over the next six months with a target deadline for completion September 2021.