A RANGE of green improvements are on the way for Alcombe Children’s Centre, Minehead, thanks to Somerset Council and Government grants.

A £250,000 green makeover of the centre is estimated to deliver carbon savings of nearly 12 tonnes per year, contributing to the council’s commitment to creating a greener and more sustainable county.

The revamp has been made possible by a successful bid to the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

The centre is home to a range of services including Cheeky Cherubs Nursery, The Minehead Shed community group, Public Health Nurses, and Home-Start West Somerset.

Work is due to start in January and expected to last 13 weeks and will include replacing a gas heating system with electric air source heat pumps, and insatlling LED lighting and roof solar panels.

The centre will remain open throughout with any disruptive work scheduled for outside of operational hours unless agreed with the council and building operators.

PSDS is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Salix Finance.

Somerset executive Cllr Ros Wyke said: “Alcombe Children’s Centre is an essential hub for many community groups and needs essential works to keep it fit for purpose and safe.

“With the help of the public sector decarbonisation funding, rather than replace old systems with like for like, we can transform it to be an energy-efficient, sustainable, comfortable, community space for those who need it now and future generations to come.”

Fellow executive Cllr Dixie Darch said: “This project is a fitting example of combining necessary maintenance to our buildings with energy-saving improvements that align with our climate strategy and help reduce our carbon footprint.

“The work at Alcombe Children’s Centre is part of a council-wide decarbonisation programme to achieve a greener, more sustainable Somerset.”

Salix Finance client support officer Caterina Bartelloni said: “We are delighted to be able to support Somerset Council on the journey to net zero.

“This is an ambitious project, and the result will be more efficient energy use as well as producing more comfortable areas for the community’s children.”