SKIPTON Town Hall is now benefitting from renewable energy and reduced heating costs after a project to install 60 solar panels was completed.

Contractors from renewable energy firm Feed It Green successfully installed and commissioned an array of solar panels on the south facing concert hall roof.

The panels, which are expected to save carbon emissions equivalent to planting more than 270 trees, were turned on within minutes of the final solar panel being bolted to the roof on Friday, last week.

British sourced sheep wool insulation is also being installed, which will reduce heating costs in the concert hall.

The recent £4.7m redevelopment of the town hall has included other low carbon measures such as more efficient lighting, fans and smart controls.

Technology to monitor energy use has also been fitted and the Council will be able to display this on screens available to the public in due course.

The project is part of the council’s £1.2m zero carbon Craven scheme – half of which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – to cut the council’s carbon footprint to net zero by 2030.

Cllr Carl Lis, lead member for the Environment, said: “It’s great to see another big step taken towards our Zero Carbon Craven goal.

“It is important that the council leads by example and this project shows what can be achieved to try and help slow down the climate emergency and also potentially save money in the long run.

“I look forward to seeing the project completed on our other buildings, especially Craven Leisure, which has the biggest carbon footprint of all our buildings.”

Further work to install insulation and energy saving technology such as solar panels will take place at the crematorium and Craven Leisure in the coming weeks.