A £1.5MILLION solar panel programme will see panels installed at 18 council-owned buildings including libraries, leisure centres, and day centres across Poole.

The council's cabinet is recommending to full council proposals for investment in solar panels at up to 18 sites including Rossmore, Dolphin and Ashdown Leisure Centres, libraries at Canford Heath, Oakdale, Parkstone and Broadstone, the Sandbanks Beach Office, Poole Day Centre, Seaview Day Centre and crematorium buildings.

The programme could generate estimated savings to the council's budget of up to £166,000 a year, while also helping Poole to meet its commitment to reduce carbon emissions, as well as supporting the Government’s Solar Hubs agenda, which has called for large scale solar installations on public buildings.

Cllr Janet Walton, Leader of the Council, said: “In order to meet future financial challenges faced by the council we are exploring a number of proposals that despite an initial outlay will deliver long-term savings. The solar panel programme is one example of this and in addition will help the council to make environmental efficiencies too.

“The solar installation on the Civic Centre multi-storey car park has proven to be a huge success with £6,600 savings made in its first 71 days of operation and a 24 per cent reduction in electricity consumption, far exceeding initial expectations. It is because of this we are now exploring the potential for further solar installations on council owned assets.”

Detailed designs of the individual projects have yet to be produced, although it is anticipated some will not need planning permission and could go through under permitted development.

The scale of the installations could cut the council's annual carbon emissions by three per cent, and save as much as £166,000 annually, if the initial outlay is met using existing council funds. The net benefit would be around £76,000 and the programme is funded via prudential borrowing.

In January this year more than 500 solar panels were fitted to a steel framework at Poole Civic Centre's multi-storey carpark - which were expected to provide around 13 per cent of the civic centre's electricity - but have exceeded expectations - cutting the grid energy use by almost a quarter. As well as this first tranche of proposal sites, the council could also consider others further down the line, including school buildings.

Cabinet added a rider to ensure ward councillors are consulted about proposals in their areas.