Congleton’s Town Hall is a beautiful and historic Grade II listed building. It is also a significant part of the Council’s carbon footprint.
The Council is determined to reduce carbon emissions and the environmental footprint of the Town Hall. We will do this as far as is possible and permissible for this important historic landmark.
In 2019 we removed single-use plastic from the Town Hall. We also reduced our paper use and reviewed our use of cleaning products. We have removed harmful chemicals and now use more biodegradable products.
Inspectors have rated Congleton Town Hall ‘C’ under the standardised Energy Performance ratings. You can see the Town Hall’s Display Energy Certificate here.
Reducing the Carbon Footprint of the Town Hall
During 2021, annual energy and water consumption at the Town Hall cost £27,688 and resulted in the emission of 96.2 tonnes CO2e.
In 2022 the Council commissioned a carbon emission reduction report from energy experts Tomson Consulting.
This report identified opportunities at Congleton Town Hall to:
- Reduce the quantity, carbon emissions and costs associated with energy and water consumption through improvements in building fabrics, space and hot water heating infrastructure and lighting
and
- Substitute the existing natural gas and electric space and hot water heating with electrically powered air to water source heat pumps. These are considered the most appropriate commercially available heating technology available for the Town Hall.
If all the recommendations made in the report are fully implemented, it estimated that this will have the combined impact of reducing:
- Greenhouse gas emissions by 78 tonnes CO2e per year (an 83% reduction compared to present),
- Operating costs by 48% at current tariffs.
The report proposed an action plan to implement these which the Council has divided into short, medium and long-term actions, based on cost and feasibility.
The Council is now reviewing the detailed recommendations with a view to implementing any ‘quick wins’ and applying for funding to pay for prioritised major works.
Play your part: find out what you can do about your own carbon footprint in our Green Living section.
Last updated: 18th November 2022
