Coroner's court goes green in carbon neutral plan

Solar panels have been installed on the roof of a coroner's court as part of plans to reduce carbon emissions.

The 220 panels on Gloucestershire Coroner's Court, have been installed in line with Gloucestershire County Council's aims to become carbon neutral by 2045.

Around £21,000 of electricity a year will be produced by the solar PV system.

Council leader Stephen Davies said he hopes more people will be "encouraged" to install solar panels on their homes and businesses.

To deliver the project the council secured Salix funding from the UK Government, an initiative designed to provide funding to public sector organisations to improve energy efficiency.

Mr Davies said: "Gloucestershire Coroner's Court is the first purpose-built coroner’s building in England and Wales to benefit from a solar panel installation, which shows our commitment to investing in low carbon energy.

“I hope more people will be encouraged to install solar panels on their homes and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and to help create a greener future.”

The council said the next building to benefit from the installation of solar panels is Gloucestershire Heritage Hub on Alvin Street in Gloucester.

It has also secured £2m to put solar panels on the roofs of maintained schools.

The installations are due to take place between January 2025 and March 2027.

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.