A local authority has been given government funding to improve energy-efficiency in its council homes.

A report has been published on Gravesham council's efforts to make the borough greener.

It includes progress this year, such as the start of a programme of installing electric vehicle charging points, and support for local residents in improving the energy efficiency of their own properties.

As well as this, government funding has been sourced to retrofit existing council-owned homes and increase energy efficiency standards in newly built council homes, and the council have worked with local businesses to increase their understanding of carbon initiatives within the commercial sector.

They have also made improvements to parks and open spaces to promote biodiversity.

The report outlines potential obstacles to achieving the council’s net zero target, and states: "Financing this activity has become increasingly challenging with the current economic situation facing the entire country, and the council recognises that this is being equally felt by its residents and businesses.

"In response to this, the council has continued to actively signpost home owners, private landlords and private tenants to advice, financial support and group purchase schemes they may be able to access to enable them to make energy efficiency upgrades to their property which, in turn, can help reduce the energy costs associated with running a home or commercial business.

"Despite the level of activity during the year, the council continues to face challenges in delivering at pace and scale from wider national infrastructure issues, particularly in relation to capacity in the national grid and limited clear policy direction and support from the central government."

The full report was presented to the December meeting of the full council.

In his foreword to the report, the leader of Gravesham council, Cllr John Burden, said: "The action we have taken means that we have been able to lead a decrease in CO2 emissions within the borough and progress activity focused on the council’s own operational emissions and those from the social housing it provides.

"With the cost of heating our homes and day-to-day living increasing all the time I hope that initiatives including increasing our use of renewable energy, equipping council homes with better insulation, and providing better information and support for people on how to have warmer homes and save gas and electricity, will deliver financial and health benefits to the community as a whole, whilst also helping to reduce our collective impact on the climate.

"The council continues to recognise this is an issue we have to work together on and have furthered our work during the year with other public sector partners, private sector organisations, and the wider community to develop our collective learning and ability to deliver the best outcomes with the limited resources we have to plot our way, step by step, to our 2030 goal."

"Members and officers hold a strong common purpose to work together and ensure our climate change action plan gets us to where we need and want to be, but I am under no illusion that this will be no small feat."