As part of ongoing work to reduce Torbay’s carbon footprint and make buildings in the Bay more energy efficient, funding has been granted to help decarbonise Paignton Library.

Gas boilers will be replaced with air source heat pumps in the roof of the library building, which will be the latest community facility to benefit from this more low carbon, eco-friendly form of heating. Other buildings to have benefitted from heat pumps in recent years include Torbay Leisure Centre, the Arid House at Torre Abbey, and Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery.

The news comes during COP29 fortnight (11 to 22 November) when the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan takes place and the spotlight is on climate change and carbon reduction. To coincide with COP29, Torbay Council has been working with partners across the Bay to highlight good local news stories about relevant environmental projects on social media channels including Facebook, NextDoor, LinkedIn and Instagram – search #COP29 #COP29Torbay #GreenerwayTorbay or visit our COP29 Torbay case studies webpage to find out more. 

The project has been funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero via the Public Sector Decarbonisation Programme for a two-year programme that will be delivered by Salix.

The boilers that currently heat the building are at the end of their service life and two of the boilers are beyond repair.

Councillor Chris Lewis, Deputy Leader of Torbay said: “This is fantastic news for Paignton Library and the local community, the new heat pumps will be more energy efficient and better for the environment, saving around 77 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This will make a significant contribution towards Torbay’s commitment to becoming net zero carbon.

“We are pleased to be able to highlight a number of local projects during COP29 and you can find out more by visiting our website or following our social media channels.”

Steve Turner, Chief Operating Officer, Libraries Unlimited commented: “We are delighted that Paignton Library is benefitting from this grant and can switch to air source heat pumps. We have recently created a Climate Action Plan so this feeds in perfectly with this. Libraries, are one of the original proponents of the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle ethos’  - buy a book and re-use it lots of times! – and we’re supporting lots of other green schemes in our buildings across Devon and Torbay.  

“Over the last year for example we’ve held regular and seasonal events encouraging people to swap and exchange things such as seeds, school uniforms, children’s dressing up clothes, warm winter coats and we host repair cafes, community fridges and surplus food distribution points.”

Director of public sector decarbonisation at Salix, Ian Rodger said: “The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme plays a key role in helping the public sector reach its net zero goals.

“The heat pumps at Paignton Library will help create a more energy efficient building which is better for the local community moving Torbay closer to becoming carbon neutral.

“And for those local people who love using their local library, they will now enjoy a more comfortable space.”

The work is expected to start in January 2025 and work is ongoing with building users, police, NHS, registrars and stake holders to minimise any disruption to services being provided by the library building.

Locally, through the Torbay Climate Partnership (TCP), a range of local public, private, voluntary and community sector partners are working together to reduce the Bay’s carbon footprint, and to help prepare for an adapting climate. You can read ‘A Greener Way For Our Bay’, the TCP’s framework and action plan that was endorsed in September 2024, on our webpages. 

About Salix

Salix’s role is to support the UK government in driving the transition to a low carbon future and meet challenging net zero targets. We deliver and administer grant and loan funding on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Education and the Scottish and Welsh governments. This is delivered across the public sector as well as housing.The schemes we deliver provide funding for energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects for public sector buildings as well as the housing sector. Our schemes are dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and supporting the government’s ambitious net zero targets. These programmes include the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Home Upgrade Grant, the Low Carbon Skills Fund and Scotland’s Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund.