Merseyside Police secure £500,000 funding to help achieve net zero targets

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner has secured nearly half a million pounds of funding to make Merseyside Police’s stations and buildings more sustainable, as part of the commitment to make the organisation net zero by 2040.

The £488,000 investment will be used to continue the work set out in a 12-year plan, unveiled by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, last year, to transform the force’s stations and buildings and help drive the work to make Merseyside Police the most sustainable force in the country.

The funding has been secured from the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF) which provides grants to public sector organisations to engage specialist advice and skills required to develop a robust heat decarbonisation plan.

One of the greatest challenges in meeting the net zero target is decarbonising the way buildings are heated. Most of the buildings in the public sector still rely on fossil fuel-based heating and expert skills are required to identify and plan how these heating systems can be replaced.

Funded by the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) in partnership with Salix, this grant will continue and enhance Merseyside Police’s work to deliver heat decarbonisation and improve energy efficiency across 30 of its stations and buildings.

Heat decarbonisation plans include making efficiencies to building fabric, walls, windows, and roof insulation, alongside a reduced reliance on fossil fuels through the use of renewable energy generation and energy storage technologies.

This work aligns with the core principles underpinned within the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Estate Strategy for 2023-35 which focuses on sustainability, social value and affordability, all while providing buildings to support officers and staff to fight crime, now and into the future.

It also supports Merseyside Police’s Sustainability Strategy (2023-2030) which sets out eight sustainable priorities which are all embedded within the force’s processes, procedures and day to day working practices.

Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Emily Spurrell said:

“We are committed to playing our part to support the Liverpool City Region net zero target, while aiming to be the most sustainable police service in the country.

“In the past ten years, Merseyside Police has reduced its carbon footprint by 36%. We’ve saved £321,000 by fitting solar panels and a further £296,000 by embedding a reuse policy. Not only that but we’re also on target to have a zero-emission fleet within the next ten years.

“With this very welcome additional funding, we will be able to continue the work, set out in both our Estate and Sustainability Strategies to ensure our buildings and stations meet the needs of our communities today, while building a safer environment for future generations to come.

“Using the funding, we can put in place a robust heat decarbonisation plan which will identify projects and actions to continue to reduce emissions from fossil fuel technologies while driving forward our commitment to ensure as an organisation we are net zero by 2040.

“By committing ourselves to focus on sustainability, we can deliver real, tangible savings, reduce carbon emissions, and offset the negative impact our buildings and cars have on the environment.

“We have already made a huge difference – saving money and ensuring we are more sustainable, to ensure Merseyside Police is fit to fight crime, now and into the future.

“This funding will enable us to continue the work to transform our estate to meet the ever-changing needs of the communities we serve and invest in the future of policing.”

This funding will enable Merseyside Police to complete its heat decarbonisation plan by Monday 31^st March 2025.