HAVING declared a climate emergency earlier this year, Northumberland County Council has outlined exact details of how it aims to become a carbon neutral county by 2030.

In June, the authority pledged to become carbon free in 10 years’ time and reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent from the the 2010 level by 2025.

In a presentation to Tynedale Local Area Council, the council’s director of local services Paul Jones, outlined what steps the authority would take to achieve these targets, and what work had already been carried out.

A climate change commission made up of a range of academics, professionals and business experts would be created to provide guidance.

Sites across Northumberland were being identified to generate hydro electricity, with one of those situated in Hexham.

The council was also looking to double its amount of electric car charging points, to go with the solar farm planned for the car park at its headquarters at County Hall, in Morpeth.

New-build homes would be more energy efficient with better insulation, and more solar panels would be placed on homes.

The council had also secured £265,000 grant funding to plant 633 trees in urban areas of the county.

To reduce the amount of vehicles on the roads, the council was looking at developing cycling and walking trails, while the Northumberland railway line from Ashington to Newcastle would be recommissioned.

Recently, the county council had installed more than 1,000 solar panels and installed 70 air/ground source heat pumps.