COUNCIL bosses have agreed to push forward with plans to create a £14.4 million plan to develop an environmentally friendly heat network in Bradford city centre.

Yesterday Bradford Council's Executive voted to mote to the next stage of plans for the District Heat Network.

The scheme will see a low carbon energy centre, built in or near the city centre, providing low carbon heat to public buildings in the city centre, such as City Hall, the Alhambra Theatre and Bradford Magistrates' Court.

Private businesses and buildings could also sign up to the scheme, paying the Council for the green energy.

It is expected to prevent 12,640 tonnes of Carbon emissions being produced during the project life.

The work is being part funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. 

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Members of the Executive, meeting in City Hall this morning, were told that the more businesses that signed up to the heat network, the better the business case would be.

The team behind the project were in talks with potential customers including The Broadway Shopping Centre - the Executive were told.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive for Healthy People and Places, said: "When you're talking about a 12,600 tonne reduction in Carbon emissions then this is a big part of meeting our carbon reduction targets and having a positive impact on climate change. This is a positive piece of news for this district."

Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: "This is a really exciting project, it is one of what I call the big five of our climate emergency actions."

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Executive for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: "By connecting as many buildings as possible to the network it will maximise benefits. If partners like Broadway sign up then that extra money can then be used by the Council to fund other services."

The Executive voted to accept the recommendations of the Outline Business Case presented to the committee and direct officers to progress through the next stages of project development, including appropriate grant funding applications, commercialisation work and required procurement.