NEARLY £200,000 in Government funding has been awarded to Devon County Council to explore new ways of reducing carbon emissions in the Culm Valley and other parts of the county.

It marks a successful bid to a £1 million South West Net Zero Hub fund.

The money comes from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to support local authorities to increase the number, scale, and quality of net zero projects.

It will be split between the decarbonisation of an industrial estate and a solar energy scheme looking at the feasibility of developing redundant landfill sites.

Council climate change portfolio holder, Cllr Andrea Davis, who is also chairman of Exmoor National Park Authority, said: “This money will allow us to investigate if these sites can be used to generate clean, green energy and potentially income for the council.

“Solar farms can be designed in such a way that they can complement and enhance biodiversity.”