Almost £4 million could be spent on making schools and public buildings in Harrow more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Harrow Council has applied for around £3.9 million worth of funding from the Government under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), which seeks to tackle the use of fossil fuels.

If successful, this would cover a series of projects – such as replacement LED lighting systems and new insulation measures – at council-owned buildings across the borough.

The council acknowledged it is unlikely to secure all the funding it has requested since the scheme has been “significantly oversubscribed”.

Harrow Council leader Cllr Graham Henson noted the chances of securing any support were initially deemed “slim” but Paul Walker, corporate director for communities at Harrow Council, explained it was now “hopeful” of receiving at least some funding.

A council report published last week suggested this could be in the form of the largest value grant it applied for, which would bring in just over £1.4 million.

If approved, this would cover plans to install new air source heat pumps at Grimsdyke School and Grange Primary School, while this system would replace the gas fired boiler at Milmans Resource Centre.

The council has applied for similar heating changes at other schools in the borough – Whitmore High School, Stag Lane School, Pinner Park School – as well as at Harrow Arts Centre.

It also put forward plans for LED light installation and insulation improvements at Grange Primary School, West Lodge Primary School, Grimsdyke School, with similar lighting adjustments proposed at Milmans Resource Centre, Bedford House, and Pinner Library.

The applications follow Harrow Council’s decision in 2019 to declare a climate emergency and its aim to be carbon neutral by 2030.

These ambitions align with the PSDS, which forms part of the Government’s commitment to aid the country’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic by supporting jobs in the decarbonisation sector, which in turn will improve the environment.