RECYCLED rainwater is being used to clean the streets of Hyndburn as the council looks to drive down costs and its carbon footprint.

It is one of a number of green projects, including a £24,000 scheme to install solar panels at the council’s headquarters which is expected to save £60,000.

Other environmental measures include two electric vans used by the parks department, and software to automatically switch off computers and lighting Water butts on council building rooftops are used by street cleaners and, in very rainy weather, for grounds maintenance.

Other schemes involve reducing use of printers and the introduction of power management ICT software and a Cycle to Work scheme.

The council has also stopped printing out agendas, and pay-slips are now electronic.

The latest scheme will see solar panels installed at Hyndburn Council’s Scaitcliffe House offices on Ormerod Street in Accrington. It is expected to save around 16 tonnes of CO2 each year and will save the council around £60,000 over 20 years.

Council leader Miles Parkinson said: “As a council, we're keen to reduce our impact on the environment wherever possible.

“The installation of solar panels and our other energy saving measures are part of this and the good news is that the solar panels will save not only energy, but also money in the long term.”

Measures to drive down the CO2 emissions of the council’s vehicles have seen the council win awards for the past three years. This has led to Hyndburn being named a ‘gold standard’ council by the Energy Savings Trust. It comes just two years after it was named the Most Sustainable Local Authority in the UK.