Over £250,000 of funding has been approved for 'carbon clever' project across the Highlands.

Councillors approved support for a wide range of projects during a committee meeting on Friday, 27 November.

Over the past 18 months, the council's Carbon Clever capital budget has supported a wide range of projects, including the upgrading of streetlights to LED's, improving cycling facilities and the installation of biomass boilers.

In addition, a grant fund has allocated funding to over ten community projects which reduce carbon emissions.

Funding of £100,000 has been approved to form part of a financial package to submit a bid for a proposed new railway station at Inverness Airport.

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The £2.5m project would be located on the Inverness to Aberdeen line, serving Inverness Airport and the nearby Business Park, as well a new housing development at Tornagrain.

In addition, members agreed £55,000 to match HITRANS funding for installing real time bus stop displays across the area, while nearly £28,000 was approved to trial 'Telly Talk', a pilot project which allows people visiting service point to access Council services through a computer.

Up to £50,000 has also been allocated to upgrade lighting to LEDs in the communal areas of the Council’s 147 blocks of flats. It is anticipated that the investment of around £94,000 to upgrade to LED lighting will save approximately £18,000 a year and reduce annual CO2 emissions by 44 tonnes.

Councillor Bill Fernie said: "The wide range of these projects show that the Council is committed to making financial and environmental savings in all areas.

"The improvements to transport infrastructure will help residents and visitors move around the region easily using low carbon, sustainable transport.

"Investing in Council buildings and trialling new technology will improve our services while helping us meet our ambitious targets of a low carbon Highland by 2025."

(LM/MH)