A community hall has had the latest stage of its environmental improvements installed.

Buriton Village Hall is now more eco-friendly thanks to a range of new facilities and the Parish Council hopes the benefits will last for many years to come.

Investigations and fund-raising began early in 2021 and were guided by an Energy Audit Report from BuildPass.

The work was funded by reserves that the Council had been saving over the years, a CIL payment neighbourhood portion and from a £50,000 CIL grant from the South Downs National Park Authority.

Doug Jones, former member and chair at the Parish Council, said: “We’re very pleased with these latest improvements and it has been a few years in the making.

“I'd been on the Parish Council for 20 years and before disappearing, we set up a climate and nature charter for the council to try and do more things to help nature and the climate.

“We've got rid of our gas boiler and our radiators and gone over to infrared heating, powered as much as possible by the solar panels on the roof and with the battery storage to help as well.

“When it came to the infrared heating, we took advice from village halls from all over the country that have gone down a similar path.”

EV charging points were also installed and Doug said that the upgraded roof insulation combined with the new heating, should make the interior warmer for people using the hall’s facilities.

The Petersfield Climate Action Network commented: “Detailed project management from local residents with expertise in overseeing construction projects has proved invaluable throughout all the processes.

“Congratulations to Buriton on this achievement!”

Doug added: “It should be a nicer place for the community as a whole to benefit more from.”

To find out more about the project, visit https://tinyurl.com/Village-Hall-latest-work.