NEARLY £1million will be earmarked for three more schemes to drive Teignbridge Council’s campaign to tackle carbon emissions.

The money, including grants and borrowing, could propel the council further up national rankings, where it is already the best performing rural district authority in the country for tackling climate change.

New council leader Richard Keeling said it was ‘really good news’. 

The schemes will see more than half a million pounds spent on Newton Abbot Leisure Centre, £390,000 for Dawlish Leisure Centre and £57,000 for Teignmouth Lido.

It is part of a project focused on the council’s fleet of vehicles and its most energy-intensive buildings.

At Dawlish, where almost half the cost will be met by Sport England, work will include replacing swimming pool equipment and installing solar panels to generate low-cost energy.

Newton Abbot will get similar measures, while a pool cover will be installed at Teignmouth to stop heat escaping at night.