AN East Lancashire technology centre is to move to heat pumps to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Blackburn Technology Management Centre in the town's Challenge Way, has been given permission to instal the environmentally friendly devices.

And Blackburn with Darwen Council's finance and governance boss Cllr Vicky McGurk has appointed the contractor fit the pumps.

She has approved the selection of VWG Mechanical Ltd to supply and install air source heat pumps at Blackburn Technology Management Centre.

In a report, she said: "This project is part of a package of schemes funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from the public sector estate.

"Blackburn Technology Management Centre (BTMC) is heated by electric storage heaters.

"These heaters are 25 years old and inefficient.

"The grant scheme offered an opportunity to modernise the heating system as well as reduce the building’s carbon emissions.

" The heat pumps are expected to reduce the building’s electricity demand for eat by 80 per cent and cut emissions by 42 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

"Heat allocators are included in the scheme meaning tenants will pay for the heat they consume."