WINCHESTER City Council has outlined plans to reduce its carbon footprint.

A panel of councillors has set out recommendations on how the authority can meet its target to lower its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2012 and one-third by 2015.

Recommendation are to create a ring fenced budget of £30,000 to spend on energy saving measures, look again at the cost and benefits of solar panels for council houses through new sources of funding and focus investment on refurbishing River Park Leisure Centre and the city offices.

The report, put together by an informal overview and scrutiny group, also made recommendations that from April next year there should be incentives for staff who car share, walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work, with an end to free parking for staff, except for the disabled and those car sharing, other than at the park and ride sites.

It also recommended planning for, and negotiating, a reduction in the number of council posts attracting an essential car user contribution, reducing emissions on lease cars and not paying car business travel expenses to locations in the urban area, apart for disabled people or for moving heavy equipment.

The proposals will now go before Cabinet.

If adopted car journeys to work would be reduced by 10 per cent a year for the next three years.

A panel of councillors has set out recommendations on how the authority can meet its target to lower its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2012 and one-third by 2015.

Recommendation are to create a ring fenced budget of £30,000 to spend on energy saving measures, look again at the cost and benefits of solar panels for council houses through new sources of funding and focus investment on refurbishing River Park Leisure Centre and the city offices.

The report, put together by an informal overview and scrutiny group, also made recommendations that from April next year there should be incentives for staff who car share, walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work, with an end to free parking for staff, except for the disabled and those car sharing, other than at the park and ride sites.

It also recommended planning for, and negotiating, a reduction in the number of council posts attracting an essential car user contribution, reducing emissions on lease cars and not paying car business travel expenses to locations in the urban area, apart for disabled people or for moving heavy equipment.

The proposals will now go before Cabinet.

If adopted car journeys to work would be reduced by 10 per cent a year for the next three years.