COMMUNITY composting and creating energy from an anaerobic digester using organic waste could be a prospect for the future, if Bridport town councillors have their way.

Councillors agreed that they want to “lead by example” when it comes to trying to be carbon neutral.

And to help the council reduce carbon emissions, a local man is putting together an environmental audit as part of his work towards a Bournemouth University degree in the green economy.

Brian Atkinson told the environment and social wellbeing committee that his initial survey for a carbon management plan suggests that the town council is well on the way to achieving a 30 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from the 2005 figure by 2020.

“It is very early days, but the initial figures suggest you are heading in absolutely the right direction,” Mr Atkinson told councillors, who had already agreed an internal audit to start to reduce the council’s carbon footprint.

The council’s offices at Mountfield provide the greatest source of emissions and changes to the heating and partitioning has already made a big difference in the gas usage.

But increased use of the refurbished Town Hall, previously too cold to host many events, would inevitably increase the energy use figures, although the council has installed solar panels at the Plottingham field to try to balance the effect.

“These figures seem a bit too good to be true to me, and I will investigate further,” admitted Mr Atkinson, who said that the council would have to weigh up the potential extra financial costs of green and sustainable energy against the long-term benefits. And he warned that any plan would have to be practical and not “pie in the sky”.

Coun David Rickard said that following the production of the plan, the council could consider taking on more roles relating to making Bridport greener.