REDDITCH Council’s plan to use energy generated at the town crematorium to heat the Abbey Stadium swimming pool has been approved.

Councillors voted in favour at a council meeting on Monday night.

The scheme will work by using waste heat from the crematorium, which currently escapes through the chimney, and diverting it into the redeveloped leisure centre, which will include a swimming pool.

Installing the necessary equipment, including the laying of insulated pipes to carry the heat away from sensitive burial areas, will cost £39,000 but will result in a saving of £14,560 a year.

In what will be a UK first, 100 per cent of the energy generated from the flue gas cleaning process at the crematorium will be transferred.

Council leader Carole Gandy, said: “The cremation process is a sensitive matter and we wanted to be sure our proposals had widespread support.

“Following consultation, about 80 to 90 per cent of responses received were in favour. Many in fact praised the council for being so innovative and for being willing to discuss the idea openly.

“Throughout we have been careful to explain how the technology would work, that it’s tried and trusted, and that the practice is quite common in parts of Europe.”