Dorchester's cricket pavilion is expected to soon be close to carbon neutral – once solar panels are installed on the roof.

The fitting of panels to the Weymouth Avenue building has been delayed since 2018 because the Duchy of Cornwall, which owns the land, was initially reluctant to allow the panels, but has since agreed.

Over the past four years Dorchester Town Council, which owns the building, has installed a ground source heat pump, a water bore hole, loft insulation and LED lighting to help with the building's energy efficiency.

Other improvements planned, in addition to the solar panels, include waterless urinals and the installation of two electric vehicle charge points – between them expected to cost around £25,000.

A report to town councillors says that once the works are completed it will make the building almost carbon neutral – benefiting the town cricket club which can invest the energy cost savings back into running the grounds, the pavilion and several cricket teams as well as hiring out the building for other community groups to use.

Funding for the proposed latest changes will come from the town council's Climate Emergency Fund which currently has £88,400 in it, together with any grants which can be achieved from Low Carbon Dorset, the English Cricket Board and others.

It is estimated that the cost of the panels alone could be recovered in just over four years, producing 16.75MegaWatts hours each year, saving nearly four tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – equivalent to planting 180 trees.

Dorchester Town Council has been one of the leading town and parish authorities on climate change policies in the county, being one of the first to start using electric vehicles and some tools for its ground staff; adding solar panels to its buildings; upgrading the Municipal Building to more modern standards, including replacing old boilers with a wood burner and drilling a water borehole in the Borough Gardens and the Weymouth Avenue recreation ground. It is also planting thousands of young trees at the King's Road playing field to create a new woodland walk by the river.

The town council is also planning to move to new offices, which it will share with Dorchester Arts, currently under construction at the rear of the Corn Exchange – moving out of the less energy-efficient building it is using further down North Square.