Details of how residents can access the new fund are being finalised and will be publicised when available.

Cllr Robert Lawton, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for homes, said, “We want to lead our communities towards a cleaner, sustainable future that preserves our outstanding environment for generations to come. The new funding will support these aims by reducing the carbon footprint of many local homes. This will be in cases where households may not otherwise be able to fund these improvements themselves.’’

Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment, said, “Climate change presents a real and serious threat to us all. We recognise that the outputs from badly insulated homes are a significant factor in our region’s carbon footprint and we are delighted to have been successful in our bid for decent funding to improve that.”