PLANS to restore peat bogs in Renfrewshire are being considered as part of efforts to tackle flooding and climate change.

The move is one of a series of ‘green’ priorities highlighted by Renfrewshire Council through its £1million Climate Change Action Fund.

Council chiefs are set to approve a feasibility study into the peat bogs restoration, which would lead to more carbon storage and enhanced biodiversity.

Proposals for the action fund, which will be submitted to the council’s leadership board for approval today, also include accelerating work to replace diesel vehicles in the local authority’s fleet by investing £258,000 in several electric-powered light commercial vans.

In addition, the council plans to form a partnership with a research organisation to deliver a new standard for social housing.

This would bring together resources from academia and industry to develop best practice and design principles that can be delivered as a standard at scale over the coming decade for all social housing within the area.

These principles would aim to deliver ‘zero carbon’ homes that mitigate fuel poverty and are sustainable for tenants and the environment.

Other potential initiatives include a feasibility study into photovoltaic energy panels and a community food growing initiative in Johnstone, as revealed by The Gazette last month.

Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “We are reviewing the way we deliver services to ensure they are as efficient as possible and this ranges from the type of new homes we build and the way we build them to how we support our staff to travel to, from and during work in a more sustainable way.

“But for us to make real change, we also need residents, businesses and partners in Renfrewshire to commit to the cause and reduce their carbon emissions wherever possible.”

He added: “If we work together, we can reach our aim of making Renfrewshire carbon-neutral by 2030.”