THE Artrix in Bromsgrove has won a £615,000 grant to be used for green energy updates.

The bid for the funds came after an energy report from Bromsgrove District Council, which was commissioned by Artrix owners, the Artrix Holding Trust, showed that sustainably upgrading the building could cut energy costs of up to £21,000.

The upgrades which include air source heat pumps and solar panels, LED lighting and an energy management system, could also cut up to 128 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Artrix Holding Trust teamed up with the district council to successfully bid to the Government for the money to make enhancements.

Stuart Laverick, deputy chair of the Artrix Holding Trust, said: “We are over the moon that the application was successful. I’d like to thank the district council for its hard work on our behalf to secure this money from the decarbonisation fund.

“It will be a vital investment in modern upgrades to renewable energy systems that will boost energy efficiency and in so doing, cut both running costs and carbon.

“It’s a step change in the future sustainability of Artrix.”

The grant is from the government Decarbonisation Fund, an initiative from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to deliver significant carbon savings.

The former operator of the Artrix folded shortly after the start of Covid-19 restrictions.

The theatre and arts venue on Slideslow Drive is still being using a mass vaccination centre.