A major solar panel project has been given the go-ahead by Kirklees councillors.

They committed £9.2m to be spent on 2,000 solar panels on council houses across the borough.

The £9.2m will be funded out of the housing revenue account (HRA) - an account that can only be spent on housing needs.

It was approved without any discussion at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

As part of the agreement, 50 houses will get solar panels this financial year, 1,000 in 2015/16 and 950 in 2016/17.

Kirklees says that while the project is initially funded from the HRA, there will be an overall £14m feed-in-tariff income based on the electricity generated, eventually making the project self-financing.

The solar panels are also expected to reduce household bills by £100 each year, with 50% of the electricity generated used by the tenant.

Around 2,652 houses will be considered for solar panels, but which ones will remain private for now as Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing consults tenants.