Three councils have been granted a total of €1.9 million (£1.7m) for a new wave of energy projects in South West England.

Bristol City Council, in partnership with Devon and Plymouth Councils, will use the grant from the European Investment Bank and the European Commission to improve the energy efficiency of domestic and commercial properties, renewable energy, electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure and heat network projects over the next three years.

The projects will be managed by a central delivery team in Bristol.

It is Bristol City Council’s second successful funding bid from the European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) facility, which provided the city with £50 million for energy and sustainability projects in 2014.

Councillor Kye Dudd, Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste and Regulatory Services said: “It’s great that Bristol has once again been recognised as a national leader in the field of sustainability as our goal to become a carbon neutral city by 2050 moves a step closer.

“It’s even more exciting now that we are in a position to share our knowledge and expertise with other parts of the region, helping them to reduce carbon and provide clean energy to towns and cities across the South West.”