COUNCILS throughout the region say they are likely to fail in their efforts to hit new government targets on energy conservation.

MPs passed home energy Acts in 1995 and 1996, and have dictated that councils bring about a 30 per cent reduction in energy use in their districts over a ten-year period.

Under the legislation, the councils are responsible not just for their own properties, but also the private sector.

Bill Westland, environment and sustainability manager for Darlington Borough Council, told members of the town's Environmental Forum last month that County Durham, Darlington and the Tees Valley were falling short of the target to achieve reductions.

Mr Westland said that most authorities across Britain were experiencing the same problems and were unlikely to hit the targets.

Darlington Borough Council, like other authorities, has run a series of energy-saving initiatives, including improving insulation in council-owned properties and trying to educate people about measures they can take themselves.

Mr Westland said it was important that people on low incomes realised they could access grants towards loft and cavity wall insulation, or even new heating systems.

However, he said persuading people with private homes and disposable income to invest was proving difficult.

He said: "None of the authorities are looking as if they are on target to meet the 30 per cent figure, which is a concern to us.

"We have to sell the idea of energy efficiency, particularly in the private sector."

l The council has launched a review of its waste policy as part of the Government's Best Value programme, amid concerns that not enough goes for recycling.

Currently, 83 per cent of waste goes for landfill but the Government wants councils to reduce that figure by two thirds by 2020.

One of the issues being investigated by Darlington council is ways of making recycling a more attractive proposition to people in its area.

l A council survey of air quality in Darlington revealed that, apart from sporadic minor incidents, the borough comfortably met all Government standards.

l The forum supported moves to improve two local wildlife areas. Brankin Moor, near the new Darlington Football Club stadium, is a former allotment site which has been managed by the authority for ten years. The ponds, scrub, grassland and woodland are home to ten species of dragonfly plus birds such as garden warbler, blackcap, bullfinch and lesser whitethroat.

However, Brinkburn Pond has suffered from neglect for many years and the council's main involvement has been to organise litter picks. Nevertheless, it has developed into an important site for endangered great crested newts.

Contributions from developers engaged in building work near the sites has been matched by the Countryside Agency, which means the authority can press ahead with improvements.

The forum also agreed to involve local anglers who use Brinkburn Pond, some having regularly stocked it with fish.