Dogs Trust will open a £7.2m eco-friendly re-homing centre in Essex this summer.

It will be the charity’s 19th re-homing centre and its third to be eco-friendly. A spokeswoman said the charity “has been actively adopting a more eco-friendly approach to its buildings in recent years”.

The charity spent 10 years fundraising and looking for a suitable location in Essex before building work began in February 2013. 

The new re-homing building, called the Wickford Centre will adhere to the BREEAM (BRE Environment Assessment Method) standards and feature biomass boilers, green roofs, recycled rain water system and passive ventilation; like its two existing eco-friendly centres in Loughborough and Shrewsbury. 

The Wickford Centre will be able to house around 120 dogs at any one time and hopes to rehouse 1,000 each year.

Dogs Trust will employ 33 people at the centre and also hopes to recruit between 50 and 60 regular volunteers. So far about 700 local residents have expressed and interest in volunteering.

Paul Wass, project surveyor, said: “There’s a known problem with stray dogs in the area. There are already centres here, but they are at maximum capacity. If we can help with that to get dogs into homes that is great, because this is a community effort.”

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