Climate Change Emergency Declaration Follow Up Actions
Case reference FOI2023/00203
Published 15 February 2023
Request
We have carried out some preliminary research of the West Midlands and note that Herefordshire made a climate emergency declaration on 08 March 2019.
Herefordshire is considered to be the West Midlands' most rural county and has rich biological and geological diversity. Form 2005 until 2019 we have seen a 32% decrease in emissions from energy use in the county. We understand that Herefordshire identified and updated its GHG emissions in the GHG Emission Report 2021/2022 and made encouraging actions plans for: Housing and Building 2021, through which by now 80% reduction in carbon from heating has been achieved; Energy 2021, under which projects started in 2020; transport, under which most planned projects are due end in 2022/2023; food, with all projects in development since 2021; farming and land use 2021 often in cooperation with the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust; and Waste. Herefordshire also encourages its citizens to participate to meet target zero through projects like 'Get your business to net zero 30 for 2030'.
Following our initial review we would like the Council to provide the following information:
1. Housing and Building
§ Progress in renewable electricity generation: How much reduction in carbon emissions from the heating of buildings has been achieved through the installation of heat pumps?
§ The state of Future Homes and Passive Housings:
o Has the erection of such housing under the 5,000 existing planning permissions already started?
o Has the Future Homes standard inspired better house-building standards, for instance in combination with current affordable housing developments?
2. Energy
§ Pomona Solar Cooperative: To what extent has selling solar panel to local businesses increased emission free electricity and encouraged them to take further actions?
§ Installation of LED lightning:
o In addition to the installation of LED lighting at Widemarsh, in which other buildings has the council installed LED lighting?
o By how much have carbon emissions been reduced through their installation?
§ Installation of 1.1 MWp of Solar PV:
o How many council buildings have been fitted with solar PV?
o By how much have carbon emissions been reduced through their installation?
3. Transport
§ EV charging points:
o By how much has the council's network or EV charging points expanded since 2021?
o What percentage of the council's fleet has been switched to EVs?
o By how much have carbon emissions been reduced through these changes?
§ Has the design of Quiet Routes and the Holme Lacy Road referring to Infrastructure Delivery Active Travel measures been improved?
4. Farming and land use
§ Has the Supplementary Planning Document on reducing pollution in the River Wye provided new strategies?
5. Food and Waste
§ Have green spaces in new and existing development sites been included in new Planning Policies?
§ Have the ways in which household and business waste is collected and treated changed and schemes that support and encourage a reduction in the amount of waste produced been successful in reducing emissions?
6. Scope 3 of GHG emissions
§ There is little information available concerning progress in reducing scope 3 GHG emissions: Have you evaluated new data concerning emissions linked to organisation's operation, e.g. goods purchased, disposal of products sold?
In addition we would like the Council to provide the following information:
1. please confirm how many Town Councils and/or Parish Councils/Community Councils in your area have made Climate Change Emergency Declarations;
2. please provide the names and contact details of each of these;
3. please confirm how your Council collaborates with each Town Council and/or Parish Council/Community Council;
4. please confirm which other community groups/organisations that you liaise and cooperate with that may have made a Climate Change Emergency Declaration and how your own declaration [links] with any other work.
5. please provide details of any other local community action your Council carries on to pursue any plans and commitments relating to your Climate Change Emergency Declaration.
Response
1. Housing and Building
§ Progress in renewable electricity generation: How much reduction in carbon emissions from the heating of buildings has been achieved through the installation of heat pumps?
No council buildings have heat pumps installed. There have been a total of 26 heat pumps installed under the grant schemes across eligible domestic properties.
§ The state of Future Homes and Passive Housings:
o Has the erection of such housing under the 5,000 existing planning permissions already started?
o Has the Future Homes standard inspired better house-building standards, for instance in combination with current affordable housing developments?
In response to the above questions, Herefordshire Council is aware of a small number of homes that are being built to standards higher than current Building Regulation standards, but does not have specific policies regarding this. The council does not collate information relating specifically to the standard of housing and as such does not hold any information on whether the Future Homes standard has had a positive impact.
2. Energy
§ Pomona Solar Cooperative: To what extent has selling solar panel to local businesses increased emission free electricity and encouraged them to take further actions?
Herefordshire Council does not hold this information. To obtain this you would need to contact Pomana Solar Co-operative.
§ Installation of LED lightning:
o In addition to the installation of LED lighting at Widemarsh, in which other buildings has the council installed LED lighting?
LED lighting has been installed in the following buildings: Hereford Crematorium, 8 St. Owen Street, Museum Resource Learning Centre, Blueschool House using the same grant scheme as Widemarsh Children's Centre.
o By how much have carbon emissions been reduced through their installation?
A total of 16.9tco2e (based on carbon factor 0.35156)
§ Installation of 1.1 MWp of Solar PV:
o How many council buildings have been fitted with solar PV?
31 buildings (based on 1.2 mWp)
o By how much have carbon emissions been reduced through their installation?
Assumed kWh generation of 1,082,914
3. Transport
§ EV charging points:
o By how much has the council's network or EV charging points expanded since 2021?
Rapid chargers (3 x 50kw chargers, that can charge 2 cars at a time) were installed in 2021, but since 2021 to date there have been no further installations.
o What percentage of the council's fleet has been switched to EVs?
16%
o By how much have carbon emissions been reduced through these changes?
Approximately 250 tco2e
§ Has the design of Quiet Routes and the Holme Lacy Road referring to Infrastructure Delivery Active Travel measures been improved?
Please can you clarify whether this question is asking whether the measures have been approved or improved?
If you are asking whether they have been improved, in the first instance, all the ATM projects are still in outline design so the designs are constantly being improved and updated as a natural process.
4. Farming and land use
§ Has the Supplementary Planning Document on reducing pollution in the River Wye provided new strategies?
The agricultural supplementary planning document (SPD) includes a methodology that can be used to demonstrate nutrient neutrality in relation to planning applications for agricultural development. It is prepared in the context of the adopted Core Strategy. Public consultation on the SPD is running until the 24 February, during which time we are inviting comment on the scope and detail of the SPD. Further information can be found via the following link: Local Plan - Herefordshire Council
5. Food and Waste
§ Have green spaces in new and existing development sites been included in new Planning Policies?
The council is currently preparing a new Local Plan. This plan will introduce new policies on green spaces. A public consultation is expected in the summer. Further information on the Local Plan can be found via Local Plan 2021 - 2041 - Herefordshire Council
§ Have the ways in which household and business waste is collected and treated changed and schemes that support and encourage a reduction in the amount of waste produced been successful in reducing emissions?
There have not been changes to the collection or treatment of waste in a number of years. However, new contracts are being tendered for both this year. Whilst our waste collection emissions may increase in the new service due to the introduction of new collections for food, garden and paper and card, our carbon assessment was that this was the lowest carbon option and resulted in significant carbon emission savings in waste disposal. Herefordshire will see the UK's first cargobike collections for food waste in 2024. The new collection contract is pushing for high levels of electric RCV's to reduce C02. Whilst this will take time to appear work will be underway by next year.
6. Scope 3 of GHG emissions
§ There is little information available concerning progress in reducing scope 3 GHG emissions: Have you evaluated new data concerning emissions linked to organisation's operation, e.g. goods purchased, disposal of products sold?
We are planning on doing more work to reduce scope 3 GHC emissions, however, as yet we have not evaluated new data concerning emissions linked to organisation's operations e.g. goods purchased, disposal of products sold. We currently report on the following scope 3 emissions:
- Business travel (staff mileage, rail travel by Herefordshire Council staff for business purposes)
- Staff commuting
- Electricity, gas, burning oil and LPG consumption in buildings operated by outsourced services for waste management, highways, leisure, cultural services, education (academies) and residential care homes.
- Petrol and diesel consumption by contracted fleet vehicles.
- Fleet and staff mileage undertaken by main outsourced contractors on behalf of Herefordshire Council.
In addition we would like the Council to provide the following information:
1. Please confirm how many Town Councils and/or Parish Councils/Community Councils in your area have made Climate Change Emergency Declarations;
Herefordshire Council does not hold this information. Further information can be found via the following link: Map of Local Council Declarations | Climate Emergency UK
2. Please provide the names and contact details of each of these;
Herefordshire Council does not hold details of whether or not a town or parish council in Herefordshire has made a climate change emergency declaration. The names and contact details for all town and parish councils in Herefordshire are available via the following link: Parish Council information
3. Please confirm how your Council collaborates with each Town Council and/or Parish Council/Community Council;
Via the Talk Community network. All 137 parish and town councils are invited to a Talk Community Parish Summit every other month. In October 2022 the theme was 'reducing carbon together' and included ideas on how they could get involved with greener footprints. 3 parish councils talked about their climate change programme.
4. Please confirm which other community groups/organisations that you liaise and cooperate with that may have made a Climate Change Emergency Declaration and how your own declaration [links] with any other work.
Via the Greener Footprints letter we communicate with a wide range of organisations, council, businesses, school and individuals.
5. Please provide details of any other local community action your Council carries on to pursue any plans and commitments relating to your Climate Change Emergency Declaration.
To drive action to achieve net zero and nature rich for Herefordshire by 2030, the council helped to establish the Climate and Nature Partnership Board. A 16 strong board brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge through their roles in conservation, wildlife, architecture, farming, the media, community energy, research, land management, agricultural policy and running businesses. The Board has developed a Climate and Nature Action Plan. The plan of action focuses on six key areas including sustainable housing and buildings, energy, transport, food consumption, land use and farming and waste management. Further information is available via the following link: https://zerocarbon.herefordshire.gov.uk/community-inspiration/
Community Climate and Nature grant scheme in 2021/22 awarded grants up to a value of £176,000 for a range of climate and nature schemes.
Free tree scheme - 500 trees given away to residents in 2021.
Documents
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