17817 SWI SBC Climate Bro - University of Bath · 8 Global Climate Change • Computer projections suggest that the average global surface temperature may rise by 1.5 – 5.8°C over

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Contents

Foreword 5

Introduction 5

Executive Summary 6

Global Climate Change 8

National Context 11

Regional Context 12

Climate Change And Swindon Borough 15

The Swindon Climate Change Action Plan 15

• How This Action Plan Was Developed 15

• Agreed Aims Of The Action Plan 15

• How This Action Plan Will Be Implemented 16

• A Whole Community Approach 16

• Mitigating Climate Change 17

• Adapting To Climate Change 17

• Reducing Our Contribution To Climate Change 17

• Key Targets 17

• Personal Action To Tackle Climate Change 18

Priority Areas For Action In Swindon

1. Awareness-raising 20

2. Planning and Development 24

3. Energy 28

4. Transport 34

5. Waste 38

6. Water 41

7. Biodiversity and Natural Environment 44

8. Food 47

9. Health 50

10. Pulling it all together 53

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Foreword

“Tackling climate change requires leadership and commitment at all levels.We must act now to avoid the run-away effects of dangerous climate change.Changing the way we plan and build our communities, and placing climatechange at the heart of policy will deliver wider benefits, including better health,better public transport and more efficient services. I welcome Swindon’sClimate Change Strategy as a key step in the right direction and look forwardto seeing work begin on delivering a low-carbon future for Swindon”Jonathon Porritt, Director of Forum for the Future.

Climate change is the most serious environmental challenge facing us in the 21st century. Its urgency and the necessity to act cannot be underplayed.

Introduction

In April 2004 the Swindon Strategic Partnership (SSP) launched its CommunityStrategy for Swindon for the period 2004-2010: “Our Swindon, Our Community,Our Future”. One of the six main themes of that strategy was an aspiration tomake the Borough a place that values its environment. Key to meeting thechallenge of creating a sustainable environment for the area was thedevelopment of a Climate Change Action Plan. This document is therefore thefirst step along a pathway that will lead to Swindon becoming climateresponsive. Global warming is a national and international issue. But we allhave a role to play in mitigating and adapting to its effects: individuals, families,neighbourhoods, Swindon Borough Council and other public sector bodies(such as those concerned with education and health), the business sector, andvarious voluntary and community groups. There is much to be done.

Climate change is not just an environmental problem. It is a crosscutting issuethat will affect us all economically and socially, as well as in terms of awarming climate. There is clearly a need for urgent precautionary action. Webelieve it is vital to act now to begin addressing this global problem at acommunity level. Progress with this Action Plan will need to be monitored andits targets revised in the light of the growing international consensus on theneed to tighten restrictions on the emission of so-called ‘greenhouse gases’.The Steering Group has been tasked by the SSP with assessing progress andrevising the Action Plan for the next stage; post-2010. No doubt that willrequire even more demanding changes in lifestyles. We believe that the widercommunity of Swindon will join with the SSP in rising to the dauntingchallenge of climate change and of ‘greening’ the Borough.

Professor Geoff Hammond Chair: Swindon Climate Change Action Plan Steering Group

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‘Thinking Globally, Acting Locally’

Executive Summary

This Action Plan is for everyone in Swindon Borough who has an interest inthe future of our planet.

It has been developed by the Swindon Strategic Partnership in response tothe overwhelming scientific evidence that our climate is changing and the fact that we must act now to prevent catastrophic, irreversible damage to our environment.

This document explains what climate change is and how it is likely to affectquality of life in Swindon Borough and beyond. The key aims of this actionplan are to reduce our contribution to climate change and identify the issueswe must consider in order to prepare for the inevitable changes to ourweather. It is an action plan to reduce the carbon emissions responsible forglobal warming.

Under headings ranging from Awareness– raising to Transport and Health, thePlan identifies actions which the Borough is already taking and actions it plansto take – with tables of specific targets and milestones. Although the Plancannot make commitments on behalf of all businesses in Swindon Borough,many are already taking important action, and the Plan provides informationwhich should help other businesses to act. The Plan also suggests ways inwhich individuals can help to combat climate change.

The average Swindon resident relies for their existence on resources from theequivalent of 5.65 hectares of the Earth’s surface - this is their environmental"footprint". If everyone on the planet used resources in this way we wouldneed another two Earths to satisfy demand.

We cannot rely on technology or continue with ‘business as usual’. Ourbehaviour has to adapt but this should not be viewed negatively and as aburden but rather as a positive change. Leading a more sustainable life can befun, cost effective and ultimately can result in a better quality of life. Moreover,a sustainable community is more sociable and cohesive. It is a community inwhich people can live, work and play, and enjoy doing so.

Collectively we will make a difference. As householders, employers,employees, decision makers, shoppers, and travellers – we can makerelatively small changes that literally won’t cost the earth.

This is Swindon’s chance to lead by example. Swindon should be pioneering,challenging, aspirational and inspirational; it should push the boundaries andstrive to become an exemplar Borough in its work on climate change.

For this to happen, people must be provided with support, guidance and theknowledge and opportunities needed to ensure that their decisions andactions help to tackle climate change. This Plan provides a starting point.

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Global Climate Change

• Computer projections suggest that the average global surface temperaturemay rise by 1.5 – 5.8°C over the 21st century, with the most likely valuebeing around 2.5°C

• This rate of warming would be much higher than experienced during the20th century, and is probably unprecedented in the last 10,000 years

• The consequences of global warming could be huge, with more extremeweather events expected including heat waves, floods, droughts and severestorms. Deserts will become hotter; desertification will extend and may beirreversible

• The world’s vegetation zones will undergo major changes and half theworld’s glaciers could melt

• Climate change is one of the most serious threats to the planet’sbiodiversity. We now have strong scientific evidence that global warming will result in catastrophic species loss across the planet (Connor. S. ScienceEditor, The Independent. April 2006)

• Freshwater systems will also experience changes in temperature, flows andlevels, affecting biodiversity, water supplies and probably water quality

• Relative sea level will continue to rise around most of the UK’s shoreline andextreme sea levels will be experienced more frequently. By the 2080’s, sealevel could have risen by between 19 and 79cm

• Human and animal diseases, such as malaria, may spread to new areas anddeaths related to heat stress are predicted to increase

• The changing climate will see the mass movement of people away fromflooded or arid regions, which is likely to cause conflicts and health problems

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What Is Causing Global Climate Change?

Some gases in our atmosphere, for example carbon dioxide (CO2), methane,nitrous oxide and water vapour, trap heat emitted from the Earth’s surface,keeping the planet about 30°C warmer than it would otherwise be. This is the“natural greenhouse effect” and is well understood scientifically.

Although greenhouse gases are produced naturally, human activities,especially burning fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil in power stations, motorvehicles and heaters of all kinds, have dramatically increased their levels,especially the level of carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere. This is throwing theclimate system out of balance. Global climate change was identified as apotentially major hazard back in the 1970s. In 2001 the United NationsIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that most of thewarming observed over the previous 50 years could be attributed to humanactivities. Every one of the hottest 15 years on record has occurred since1980, and the five hottest since 1997. Many scientists and policy analystsnow regard global warming as the most significant threat to emanate fromhuman activity.

Figure 1. Past and future carbon dioxide concentrations (IPCC 2001)

Box 1: Case Study - Tuvalu.

Just over 11,000 people live on a collection of tiny little islands in thePacific which make up a small country called Tuvalu. The highestpoint of Tuvalu is less than 4 metres above sea level and if climatechange causes sea levels to rise as predicted, Tuvalu will probably bethe first country to disappear as a direct result of climate change.

Residents are already experiencing unusually high tides which haveregularly filled their main streets, gardens and even some homes withsea water. Islanders already have to leave their homeland, losing theirunique way of life and migrating to New Zealand.

Local Meteorologist Hilia Vavae is convinced the problems are beingcaused by rising sea levels caused by global warming. One of theislands has already had all its topsoil; trees and vegetation strippedaway and has been reduced to a rocky outcrop standing just abovesea level.

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Copyright © Jocelyn Carlin/Panos

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The National Context

CO2 emissions typically account for some 80% of the total ‘greenhouse’ gasesin many industrialised countries, and the energy sector is responsible foraround 95% of these. The industrial nations (such as those of the EuropeanUnion, North America, and Japan), whose societies are by far the mostresource intensive, will need to take the lead in mitigating climate change.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, the UK must reduce its greenhouse gas emissionsby 12.5% below base year (1990) levels over the 2008 to 2012 commitmentperiod. But in 1997, the UK committed itself to go beyond its Kyoto Protocoltarget by setting a national (or ‘domestic’) goal to reduce CO2 emissions by20% below 1990 levels by 2010. Recent trends in CO2 emissions from the UKenergy sector suggest that the British Government’s domestic goal of a 20%cut in such emissions by 2010 is unlikely to be met. Higher than anticipatedlevels of economic growth and the recent rises in global energy prices, whichhave altered the relative prices of coal and gas, have led to increased emissionsand made the ‘domestic’ target more challenging. But we are on course toachieve the more modest Kyoto target. However, the Royal Commission onEnvironmental Pollution in its ground-breaking ‘Energy Report’ argued that theUK should take the lead in adopting a more ambitious target of reducing theseemissions by some 60% from 1997 levels by about 2050. In the 2003 EnergyWhite Paper, the British Government adopted this longer-term goal.

The 2006 UK Climate Change Programme (UKCCP) is aimed at introducingnew measures to bring the country back in line with its domestic CO2 target.These should reduce the UK’s emissions of greenhouse gases to 23-25 percent below base year levels, and reduce the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions to15-18 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010. The Programme shouldconsequently take the Government close to its ‘domestic’ target. It would notonly tackle climate change domestically but also seek to secure internationalagreement on action to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

The climate change mitigation measures are targeted at every sector of theeconomy, and include:

• tighter building regulations;

• measures to improve household energy efficiency;

• increased levels of microgeneration (that is embedded photovoltaic solarcells on roofs, heat pumps, micro-combined heat and power plants, orsmall-scale wind turbine generators);

• a stricter emissions cap for industry;

• measures to encourage the uptake of biofuels in petrol;

and • a renewed emphasis on encouraging and enabling the general public,

businesses and public authorities to help achieve the Government’s targets

Similar measures are included in the Energy Review published in July 2006.

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The Regional Context

The South West Climate Change Impacts Partnership (SWCCIP) wasestablished from amongst key regional stakeholders in 2001. It seeks todisseminate the results of the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) in asmuch as they predict broad climate changes in the South West up to 2050-2080. These indicate that the SW Region:

• will become warmer by 2050, with average temperatures as much as 3.5°Chigher in the summer

• winters becoming wetter (a 5-20% increase is expected)

• by the 2050s, whilst summers become drier (10-40% decrease) heavy winterrainfall could be twice the current level by the 2080s

• extremes in sea levels could be 20 times more frequent by the 2080s

The SWCCIP’s Scoping Study in 2003 suggests that these climate changeswill have a number of potential impacts for the region.

Habitats and indigenous species could be lost, while growing seasons couldlengthen. Native species of flora and fauna may be unable to adapt quicklyenough. Water resources will be under increased pressure as summersbecome drier and demands rise.

The region may become a less attractive location to live and work. Tourismmay therefore be adversely affected. Other traditional industries like food andfarming could also be threatened.

Health is also likely to be affected (including, according to the SWCCIP, foodpoisoning and malaria). In contrast, the likelihood of conditions such ashypothermia in the elderly will decrease.

Buildings, bridges, power transmission lines, transport infrastructure, andheritage sites are all going to be vulnerable to severe weather patterns.Damage will inevitably lead to increases in insurance costs, particularly forvulnerable coastal areas. The South West has a larger coastline in proportionto its land area than most other regions of the UK.

These potential impacts are summarised in Box 3.

The likely changes in climate would be consistent with an overall warming ofthe planet, and the UK needs to prepare for such changes. At the same time,we need to bear in mind that, even though the planet as a whole is predictedto warm up, some regions could become colder because of changes in oceancurrents: NW Europe could become colder if the Gulf Stream fails, forexample. We need to be aware of this possibility and to ensure that ourpreparations to adapt to climate change are flexible.

Box 2: The Thames Barrier.

The Thames Barrier

Flooding caused by tidal surges is a serious threat to the people andbusinesses in London. The erection of the Thames Barrier to counter thisthreat was a great engineering feat. The barrier has had to be raisedmuch more frequently than was originally predicted. Decisions on raisingand lowering the barrier are based on tidal data and predictions providedby the Natural Environment Research Council’s ProudmanOceanographic Laboratory. The cost of getting the predictions wrongwould be £30 billion, without counting the potential loss of human lives.

The Thames Barrier will reach the end of its design life in 2030 andplanning for its replacement has already begun, led by the EnvironmentAgency (EA). A critical decision is how much higher to build the newbarrier to cope with rising sea levels. The two greatest uncertainties arethe frequency of storm surges and the contribution of ice melt fromAntarctica. NERC’s British Antarctic Survey scientists are providingadvice to the EA on the latter, and carrying out research that will help toimprove predictions of sea level rise.

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Box 3: Likely Climate Change And Possible Impacts In The South West.

• The region is becoming warmer and by the 2050s averagetemperatures may be as much as 3.5°C warmer in summer;

• High summer temperatures are becoming more frequent, and verycold winters are becoming increasingly rare;

• Winters are becomingwetter (a 5 - 20%increase is expected bythe 2050’s), whilstsummers are becomingdrier (10 - 40% decreaseby the 2050’s);

• Changes to insurancecosts and coverage areexpected, in particular invulnerable geographic areas or economic sectors;

• Loss of habitats and indigenous species could occur as well aslonger growing seasons and increased potential for novelagricultural crops.

• The area could see the arrival of invasive plant and animal speciesand diseases normally associated with warmer climes.

For further information on the impacts of climate change on the SW seeChapter 5 of the technical report to the SWCCIP scoping study “Warming to the idea”.

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Climate Change And Swindon Borough

Swindon will inevitably be affected. The implications of climate change cannotbe ignored and must not be ignored. This is why the Swindon StrategicPartnership (SSP) decided to publish this Action Plan which sets out how theSSP will raise awareness of climate change and reduce the Borough’scontribution to global warming. It sets out how this will be achieved byworking in partnership with local organisations and with active participationfrom the local community.

The Swindon Climate Change Action Plan

How This Action Plan Was Developed

Widespread consultation with the public, voluntary and community organisationsand various statutory bodies was necessary to ensure that this Action Planwould take full account of the problems facing the Borough of Swindon andachieve a sense of shared ownership, encouraging everyone to do his or her bit.

From November 2004 to November 2005, the Swindon Strategic Partnership(SSP) co-ordinated a number of events and consultations in order to gaugelocal opinion. These led to the setting up of a Climate Change Action PlanSteering Group involving representatives of various sectors includingbusiness, faith groups, voluntary groups, health organisations, parishcouncillors, and environmental groups.

Full details of the Swindon Strategic Partnership and Steering Group arecontained in Appendix numbers 5 and 6.

Forum for the Future, a UK sustainable development charity, was contractedto help develop and support the consultation process. A Forum for the Futurescholar played a key part in the developmental process by carrying outdetailed research and conducting interviews with key stakeholders.

The Agreed Aims of the Action Plan

1. Reduce Swindon’s contribution to climate change (mitigation)

2. Prepare Swindon for a changing climate (adaptation)

3. Ensure Swindon Borough develops in a sustainable way

The term “sustainable development” is one which is now widely used.It means simply living and developing in a way which ensures that futuregenerations can enjoy the same quality of life as we do today

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How This Action Plan Will Be Implemented

The Climate Change Action Plan will help to move the Borough towards amore sustainable future and the actions taken on climate change will integratewith the ongoing development of Swindon’s Community Strategy and the newLocal Area Agreement. These actions are intended to benefit the localenvironment and the people who live and work in the Borough, both now andin the future.

Implementation of this Action Plan will be co-ordinated and monitored by theSteering Group and overseen by the SSP. A report on progress will beprepared by the Steering Group and published annually.

“A place which values its environment and safeguards it for the future generations” - Swindon Community Strategy

A Whole Community Approach

Much is already happening in Swindon to reduce Swindon’s contribution toclimate change and this Action Plan will draw together and develop existingaction areas and initiate further action. As an example, Swindon BoroughCouncil (SBC), as just one of the partners involved, has already signed theNottingham Declaration on Climate Change and therefore committed itself toaddressing both the causes and effects of climate change with the localcommunity. One of the clauses states:

“We commit our council to work with key providers to assess the potentialeffects of climate change on our communities and to identify ways in whichwe can adapt”.

A two-pronged approach to climate change, covering both mitigation andadaptation, is necessary:

MITIGATION Two-fold ADAPTION= reducing approach to = learning to live

change climate change with change

Figure 2. Mitigation And Adaptation

Mitigating Climate Change

Mitigation is about avoiding further climate change (by taking action to reducegreenhouse gas emissions). Swindon will recognise its obligations to minimiseits contribution to global climate change by identifying and acting uponopportunities to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. As shown, the ActionPlan aims to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. This will improve the qualityof life in Swindon through job creation, health protection, boosting the localeconomy and improving our environment.

Adapting To Climate Change

However, it is nonetheless necessary for Swindon to recognise that previousgreenhouse gas emissions will expose us to a level of climate change thatcould affect our everyday lives. We will need to adapt so that detrimental social,economic and environmental effects are minimised. It is in our interest to actnow to find sustainable approaches to living and working in a changing climate.

Reducing Our Contribution To Climate Change

As stated above, the UK Government is aiming for a 20% reduction in 1990carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. Swindon must play its part in this.

Key Targets in the Swindon Climate Change Action Plan

Reduce Swindon Borough’s Carbon Dioxide emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2010

Reduce Swindon Borough’s Carbon Dioxide emissions by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050

The Community Strategy, Swindon’s Local Area Agreement and SBC’sCorporate Environment Strategy (2005) include the aim to minimise theemissions of greenhouse gases.

Key Action

Calculate Swindon Borough’s ‘Carbon Footprint’ to determine SwindonBorough’s current contribution to carbon dioxide emissions i.e. ‘thebaseline position’, and monitor whether it changes in line with the aboveGovernment targets

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In order to succeed, a partnership approach across the Borough is needed,with all sectors fully involved in taking forward the Action Plan and everyindividual and organisation acknowledging and addressing its responsibilityand the contribution it can make.

Personal Action To Tackle Climate Change

It is easy to feel helpless when faced with the challenge of climate change. Itis a huge global problem and so our own actions can seem like a drop in theocean. However, by acting together as individuals and communities we canmake a massive difference to reducing carbon emissions.

The average person in the UK produces about 10 tonnes of CO2 a year. Eachof us needs to try and reduce this to around 2 tonnes a year; a sustainablelevel that the planet’s natural climate systems can absorb.

Living a low-carbon lifestyle need not be difficult or expensive and it doesn’tmean you have to give up all the things you enjoy. Start with some simplethings first and then try something more challenging. Each of the followingthemed priority areas for action contains suggestions for personal action totackle climate change – many of these will improve your health, save youmoney and make you feel great!

The average person in Swindon Borough produces approximately 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

A good place to start is by filling in a carbon calculator – these help youunderstand how much carbon dioxide you are responsible for and howyou can reduce your impact.

A Personal Carbon Calculator has been included at the back of thisAction Plan. Alternatively go to:

www.carboncalculator.com; www.coinet.org.uk

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Priority Areas For Action In Swindon

The following areas have been chosen for priority action as a result of theinput and feedback from everyone who attended the Climate ChangeWorkshop in September 2005.

1. Awareness-raising

2. Planning and Development

3. Energy

4. Transport

5. Waste

6. Water

7. Biodiversity and Natural Environment

8. Food

9. Health

10. Pulling It All Together

Each section has been colour-coded for ease of reference and contains: -

• Why this theme has been chosen

• What is currently going on in Swindon Borough

• Key Actions We Will Take

• Personal Action to tackle climate change (where relevant)

A detailed Action Plan including milestones, measurable and realistic targetsand details of partners involved is included as Appendix 1 at the back of this document.

We note many of the personal and public targets apply equally to the businesssector and we urge the business community to engage with us and share theirideas and best practice. We hope to include more information from thebusiness community in the refreshed version 2010.

Section 1. Awareness-raising

Raising awareness amongst individuals and organisations about the impactsof climate change, adaptation measures and greenhouse gas reductionmeasures will form an integral part of the Action Plan. This is absolutelyessential if effective and long-lasting action is to be undertaken by the wholeof the community.

Research suggests that current levels of awareness in terms of climate changeare still fairly low and that misperceptions are common. One of the key actionsis therefore to carry out a wide-ranging publicity and education campaign toencourage both individuals and organisations to reduce their contribution toclimate change and prepare to adapt to the effects of it.

Research by psychologists consistently shows that information alone is notenough to induce environmentally friendly behaviour. Any awareness raisingcampaign will need to take note of the latest research to determine what arethe most effective methods of motivating behaviour change. This includes forexample, 1) avoiding messages designed solely to elicit fear, 2) personalisingthe issues to make climate change directly relevant to people, and 3) makinglow-carbon lifestyles something fashionable and desirable.

In order to increase awareness, the approach will be ‘top down’ as well as‘bottom up’, with community groups raising awareness at the grassroots level.There are already examples of initiatives within the Borough that are helping tospread the message, but more collaborative and determined efforts arerequired. This Action Plan identifies several opportunities and possiblepartnerships that could help achieve this. SBC needs to develop community-based awareness-raising schemes with other organisations including WiltshireWildlife Trust, Great Western Community Forest etc. The SSP could coordinateeducation and publicity on climate change issues, making best use of existingchannels of communication.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizenscan change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”Margaret Mead circa 1945

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One of the major barriers to progress, not unique to Swindon, is the fact thatpeople, and often those who can make a big difference, lack the necessaryknowledge. The South West Climate Change Impact Scoping Studyencourages officers in relevant local authority departments to gain furtherclimate change understanding through their networks of professional bodies,local government officers and the Local Government Association. Thereshould therefore be an ongoing programme of training, information andsupport for members and officers.

Schools will play a key role in spreading the climate change message tochildren, parents and out into the wider community. Children absorb and retaininformation quickly and effectively; it is therefore imperative that they learnabout climate change from the earliest age. If this is done successfully,information will become engrained and certain actions will become routine andpart of normal behaviour. Furthermore, studies show that “pester power” isone of the most effective methods of encouraging adults to adopt energy-efficient behaviours.

What is Happening Already?

• The Swindon Climate Action Network has been established in Swindon toencourage local ‘grass roots’ action against climate change

• The SBC Sustainable Development Team organises and runs an annualawards competition to reward sustainable projects that improve quality oflife in the Borough

• The Great Western Community Forest runs dozens of awareness-raisingevents each year, including the annual Forest Festival

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The Eco-Schools Earth Summit

The Eco-Schools Earth Summit is an annual event organised by theSBC Sustainable Development Team in partnership with a wide varietyof organisations in the Borough. The Summit, sponsored by localbusinesses, is a four-day event held at Roves Farm.

Each year 400 pupils take part in a variety of practical environmentalworkshops on issues including recycling, energy, transport, naturalenvironment, sustainable lifestyles, water, art and climate change. The workshops are run by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, the Primary CareTrust, the Water Research Centre, Thames Water, pupils from RidgewaySecondary School, Swindon Rangers, and officers from the recycling,Artscape and transport teams within the Council.

Healthy eating is also encouraged and pupils are tasked with bringing a healthy, waste-free meal for their lunch.

In recent years, pupils from The Ridgeway Secondary School haveprovided lunchtime entertainment with a ‘Recycled Fashion Show’ and their own version of the West End show ‘STOMP’.

The project has recently been featured on the IDeA Website andreceived a coveted Green Apple Award.

For further information, please contact Gill Chandler, Sustainable Development Officer on (01793) 463180.

But we must do more…………..!

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Key Actions We Will Take

• Develop and submit a funding bid for a high profile project to raiseawareness of climate change across all sectors in 2006

• Increase membership of the Swindon Climate Action Network by 20% each year

• Establish Sustainable Business Club by December 2007

Personal Action

Demand change and spread the word!

Whilst most councils, businesses and the Government are beginning to takeaction to tackle climate change, progress is still too slow. As a Swindonresident, a consumer and a UK citizen you have a say in decisions that aremade and the future of our climate.

Join the Swindon Climate Action Network

Do you have some spare time and would like to help people in Swindon tocombat climate change? Swindon Climate Action Network is a group ofindividuals from across Swindon who are concerned about climate change.They work to raise awareness of the causes and impacts of climate changeand encourage local people to take action to tackle it. They are very pleasedto welcome new members to the group.

Write to businesses, councillors and MPs

Let them know that you are concerned about climate change and urge themto take action.

Further information:

Swindon Climate Action Network: http://scan.editme.com

Find out more about your MP and how to contact them at:www.theyworkforyou.com

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Section 2. Planning and Development

As one of the key objectives of this Climate Change Action Plan is to promotesustainable development, the planning system is an ideal tool through whichthe Council can work to address issues relating to climate change.

Swindon has been identified as a potential Urban Growth Area and the DraftRegional Spatial Strategy sets out a requirement to accommodate 35,000extra dwellings at Swindon by 2026. The growth of Swindon needs carefulplanning. It needs to be sustainable.

In addition, the emerging New Economic Development Vision and Frameworkfor Swindon states “Swindon will have an international reputation ascentre of innovation, science and technology and as an example ofsustainable living. It will have a dynamic and vibrant town centre, withradically improved cultural and leisure facilities”.

A report called ‘Building Knowledge For A Changing Climate’ written andpublished by UKCCIP and EPSRC, underlines the fact that planners,designers, architects and engineers must consider climate change now.Infrastructure for the built environment is typically designed and built to beoperational over a long time period and knowledge of future conditions is vital.

The large number of new homes and developments that will be built and theassociated infrastructure and transport systems required present anunmissable opportunity to demonstrate what can be done. We should bedemanding the highest practicable environmental standards to create ahealthy, booming, positive, environmentally friendly place for all.

Currently, the only examples of eco-friendly housing in the Borough are theseven eco-friendly ‘1nteger’ homes at Groundwell. One way forward for thefuture is to encourage, through guidance, an EcoHomes and BREEAM ratingfor the Borough’s affordable housing of ‘very good’ as soon as is possible. Inproducing the Local Development Framework, Swindon Borough Council willpropose a policy that seeks to achieve a minimum standard of ‘excellent’ in allnew housing and commercial developments. Currently, achieving “Excellent”entails marginally higher costs per property for developers (0.7 – 1.2% onaverage new-build house prices), though any costs are quickly reclaimedthrough energy savings during the building’s life cycle (Select Committee onEnvironmental Audit, Housing Construction, The United Kingdom Parliament,2005, para. 121).Environmental standards such as these will be celebratedand promoted.

Building sustainable housing developments requires a holistic approach, withcommunities, as a whole, also functioning sustainably. For example, theSouthern Development Area has been planned to include:

• co-location of, and proximity to local facilities to minimise the use of the private car

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• local shopping facilities

• good public transport services

• a network of green spaces linking habitat types and ensuring thatfragmentation does not occur

The urban regeneration of Swindon’s town centre is a unique opportunity thatmust not be wasted. Swindon needs new iconic ideas and key demonstrationprojects that will impress and inspire and the Council is working closely withthe New Swindon Company to ensure the large-scale town centre projectsincorporate the highest standards. A strategy has been drawn up that willensure that developers design the buildings to a higher environmentalspecification than is normally required, plus include proper sustainablesolutions. Each development is large enough to build-in the most appropriateenergy solutions that use renewables to a greater degree than is universallyrequired. This can be achieved because the public sector control theownership of the land and consequently the development layout and design.

What Is Happening Already?

• SDA – all homes will be built to BRE’s Eco-Homes ‘Very Good’ standard and 225 of these will be built to the Eco-Homes ‘Excellent’ standard

• Local Plan adopted in July 2006, based on a strategy of urban concentrationwith highest density developments proposed in accessible locations

• The Local Plan also has a requirement for the design of new development toaddress environmental sustainability throughout, including the use ofrecycled and/or traditional materials in construction and energy efficiency indesign and layout. This is being expanded through the emerging SwindonDesign Guide


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• Continue to develop a local policy strategy based on reducing the needto travel and to include policies for eco-friendly homes. The LocalDevelopment Framework’s (LDF’s) Core Strategy (Issues and Options)Draft is due to be published in Spring 2007

• Seek to negotiate for eco-friendly homes as part of major developmentproposals

• Seek to publish a ‘Sustainable Development’ Supplementary PlanningDocument in line with the emerging Core Strategy

• Implement the existing Waste Audit Supplementary Planning GuidanceNote to reduce wastage in construction and provide for recycling in newdevelopments

• SBC Forward Planning and Development Control Teams to identifyexactly what developers will be required to do in order to provide newdevelopments which minimise their contribution to climate change andwhich are able to withstand expected climate change

• Use existing environmental and economic development strategy to work inpartnership with local businesses to exploit new technology in housingdesign

• Use existing planning regulation to ensure delivery of renewable energyinstallations in accordance with the Wiltshire and Swindon RenewableEnergy Action Plan and Swindon Borough Local Area Agreement

Personal Action

Everyone has the right to comment, support or object to planning proposals,and it can be a really positive way of helping to ensure that new buildings ordevelopments have minimal impact on the environment. It can seem dauntingand very few people take up the opportunity – so here are a few tips.

Look on the Swindon Borough Council website for information about currentplanning applications: www.swindon.gov.uk

Do your homework - only comment on things that you know about or that youhave sought advice on. E.g. if you think a new development may affect rarewildlife, contact your local wildlife group. If you think a new development maybe at risk of flooding, contact the Environment Agency.

Write to the planning officer quoting the planning application number. Makeyour letter clear, factual and non-emotive and where possible quote fromplanning policy and law (see www.odpm.gov.uk). Is the new development inbreach of the law or of the Local Plan (your Local Plan can also be found onthe Council website)?

For advice on objecting to planning proposals visit: http://www.planning-applications.co.uk/objection

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Government to Cut Planning Restrictions for micro-generationThe Government announced on 4th July 2006 that it was proposing toamend the planning system for household applications, such thatsmall-scale micro-technology such as solar water heating and smallwind turbines should be allowed to go ahead without the need for aplanning application.

Yvette Cooper said:“It is absurd that you should be able to put up a satellite dish on yourhouse but should have to wrestle with the planning process for smallscale micro generation which is no more obtrusive and can have a realimpact on tackling climate change. We want far more micro-generationto be treated as permitted development and we also should be able tosimplify the system for small developments such as extensions.”

1nteger Housing – A Case Study

Swindon Borough Council has worked with Jephson and WestleaHousing Associations to develop 7 1nteger (intelligent and green) homesin Groundwell, North Swindon.

The use of renewable energy helps to prevent global warming andthese homes benefit from solar panels - this also means lower gas billsfor the residents and continuous hot water. The designers say, “becauseof the additional features, the cost of building these 1nteger homes isabout 10% greater than other houses. But tenants will see at least a50% reduction in electricity and gas bills.”

The visually striking timber-frame homes have been constructed usingenvironmentally-friendly materials including recycled rubber tiles onterrace areas, eco-friendly paints, recycled paper insulation andgalvanised steel gutters and clay drains below ground - reducing theamount of PVC used.

The homes will also be cheaper to maintain, as they have zinc roofs andthe external walls are partly clad with home-grown cedar boards whichrequire no redecoration.

Water efficiency measures in the homes include the recycling ofrainwater, low capacity baths and toilets with dual inlet systems(recycled rainwater/mains backup).

The 1NTEGER homes are also designed to allow maximum flexibility forthe future, including provision for a future floor lift and a shower spaceon the ground floor. There are above-average floor areas and rooms inroof areas reduce ‘wasted’ space.

Further details are available from www.westlea.co.uk

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Section 3. Energy

3(a) Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Energy efficiency is key to the Climate Change Action Plan as wasted energymeans unnecessary CO2 emissions. According to the Energy Savings Trust,every household in the UK creates around six tonnes of carbon dioxide everyyear – enough to fill six hot air balloons 10 metres in diameter. By takingenergy efficiency measures, the average household could reduce this by onethird (2 tonnes) and save £300 per year. Energy efficiency contributes tosustainable development and well-being and benefits public services, fuel-poor residents and businesses.

Energy efficiency is something that is being tackled in Swindon andconsiderable progress has been made. SBC has a Home Energy ConservationStrategy (1996). This states that the Council aims to improve energy efficiencyin all the homes in the Borough by 30%, over 15 years from 1996. As an energyconservation authority the Council reports yearly to the Department forEnvironment Food and Rural Affairs (defra) on the progress made. TheWiltshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (WEEAC) is a key service thatprovides free, independent advice to householders and it should be givencontinued support. The WEEAC is supported by the Wiltshire Local Authorities.

Use of energy is just as important in the business and public sectors as well.As an example, in 2003/4 SBC used over 100 million-kilowatt hours of energywhich produced nearly 30,000 tonnes of CO2.

Potential benefits of more sustainable energy use:

• Lower energy bills and better value for money;

• Reduced carbon dioxide emissions;

• More sustainable building design, which in turn can benefit users throughgood ventilation, maximum use of natural light, improved air quality;

• More efficient use of natural resources; and

• Development of a market for low-carbon technologies and services


• Promotion of Energy Efficiency Commitment funding for insulation measures

• Promotion of Warm Front

• WarmLet – targets private rented sector

• Insulation Grants (subject to available funding), for owner occupier -households, or private-rented, where the householder is 65 and over whosehouses were built before 1980



• Improve the energy efficiency of all residential accommodation across theBorough by 30% by 2010 (from 1996 baseline)

• Reduce the amount of energy used by Swindon Borough Council by 2%from 2004 baseline by 2007 (Swindon Borough Corporate EnvironmentalStrategy 2004-7)

• The new Central Library will be constructed to a BREEAM ‘excellent’standard. The building structure will be very energy-efficient and naturally ventilated

• Investigate how Swindon’s local economy can capitalise on the economicdevelopment opportunities that arise from responses to resource depletion

• Investigate what locally can be done to develop the environmentaltechnology sector and demonstrate expertise in planning for and dealingwith climate change

Personal Action

A typical UK home produces about 6 tonnes of CO2 every year, due to theenergy needed for heating, lighting and running appliances. Following somesimple energy saving steps can easily save at least 2 tonnes of this. It’s also agreat way of saving money (around £300 per house per year)!

Fill in a Home Energy Survey – contact the Wiltshire Energy Efficiency AdviceCentre (see below) for free, impartial advice, tailor made for your home. Findout about the grants and discounts that are available.

Turn appliances off standby – a TV on standby could be using up to 25% of the electricity as when it is switched on. It’s really simple and will save you money.

Low energy light bulbs – these last about five times longer than a normallight bulb and use five times less electricity, so over it’s lifetime each one couldsave you £60! They are now available in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Insulate – The biggest proportion of your homes energy is needed for heatingand hot water. Insulating your cavity walls and ensuring you have at least270mm (11 inches) of loft insulation, is probably the best thing you can do tosave energy. This could save you well over £100 a year.

Replace your old boiler – whilst expensive, this is another really effective way of cutting down your greenhouse gas emissions and could save around£100 a year.

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Buy energy efficient appliances – all white goods (fridges, freezers,washing machines etc.) come with anenergy efficiency rating. Look out for“AA” rated goods, which are the mostefficient available.


Wiltshire Energy Efficiency AdviceCentre: 0800 512 012

Energy Saving Trust: www.est.org.uk

3(b) Fuel Poverty

A fuel-poor household is one that needs to spend more than 10% of itsincome on fuel for all uses. Fuel poverty is undoubtedly a serious social,environmental and economic issue that needs to be addressed, with Swindonwanting to eliminate fuel poverty in vulnerable households by 2010. Swindon’smajor work on fuel poverty will be through the Swindon & Wiltshire AffordableWarmth Strategy (2002). One contributing factor that can help alleviate fuelpoverty is improving the energy efficiency of people’s homes. .


• Insulation schemes as noted under Energy Efficiency

• Promotion of Warm Front

• Decent Homes Assistance Grants with Ridgeway Care & Repair (Swindon)

• npower - Health through Warmth


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npower Health through Warmth

The scheme aims to assist people whose health is suffering as a resultof cold, damp housing. Health through Warmth trains key workers inthe community who regularly visit people in their homes to recognisefuel poverty and refer clients accordingly. Health through Warmth canrefer people to a relevant grant to improve energy efficiency. npowerprovide a crisis fund for vulnerable people who are unable to accessgrant funded improvements.

The scheme ran successfully, throughout Wiltshire, from 2003 to early2006, managed by the Energy Team at the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. InSwindon over 200 people undertook training and more than100 homesreceived help during this period.

It is hoped that funding can be secured to continue Health throughWarmth in Swindon for the remainder of 2006 and beyond.

For further details contact the Home Energy Conservation Officerat Swindon Borough Council: 01793 466100


• Establish a Steering Group to develop an Affordable Warmth Action Plan forSwindon and begin implementation by November 2006

• 1500 households given Affordable warmth Assistance by April 2009

• Reduce number of local authority properties with a SAP rating less than 65to 2,200 by 2008/9

Personal Action

Follow the advice given in the previous section – this will reduce the risk ofsuffering from fuel poverty

Share this advice with vulnerable relatives, friends or neighbours

Contact your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre to check out energyefficiency grant entitlement


Wiltshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre: 0800 512 012

Energy Saving Trust – www.est.org.uk

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3(c) Renewable Energy

Increased energy from renewable sources is an important part of action to slowthe rate of climate change. The UK Government “Energy White Paper”published in February 2003, sets out a new direction for UK energy policyfocussed on sustainable and affordable energy supply. The White Paperadvocates major improvements in energy efficiency and increasing renewableenergy capacity in the UK to reduce the environmental impact of energy supply.

The government has set a target of 10% of electricity to be generated fromrenewable sources by 2010.


• Swindon Churches Together has set up a Churches Green Energy Scheme.

• The Council has increased the percentage of green electricity it purchases,and the Civic Offices, Premier House and all public street lighting use 100%green electricity. This policy has continued through 2004/5 and 2005/6. Inaddition, the majority of energy purchased for other public buildings andschools is derived from Quality Combined Heat and Power sources. Thisprovides a reduction in CO2 emissions of between 0.13 and 0.21 kg forevery unit of electricity purchased

• The National Trust HQ (Heelis Building) has been designed to maximise theuse of passive solar gain and photovoltaic panels installed on the roofcurrently provide approximately 40% of the energy required for the building

• Motorola already has a wind turbine on its site in the north of the Boroughand Honda has installed a test mast

• The Natural Environment Research Council is making plans to install solarvoltaic panels at Polaris House

The key document in relation to renewable energy is Swindon’s RenewableEnergy Action Plan (2005) and the actions stated in the document will beaddressed.



• Organise and deliver a conference to promote the use of renewable energy sources

• Set up a Renewable Energy Task Force to identify the opportunities to useand promote renewable energy in Swindon Borough and provide a report toCabinet by April 2007

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• 6 renewable energy installations in Swindon Borough for electricity by 2009

• Organise and deliver a campaign to encourage households to switch to agreen electricity tariff as well as businesses to ‘buy green’ as part of theirCorporate Social Responsibility Strategy

Case Study: Westmill Wind Farm Co-operative

Westmill Wind Farm Co-operative will build one of the first entirelycommunity-owned wind farms in the UK and it will be located in nearbyWatchfield. The Wind Farm is the brainchild of organic farmer AdamTwine, who has spent the last 13 years working to achieve his dream ofbuilding a wind farm on his land

It is hoped the turbines will become operational in December 2006 andwill provide enough ‘green’ electricity to power more than 2500 homes

The wind farm will help the UK avoid emissions of harmful greenhousegases and contribute towards the Government’s target of generating10% electricity from renewable sources by 2010

For further information please contact 0870 234 2002

Personal Action

Switch to a ‘green’ tariff - there are now many different options forgenerating electricity, heat or hot water for your home. The simplest place tostart is switching to a green electricity tariff. All electricity companies now offerone and by simply making a phone call you can switch your supply andensure that your money is invested in developing more renewable energy,instead of supporting fossil fuel technologies. A green tariff will cost you only alittle more, or even the same, as your current supply.

Install your own! If you want to take things a step further and create yourown power, your house could be your own mini power station and you caneven sell electricity back to the national grid! Technologies available rangefrom solar hot water and photovoltaics, to micro-wind turbines, ground sourceheat pumps and wood chip boilers. The Government also now provides grantsto householders, community groups and other organisations to help pay forinstalling renewable energy.


Wiltshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre: 0800 512 012

Energy Saving Trust – www.est.org.uk

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Section 4. Transport

The National Society for Clean Air reports that “Road transport accounts for22% of total UK emissions of carbon dioxide”. It is clear that transport willcontinue to be a significant contributor to greenhouse gases and climate changeas well as to air pollution in general. However, its contribution could be reduced.

Over the next 20 years the Council has committed to a growth agenda.Already agreed is the development of the town centre as part of theregeneration framework, as well as the completion of the Northern Sector andthe Southern Development Area. Also being investigated is the potential fordevelopment at Coate and in other urban extension sites, particularly to theeast of Swindon as set out in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy. A growth of35,000 houses plus other associated development will result in very muchlarger numbers of people wanting to get to work, education, shops and otherfacilities. Added to this figure must be the trend that over time people drivemore (more trips of longer distance). Calculations have estimated that, as aresult, the demand for travel could increase over the next 20 years by 67%.However, not all these trips have to be undertaken by car.

One of the main objectives in the second Local Transport Plan is to work toregenerate the town centre and help the Borough to realise its economicpotential whilst minimising the potential negative impacts on the environment,not just air pollution but also in terms of road safety.

To achieve this, we need to motivate people to walk cycle and use publictransport more. The Council is therefore committed to increasing the optionsavailable for travel by sustainable modes as well as raising awareness of thepotential negative impact on both the environment and the economy of un-restrained car travel.

It is imperative that the public uses more environmentally friendly andsustainable modes of transport in order to reduce the number of cars on theroad. SBC can set a good example by reducing the use of fossil fuels by itsfleet vehicles and implementing its own Travel Plan. SBC will work inpartnership with public transport operators, external service providers andvoluntary interest groups to improve the provision and use of public transportservices in Swindon and to increase the proportion of journeys made by bikeand on foot.

Transport is a very cross-cutting issue and actions taken to reduce CO2

emissions from transport will also lower other vehicle emissions, lead to betterurban air quality, and consequent improvements in health.


• The second Local Transport Plan (2006-2011) sets out the aims andobjectives, which the Council wants to achieve for the borough over thenext five years. These include both raising awareness of the benefits ofsustainable travel, building the facilities needed to encourage greater use

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such a cycling routes and secure parking, better bus stops, etc. andmanaging the demand to travel by car whilst not having a negative impacton the growth agenda

• 55% of Swindon Commercial Services smaller vehicles fleet runs on LPG fuel

• There are two Park and Ride sites – Wroughton and Groundwell

• 36 of the Borough’s 84 schools have travel plans (2006) which encourage amove away from car-use towards more sustainable modes of travel

• The Human Resources Directorate is already developing a Travel Plan forCouncil staff



• In the next five years, the bus station will be renewed and modernised anda real-time information system for passengers will be progressed acrossthe borough

• We will ensure all Borough Schools have school travel plans in place by theend of 2009

• Construct the Park & Ride site at Commonhead by the end of the secondLocal Transport Plan period (subject to winning exceptional scheme fundingfrom DfT)

• Hold a Transport and Travel seminar for local businesses to promote goodjourney planning, video-conferencing, home-working, car-share clubs.

• Investigate the use of bio-diesel for Council-owned fleet vehicles (include fulllife-cycle analysis to ensure fuel source is not causing de-forestation andassociated CO2 release)

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Personal Action

Transport is the fastest growingsource of greenhouse gas emissionsin the UK; in particular theemissions from air travel. Changingyour travel habits can be a realchallenge, but there are manyoptions available to you.

Avoid flying

A return flight to New York produces around 4 tonnes of CO2. Try and avoidflying where possible and if you need to travel within the UK and Europe lookinto alternatives such as trains and buses.

On your bike!

Over a quarter of car journeys in the UK are under a mile. Swapping your carfor a bike or your feet will cut your emissions and get you fit! There are milesof cycle routes in and around Swindon - pick up a local cycle route map fromthe library or council.

Use your car wisely

If you travel by car there are lots of ways of reducing your impact on theclimate. Buying a more efficient, smaller vehicle, sharing your car with others,reducing extra weight, checking tyre pressure and driving efficiently withoutsudden breaking or accelerating, will all cut your carbon emissions.

Further information

• Traveline – Excellent information service for public transport timetableswww.traveline.org.uk 0870 608 2 608

• Travelwise – For travel advice for schools, individuals and businesses seewww.travelwise.org.uk

• Sustrans – for information on the National Cycle Network and Safer Routesto School project – www.sustrans.org.uk

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Case Study: Nationwide Headquarters Swindon – PromotingSustainable Transport

Nationwide Building Society is the world’s largest building society,with almost 16,000 employees, 680 branches and 300 agenciesacross the UK.

The Society’s Intranet is the primary tool for communicating withemployees; therefore they do not have a hard-copy travel plandocument. Rather, their Splatt travel awareness campaign forms theintegral part of the Society’s travel planning. It seeks to encourageemployees to think about getting out of their cars and using alternativemodes of transport, thereby reducing their environmental impact andlessening the strain on our parking infrastructure.

Splatt is an animated image depicting an insect that has hit a carwindscreen, and is used to promote sustainable travel to and from theworkplace. The aim is to make the Society’s travel plan less “corporate”and more engaging.

The launch of the campaign in April 2005 was a huge success. Anintranet quiz offered a Splatt goody bag to those employees responding,and over 700 replies were received in the first three days. In June 2005,sustainable transport featured as the cover story in their employeemagazine, Live.

Local buses service the Swindonheadquarters site at peak times anda free lunch time bus is provided foremployees between NationwideHouse and the town centre.Information on buses servicing themain sites is available to employeesvia the intranet and at the busstops. A car share scheme has beenin operation since 1998, and thereare currently over 700 registered

users and 250 parking spaces reserved for sharers. A proportion ofthese spaces are kept free for shift workers.

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Section 5. Waste

According to Government figures, England currently produces 375 milliontonnes of waste each year. Waste is a growing problem, particularly as landfillsites are rapidly filling up and new European Legislation will severely restrictlandfilling from 2006. Plus, landfill is responsible for 25 per cent of ouremissions of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas (with a global warmingpotential of around twenty times that of CO2). A move away from landfillingshould help to reduce emissions of methane, but waste collection, and indeedthe production of much of what we throw away, consumes energy, so we needto minimise waste.

The waste hierarchy aims to encourage the management of waste materials in order to reduce the amount of waste materials produced, and to recovermaximum value from the wastes that are produced. As a guide, it is aboutencouraging the prevention of waste; followed by the reuse of goods, thenvalue recovery through recycling for example. Otherwise known as ‘reduce,reuse, recycle’.

More than 60 percent of household waste can be recycled. Cost savings maybe generated from less waste and lower associated waste disposal costs.Commercial opportunities may be gained from expanding markets insustainable waste management and recycled waste products. SwindonServices has increased the facilities and opportunities for domestic recycling,including a kerbside collection for over 90% of households in the Borough.The recycling rate for the first part of this year is in the region of 27%.


• SBC has promised their residents that 50% of household waste will berecycled, composted or treated by 2010 and will produce a strategy to do this

• Every home has access to a green waste collection service free of charge

• The Council has introduced plastic bottle recycling banks and trialled thecollection of dry cell batteries

• The Council and its partners promote waste minimisation, reuse andrecycling to groups and schoolchildren

• The Council has developed a waste web site which gives useful informationto residents on sustainable waste management



• Develop a Municipal Waste Strategy by October 2006

• Extend recycling collections to include every home in the borough by 2010

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• Plan household waste collection rounds so that they minimise emissionsfrom the vehicles providing the service

• Make the recycling collection services convenient, reliable and easy to understand

• Provide collection facilities for electrical and similar products so that they gofor treatment not landfill

• Provide more plastic bottle recycling points

• Develop a state-of-the-art recycling centre for residents to use and providefacilities for wastes other than household waste if possible. This will doublecapacity for waste reception

• Work with the private sector to develop facilities for the lawful disposal ofwastes produced by business

• Implement Green Housekeeping within the council to reduce the amount ofwaste produced by the council and increase recycling

• Hold a road-show to promote recycling and waste reduction

Personal Action

Almost everything we buy will create greenhouse gas emissions sometimeduring its life. From our TVs and furniture, to our food and clothes, all objectswe buy create carbon emissions at some point due to the extraction ofmaterials, manufacture, transportation, use and disposal. As consumers wehave a vast number of choices about the way we shop which can help usreduce our impact on the planet.

Reduce

Buying second-hand products and avoiding packaging in the first place is animportant place to start. Buy fruit and vegetable loose in bags, instead of inlots of plastic packaging.

Re-use

Every year we send about 18 billion plastic bags to landfill sites. Instead ofputting your shopping in plastic bags, try taking cotton bags to the shops.

Repair

If something you own is broken, try having it mended instead of throwing itaway e.g. take your worn shoes to be re-soled.

Recycle

Recycling materials such as paper, glass and metal saves a lot of energy.visit the Swindon Borough Council website to find out about your localrecycling facilities.

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Compost

About 60% of the household waste we create can be composted. When foodand garden waste is put in the bin it gets trapped underground and producesmethane, a powerful greenhouse gas. By composting a family can cut theiremissions by the equivalent of a tonne of CO2 a year.

Further information

• Visit the Swindon Borough Council’s webpage to find out more aboutreducing waste – www.swindon.gov.uk and the services available to you

• www.wigglywigglers.co.uk – for loads of information on composting andwildlife gardening.

Case Study: Swindon Scrapstore

Scrapstore is an independent charity, which has been running inSwindon for a number of years, and it provides a vital link between thebusiness world and local community. It is a charity which provides freematerial resources to over 400 local organisations.

This project collects clean, re-usable, non-toxic materials frombusinesses and householders and makes them available to local groups– thereby promoting re-use, recycling and sustainable wastemanagement. A management committee made up of representativesfrom the local community and volunteers runs the project. They are alsocommitted to achieving Investors in People accreditation.

In addition Scrapstore provides volunteering and supported employmentopportunities for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market.

Further details are available from Swindon Scrapstore on (01793) 513982

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Section 6. Water

Water is a precious natural resource and its sustainable management isessential to protect the water environment and to meet current and futuredemand. Population, household size and growth and affluence all affect howmuch water we use. Factors such as climate change are also likely to putsupplies under greater pressure in the future, making it important that weadopt more efficient water-use patterns. Climate change is also likely tochange patterns of water use. For example, hotter summers may lead to moregarden watering, the use of more swimming pools and increased personalbathing and/or showering.

Nationally, the demand for water is increasing and current projections showthat this trend is likely to continue over the next 25 years. Reducing waterwastage and promoting greater water efficiency will help safeguard suppliesand have wider positive impacts in terms of reducing the amount of energyneeded to treat and supply water.

The climate system is driven by water. As the oceans and atmosphere heatup, more water evaporates from the oceans and the Earth’s surface. Morewater in the atmosphere means more moisture is potentially available to fallout of the atmosphere as rain, sleet or snow. However that precipitation willnot be distributed evenly across the globe. Some areas are likely to get wetterwith climate change. Others will become drier. Already, this century has seenfloods, storms and droughts with devastating effects both globally and here inthe UK.

The impacts of climate change in relation to water include:

• A potential shortage caused by longer, hotter, drier summers withassociated, increased demand

• Contamination of ground water in coastal areas due to salt from rising sea levels

• Increased flooding


Adapting to and planning for the impacts of climate change and reducingwater usage is vital. The Government department responsible for this work isdefra who direct and oversee a number of agencies which are activelyinvolved in the following ways:

• Licensing for water use (industry and some households)

• Flood risk management

• 24-hour flood forecasting and warning service

• Advice for planners and developers

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• Protection for wetland habitats and species

• Envirowise programme provides practical advice and support to business

• The DfES Water Management Guide for Schools

• ‘Water in School’ website supported by the Water utilities companies

Currently, nearly all of the water used in Swindon Borough is imported – fromFarmor and elsewhere. Thames Water has plans to build a new reservoir inAbingdon which should help to address current water supply issues.



• Set up a Water Saving Forum to develop an action plan to encourage allsectors to save water

• In partnership with Thames Water, run a water-saving campaign for allSwindon Borough Council staff and tenants

• Set targets to save water within 6 Swindon Borough Council buildings(including offices and schools) to reduce water usage.

• Work closely with the Environment Agency to minimise the impacts offlooding, to raise public awareness of flood risk and to inform the public ofwhat to do when flooding happens

Personal Action

Turn off the tap – don’t let it run when cleaning your teeth – this can waste upto 5 litres a minute.

Check your levels - use the minimum amount of water required when you boilwater in saucepans and kettles; you’ll save energy as well as water.

Bottle it – keep a bottle or jug of drinking water in the fridge instead ofrunning the tap until the water runs cold – it’s cheaper than buying bottledmineral water too!

Use a ‘Hippo’ or ‘Sava-a flush’ in your toilet cistern. Old toilet cisterns canuse as much as 9 litres of clean water every flush, using one on these will saveup to 3 litres a flush

Don’t use your washing machine until you’ve got a full load. The averagewash needs about 95 litres. A full load uses less water than 2 half loads.

Dripping taps can waste up to 4 litres of water a day. Replace worn tapwashers for a quick and cheap way of saving water.

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Wash Fruit and vegetables in a bowl and not under a running tap. Leftoverwater can also be used to water plants

Look for water-efficient appliances when you have to replace your old ones

Collect rainwater in water butts and use a watering can instead of a hose

Regularly weed and hoe your garden, to ensure that watering helps plantsand not weeds

Plant flowers and shrubs that thrive in hot and dry conditions such as thyme,evening primrose, and rock rose

Source: Environment Agency

For more information on saving water in the home or garden visitwww.waterwise.org.uk

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Section 7. Biodiversity and Natural Environment

Recent research by international scientists indicates one in four plants andanimals could become extinct within 50 years. Some plants and animals willbe able to adapt to a warmer climate but for many the challenge will be toogreat and they will die. Many species will quite simply lose their habitats andmany will be unable to migrate to new ones, as they will probably have alreadybeen destroyed by human activity. As an example, many scientists havepredicted that polar bears will become extinct by the end of this century.

The World Wildlife Fund believes that the rapid rate of global warming putsone third of the world’s forests at risk, as well as the species that depend onthem for their survival.

“Extinction Risk from Climate Change” by Thomas, C. et al (Nature, Jan 2004)details the most comprehensive study to date on the impact of climate changeon biodiversity. Models suggest that with a mid-range climate warmingscenario, between 15-37% of the plant and animal species studied, will becommitted to extinction by 2050. (N.B. This is not to say they will all be extinctby 2050, but if not extinct, in irreversible decline).

In the UK, a Study by the Natural History Museum and Swindon’s own NaturalEnvironment Research Council indicates:

70% Britain’s butterflies

54% bird species

28% plant species .......................... are all in decline.

Favourable conditions for many plant species will shift northwards by 150 km;this will affect agriculture and species found in nationally importantconservation areas.

Climate change may however have some beneficial effects. As an example,every 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature is likely to result in the growingperiod for crops being extended by 2 – 3 weeks.

“During my five years as President of the Royal Society I have hadthe opportunity to become involved in many important scientificissues. I think none is so critical as climate change and the loss ofour planet’s biodiversity. The living world is disappearing before ourvery eyes.” Lord May 2005

With regard to local biodiversity it is widely accepted that the biggestchallenge is to help species adapt to the predicted and inevitable climatechange whilst continuing to promote initiatives to help prevent further damage.

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A further challenge will be how to tackle the possible invasion and spread ofhitherto non-native species, including pests and disease-carrying organisms.(See also Section 9.)


• Restoration of 1.2km of the river Ray at Rivermead (Wiltshire Wildlife Trust)

• Woodland planting as part of the Great Western Community Forest

• Tree Sparrow recovery project (Wiltshire Ornithological Society)

• Many community based projects such as Rodbourne Green Residents Association



• Halt the loss of biodiversity in Swindon Borough by 2010

• Plant more trees in urban sites to provide increased shading in publicrecreation areas

• Support the re-creation or restoration of habitats which are under serious threat

• Manage public spaces according to the aims and objectives containedwithin Swindon Borough Council’s Corporate Environmental Strategy.

Personal Action

Volunteer – Swindon Rangers, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the British Trust forConservation Volunteers depend on enthusiastic volunteers to help protectand enhance our local natural environment

Garden with wildlife in mind – UK gardens cover about 270,000 hectares,that’s more than all the National Nature Reserves combined. You can providewater, food and shelter to help garden creatures cope with climate changes

Plant a tree – in your garden if you have one, or contact the Great WesternCommunity Forest Team who organise regular family tree-planting events.Trees help replace oxygen, provide vital habitats and shelter from the sun

Remember! Don’t waste energy or the earth’s other precious, natural resources

• For advice on wildlife gardening go to – www.wildaboutgardens.org

• To find out more about volunteering with the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust inSwindon call 01793 526228 or visit www.wiltshirewildlife.org

• To get involved in practical conservation tasks with BTCV call 01793 430700

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Case Study: Letcombe to Liddington: Downland Restoration Project

The Swindon Biodiversity Action Plan indicates that two priority areasfor wildlife exist to the east of Swindon town along the escarpment ofthe North Wessex Downs AONB. These are centred on Liddington Hilland Hinton Parva. These are priority sites as they contain knownclusters of biodiversity in designated sites such as SSSI’s or CountyWildlife Sites. These clusters do not stop at the Borough boundary butextend along the escarpment into Oxfordshire.

This ambitious landscape scale restoration scheme seeks to deliver anintegrated land management project centred upon habitat expansion,sustainable farming, improvement to the setting of sites of culturalimportance and improved informal recreation provision along the lengthof the escarpment from Liddington to Letcombe. The delivery of thesemultiple benefits will be achieved through close partnership workingand the pooling of resources. The main delivery mechanism will be toengage with landowners and work with them to respond to agriculturalreform to best meet the multiple outcomes.

This project will reinstate the links between known wildlife sites thusallowing flora and fauna the opportunities to adapt and respond toclimate change. Corridors will be provided to enable mobile species tomigrate north, south, east or west. In addition for less mobile speciesthe restoration of a matrix of habitat types will allow them to adapt tochange by seeking out a new niche or “climatic zone” up or down thegradient of the escarpment.

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Section 8. Food

There are a number of reasons why it is important to include food as a themein this Action Plan. Not least of these is the fact that food production andtransportation is one of the most energy intensive industries worldwide andtherefore a significant contributor to climate change.

“For every calorie of carrot, flown in from South Africa, we use 66 calories of fuel” SAFE Alliance

Food miles is a term commonly used to describe the distance food travelsfrom where it is grown to where it is consumed.

According to Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (defra),food miles rose by 15% between 1992 and 2002. The food system nowaccounts for between 30 and 40 per cent of all UK road freight.

Consumers are also directly responsible for increased food miles. Shoppersnow travel further for their shopping and use the car more often to do it. Eachyear, the average UK adult travels about 135 miles by car to shop for food,more often than not making trips to large, out-of-town supermarkets.

Another reason for mounting food miles is comparative labour costs. Forexample, some British fish is now sent to China (where labour costs are muchlower) for processing, and then sent back to the UK to be sold.

The individual consumer can make a difference right away. Simply walking tolocal shops, when possible, and buying fresh ingredients to cook at home hasan impact.

Another way to make a difference is to buy British produce in its season.Buying seasonally helps eliminate the need for artificial heating in glasshouses.

The availability of good quality local produce in the town centre and otherlocations around the Borough encourages the purchase of local food, therebyreducing food miles and the amount of packaging required to get the foodfrom the producer to the consumer. The average household throws away morethan three kilograms of food and 14 kilograms of food packaging per week.Buying food with as little packaging as possible and composting waste canalso make a difference.

Furthermore, as well as supporting local agricultural employment, using locallysourced food can have an economic benefit through the local multiplier effect.Indeed, the Sustainable Development Commission estimates that every £10spent locally generates £25 for the local economy. Local, healthy food forschools is very much in discussion at the moment and several local schoolsare now providing hot cooked lunches for their pupils which have beencooked on site using, fresh, locally sourced, organic food wherever possible.

Climate change will also have numerous direct impacts on food production.Producers in the UK may actually benefit from longer growing seasons butmay also suffer loss of harvest through extreme weather events and possibleincreased costs of production as energy prices continue to rise.


• Regular Farmers Markets are held in Swindon Town Centre, Old Town, the Designer Outlet Village and Wanborough

• Nationwide HQ hosts a local food market each month for its employees

• There are several local organic box schemes serving the Borough



• Work in partnership to ensure that by 2009 every school child in Swindonhas the opportunity to eat nutritious hot school meals that meet nationalnutritional standards, cooked from scratch and using ingredients from asustainable food supply wherever possible

• Investigate the possibility of Swindon Borough Council purchasing morelocal produce and offering local food hospitality choices

Let’s Do Lunch

When their children’s catering service at Lethbridge Primary School wasforced to close, two parents set up their own company ‘Let’s Do Lunch’.

The pair took food hygiene exams, upgraded the school kitchen and developed new menus using fresh healthy produce. They builtrelationships with local producers, including a number of local farmers and now provide the children with meals, which are 90 percent unprocessed, 80 percent organic and using 65 percentlocally grown ingredients.

The children have learnt about food miles and have the chance to visitlocal farms, which grow their food. They will also soon be able to growvegetables and herbs in the school garden.

The company has been such a success that they are now catering fortwo more schools and last year organised a conference for Swindonschools. Lethbridge Primary is now also a pickup point for a localorganic vegetable box scheme.

48

Personal Action

Avoid air-freighted food - the majority of fruit and vegetables in oursupermarkets have been flown in from abroad. It is possible to buy applesfrom New Zealand and the U.S. when they are growing just down the road!

Shop at the local farmer’s market, farm shop or sign up to a local vegetablebox scheme.

Grow Your Own – in your garden, a window box or in an allotment, growingyour own produce will be more satisfying, provide higher nutritional contentand provide lots of healthy exercise too.

Eat less meat and dairy produce – Meat is much more energy intensive toproduce, uses more land and most significantly, cows and sheep burpingproduce significant amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

Choose UK – when you do shop at the supermarket, try and look for foodsgrown in this country and ask the supermarket manager to stock more localand UK food.


• Pick up a Swindon Local Food Directory for a guide to all the local foodproducers, farms, shops and markets in and around Swindon. Visit thelibrary, tourist information centre or go to http://scan.editme.com

• Big Barn a national local food website to help you find local food producersin your area – www.bigbarn.co.uk

• For seasonal recipes visit Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s website –www.rivercottage.net

• To find out about having an allotment call Swindon Borough Council on01793 463000

49

Section 9. Health

There is no doubt that climate change will affect health. The effects will be feltmore strongly in some countries than others and there is a need to understandthe likely effects in the UK in order to both mitigate the effects and adapt.

At the request of the Department of Health, the Expert Group on ClimateChange and Health in the UK reported on the likely impact of climate changeon health, and implications for the NHS. The report discusses publicperceptions of the impact of climate change on health, and available methodsfor assessing health implications of climate change. It goes on to present anoverview of the subject, and to discuss potential effects of measures aimedat mitigating climate change. It makes a series of tentative predictionsrelating to cold and heat-related deaths, food poisoning, vector-borne andwater-borne diseases, disasters caused by gales and coastal flooding, effectsof air pollutants and ozone, skin cancer, and measures to reduce greenhousegas emissions.

The report concludes that climate change will have a significant impact onhealth in the UK and not all the effects will be negative. Warmer winters forexample, will result in lower winter mortality rates (by 2050 the rate coulddrop by as much as 20,000 deaths per year). Heat-related deaths couldhowever rise from 800 to 2800 per year. Cases of skin cancer are likely toincrease by 5000 cases each year and cataracts by 2000.

Food poisoning cases have already risen rapidly. This increase is likely tocontinue and it is predicted that up to 10,000 extra cases could be reportedannually by 2050 if no action is taken to mitigate the effects of climatechange on health.

There is a high probability of an increased burden on the NHS due toadditional medical facilities being required to treat these conditions andparticular concern has been raised about the potential for high death andinjury rates resulting from more frequent severe weather events.

There is growing recognition of the importance of increasing people’s level ofphysical activity. This will lead to a number of key improvements in health,reducing obesity, improving physical and emotional well-being and helpreduce problems from heart disease and joint and mobility problems. Byencouraging people to walk and cycle more often and reduce their relianceon car transport this will help both individual health and help in the reductionof CO2 emissions.

50


• The local Primary Care Trust supports the Active Swindon project

• There is a range of activities supporting the Healthy Schools Standard

Active Swindon Project

This is a fairly new project, which aims to increase the physical activitylevels of residents within the Borough of Swindon, Shrivenham and partof North Wiltshire.

This will be achieved by running a range of innovative, outreach physicalactivity programmes across this area in a variety of locations includingworkplaces, leisure centres, parks, Great Western Community Forest,schools and community centres.

The programmes will be targeted at the ‘hard to reach/vulnerable’population. Specific projects will be based in the Whitworth and Parks wards.

The Active Travel Group involves a wide range of partners promotingwalking, cycling, running and orienteering. ‘Spring into Action’. Is aleaflet recently produced which details the club contacts, weeklyactivities, summer events and provides advice on where to go and howto be active safely.

The Walking Challenge is for people who do not exercise much towalk more by completing a log card each time they walk to work orschool, to the shops, relatives or for recreation. Once 50kms isachieved, (equivalent to the Swindon Millennium Trail), participants sendin a freepost card to receive tokens. 300kms is equivalent to theThames Path and further rewards are available.


51


• The Primary Care Trust will continue to work closely with the Active SwindonProject to encourage physical activity and reduce obesity

• The Primary Care Trust will continue to raise awareness of the increased riskof skin cancer associated with over exposure to sun

Personal Action

Protect yourself from the sun – keep your top on, wear a hat, always wear a minimum factor 15 sun screen and drink plenty of water.

Walk and cycle more often – it’s good for you and much better for theenvironment.

Make sure food is stored, prepared and cooked properly, particularly inwarm weather, to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Listen to the advice given out by the Met Office in the event of severeweather.

52

Section 10. Pulling it all Together: Integration at Strategic and Management Level

Whilst it is recognised that individuals need to play a significant role inreducing their contribution to climate change, strategic planning is also vital toagree key aims and objectives and set the general direction of progress.Working in a co-ordinated and cohesive way will allow for the sharing ofknowledge and expertise and avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. Allorganisations need to plan now to both reduce their contribution to climatechange and identify the resources necessary to adapt and this Action Planalong with guidance from a number of professional expert sources will helporganisations in this process.


• Swindon Borough Council has signed the Nottingham Declaration onClimate Change and therefore committed itself to addressing both thecauses and effects of climate change with its local community

• The Department of Health commissioned an expert group on ClimateChange and Health in the UK to report on the likely impact of climatechange on health, and implications for the NHS

• The Swindon Borough Local Plan 2011, requires that development proposalsshould address environmental sustainability throughout, including the use ofrecycled and/or traditional materials in construction and energy efficiency indesign and layout, where building regulations does not cover this

• Some businesses have implemented Environmental Management Systemsand are looking at their workers’ ecological footprint. NERC, for instance, islooking at its own impacts and how to reduce emissions.



• Identify funding to undertake a carbon footprint of Swindon Borough by the end of 2006

• Develop a sustainability and climate-proofing checklist for all key policies,strategies and plans by December 2007

• Develop a Community Risk Register of potential risks if climate changes bydifferent degrees

• Swindon has been identified as one of the major growth areas in the SouthWest, which represents a new set of challenges over the next couple ofdecades. The council has set a clear goal for Swindon. By 2026 it will be aleading regional centre and the best business location in the UK. Newdevelopment will be of the highest architectural standard and, working withleading businesses in Swindon, will showcase the latest in sustainable andenvironmental technologies.

53

• Investigate the opportunities for Swindon to become a UK centre forenvironmental technology in e.g. the following sectors:

• Research in Environmental management

• Hydrogen-based vehicle production

• Fuel cell production and renewable energy research

• Leading waste management services

• Low-energy landmark buildings

• Clean fuel public transport system

• Sustainable construction design centre

54

Appendix 1

Action Plan Tables

1. Awareness-raising

2. Planning and Development

3. Energy

4. Transport

5. Waste

6. Water

7. Biodiversity and Natural Environment

8. Food

9. Health

10. Pulling It All Together

55

Activity

Continue to provide ‘Start-up’grants to community groups forsustainable projects whichimprove quality of life and theenvironment

Identify and co-ordinate fundingopportunities to develop moreinspiring local demonstrationprojects

Promote and support thedevelopment of the ‘CreativePlanet’ project

Support and further develop the‘Climate Friendly Communities’

Support and further develop actionswithin the Swindon BiodiversityAction Plan that mitigate effects ofGlobal Climate Change

Develop the Climate ActionNetwork in Swindon

Develop a funding bid for - a highprofile project to raise awarenessof climate change across allsectors

Increase the number of ForestSchools

Target/Milestone

10 new projectsfunded each year

1 new fundingopportunity andapplicationsubmitted each year

Provide consultationadvice and supportwhere appropriate

In Swindon, at leastone communityshould become a‘Climate FriendlyCommunity’, ideallyachieving a goldaward for its level ofaction, by 2010,corresponding to a20% cut ingreenhouse gasemissions

Endorse‘Countdown 2010’as a starting point

Increase the numberof individuals andorganisations signedup to 20% each yearand establish a coregroup of people tofacilitate the runningof the network byDecember 2006

Identify funding andsubmit applications- ongoing

3 schools signingup every year from2006 – 9 moreforest schools inSwindon by 2008

Who Is Involved(Lead Agency)

SustainableDevelopmentTeam within SBC

SBC externalfunding officerClimate ChangeSteering Group

SSP

WWTSBCCommunitygroups

Swindon BAPpartnership

WWTSBC

Multi-partnerbidding groupfrom SSP partnerorganisations

GWCFSBC

56

Table 1. Actions that will be taken to raise awareness of climate change

57

Activity

Produce an environmentaleducation guide. Features couldinclude local sites of interest, localand national educational contacts,possible sources of funding, localspeakers, and information onenvironmental management

Increase awareness in schoolsabout climate change through aprogramme of talks andpresentations

Increase the number of Eco-schools

Promote the Quality of LifeAwards, which celebrateenvironmental and sustainabilityprojects in the Borough (forschools, businesses andcommunity groups)

Encourage employers of all sizesto provide expertise and sharebest practice. Join and promotenetworks for sharing best practicesuch as ‘energie cities’

Arrange meetings with differentorganisations and people todiscuss and learn about schemes,to share good practice and also tocooperate in order to avoidduplication

Research and identify case studiesof action taken by other authorities(e.g. London Borough of Merton)to help bring forward capitalprojects

Target/Milestone

Distribute to allschools in theBorough byDecember 2007

6 talks each year

To have a minimumof 10 schools, by2008, with the EcoSchools ‘GreenFlag’. All schools inthe Borough to beaiming for ‘GreenFlag’ status by 2009

10% increase innew applicationseach year. Baseline2003 = 18

SustainableBusiness Clubestablished byDecember 2007

2 Climate Changeinformation eventseach year

4 examples of bestpractice identifiedby December 2007


SustainableDevelopmentTeam, EducationTeam, NGOs

SustainableDevelopmentTeam, Educationand LearningTeam, SchoolsWWT, Voluntaryand communitygroups

SustainableDevelopmentTeam, Educationand LearningTeam, SchoolsWWT, Voluntaryand communitygroups

SustainableDevelopmentTeam

EconomicDevelopmentTeam, Chamberof CommercePublic and privatesectors

Climate ChangeAction PlanSteering Group

Climate ChangeAction PlanSteering Group

58

Activity

Proactively raise awareness andprovide advice and information aswell as providing business supportand encouraging business toadapt to new markets

Encourage every business,organisation and individual livingor working in the Borough to do atleast one thing differently to helpthe environment using the ‘LittlePledge’ campaign or similar

Consult with Project ManagementTeam to investigate feasibility ofCentral Library having a dedicatedsection/desk on environmentalmatters

Target/Milestone

Internet basedinformation systemdeveloped bySustainableBusiness Club byDecember 2008

Ask for individual‘pledges’ to anemail account (toaim for 20% ofSwindonpopulation) byChristmas 2007

Identifyrepresentative andarrange meeting byDec 2006


Business LinkSBC EconomicDevelopmentTeam, DTI

Climate ChangeSteering Group


59

Activity

Provide training and informationon climate change and scopeextent to which planning canintervene

Provide training for Local Authoritystaff and members to raiseawareness of more sustainablebuilding techniques and issues

Use Development Plan policy toachieve renewable energyinstallations where appropriate

Use planning policy to require newdevelopments to be extra energy-efficient

Target/Milestone

Organise and delivera seminar or seriesof seminars for localauthority planningand building controlstaff 2006 - 2008

Appropriate ExternalTraining identifiedand undertakeneach year

15% renewableenergy for all newdevelopments toinclude domestic,public, educationalestablishments,commercial andindustrial buildings

In producing theLocal DevelopmentFramework,Swindon BoroughCouncil willpromote a policy toachieve Eco Homes‘very good’ as aminimum standardin all new housingand commercialdevelopments(energy)


PlanningDevelopmentControl andForward PlanningBuilding ControlSustainableDevelopmentTeam, Externalexpertise, ElectedMembers



ForwardPlanning

Table 2. Actions relating to planning and new developments

60

Activity

Use planning policy to requirewater saving devices to be fittedas standard

Use planning policy to encourageretrofitting of energy and waterefficiency measures when theycome up for refurbishment

Building on the Waste AuditSupplementary Planning Guidanceensure that developers reducedevelopments’ contributions toclimate change and minimise theimpacts on the development ofunavoidable climate change

Through Guidance, requiredevelopers to submit a sustainabledevelopment statement identifyingmeasures they have taken toachieve both mitigation of andadaptation to climate change onall proposed developments

Use planning agreements (e.g.Section 106) wherever possible tosecure on-site or off-site mitigationmeasures are delivered bydevelopers and encourage CO2offset schemes (e.g. Climate Care)where appropriate

Target/Milestone

In producing theLocal DevelopmentFramework,Swindon BoroughCouncil willpromote a policy toachieve Eco Homes‘very good’ as aminimum standardin all new housingand commercialdevelopments(water)

To be included inLocal DevelopmentFramework andimplemented whereplanning consent isrequired

Ongoing work

To be included inLocal DevelopmentFramework

Ongoing work. Tobe implemented inaccordance withthe DevelopmentPlan, wherepossible.


ForwardPlanning

Planning Forward PlanningDevelopmentControl

PlanningBuilding ControlDevelopersHousingAssociationsRelevant SBCdepartments –Housing,Educations, Adult Services,Children Services

ForwardPlanning

Planning DevelopmentControlForward Planning

61

Activity

Ensure that public transport iswell provided for in newdevelopments

Land-use planning needs to befully integrated with the climatechange Action Plan, taking intoaccount issues such as drainageand build locations (e.g. flood risk)

Plan for preventative and remedialmaintenance of existing housingstock

Ensure that sustainableconstruction objectives areincorporated as the norm intodevelopment schemes involvingcouncil land or funding

Ensure that the emerging SwindonDesign Guide provides the contextfor detailed coding that wouldstrongly promote or guarantee thereduction of Swindon’sgreenhouse gas emissions andthat future coding consider thisrequirement

Identify funding to develop aWiltshire and Swindon LocalMaterials Directory and otherinitiatives promoting materials witha low environmental impact

Identify opportunities to accessUK or EC grant funding forexemplar projects

Target/Milestone

Promise 37 ofSwindon 2010: Nosignificant newdevelopments willbe approved beforethe full transportimplications arefully evaluated andplans for fundingand implementationof any transportschemes are inplace

Ongoing workthrough the LDF

Plan in place byend 2008

All developmentsshould demonstratehow they wouldmeet principles ofPPS1

Promise 36 statesthat the SwindonDesign Codes willbe published by2006

Funding secured byDecember 2007

Ongoing


PlanningTransport TeamDevelopers

Planning(DevelopmentControl andForward Planning)

SBC Housing Local HousingAssociations

ForwardPlanning

Planning(DevelopmentControl andForward Planning)


SBC FundingOfficer

62

Activity

Deliver energy awarenessprogrammes in council buildings,including schools by implementingand monitoring SBC CorporateEnvironmental Strategy (CES)

Improve the energy efficiency of allresidential accommodation acrossthe Borough

Develop an Action Plan forSwindon using the existingWiltshire and Swindon AffordableWarmth Strategy

Provide Affordable WarmthAssistance to vulnerablehouseholds in the private sectorthrough a programme ofappropriate and targetedintervention measures that resultin an improvement to the energyefficiency of their homes

Reduce number of local authorityproperties with a SAP rating lessthan 65 from the 2005/6 baseline

Continue to promote ‘Healththrough Warmth’, which links fuelpoverty and health problems suchas asthma, and provides specialistadvice and referrals

Continue the Warmlet Scheme(EEC funded scheme forlandlords).

Target/Milestone

Targets are detailedin the CES

30% improvedenergy efficiency by2009 (all sectors)from 1996 baseline

Steering Groupestablished andAction Plandeveloped byNovember 2006

1500 householdsgiven Affordablewarmth Assistanceby April 2009

2200 local authorityhomes with SAPrating less than 65by 2008/9 (From6500 2005/6)

10 healthprofessionalstrained to referclients for affordableWarmth measureseach year

10 installations inprivate rentedproperties eachyear


SBC EnergyManager, SBCSustainableDevelopmentTeam, SBC GreenHousekeepingChampions

SBC HECAOfficer, EAGAFuel Utilities

Swindon PCTSBC, RidgewayCare & RepairSwindon, WEEACNEA, EAGApartnershipVoluntary groups

SBC HECAOfficerAffordable WarmthSteering GroupEAGAFuel Utilities

SBC Housing

Npower, HECAOfficer, SBCResidentialServices, SWEA

SBC HECAOfficer, SBCResidentialServicesSouthern ElectricPrivate landlordsLocal installers

Table 3. Actions relating to energy

63

Activity

Investigate opportunities to userenewable energy solutions to helpovercome fuel poverty in ‘hard totreat homes’

Organise and deliver a conferenceto promote the use of renewableenergy sources

Organise and deliver a campaignto encourage households toswitch to a green electricity tariffas well as businesses to ‘buygreen’ as part of their CorporateSocial Responsibility Strategy

Work with communityorganisations and local businessesto use renewable energy, startingwith members of the SwindonStrategic Partnership (SSP)

Investigate alternative powersources for affordable housing,including community-heatingschemes

Implement the Wiltshire andSwindon Renewable EnergyAction Plan (WREAP)

Target/Milestone

Investigate potentialand collate bestpractice throughout2006 with 1 newscheme in place bySeptember 2007

Conference held byDecember 2007

Campaign launchedJanuary 2007

20% of SSPmembersrepresentingorganisations withpremises to userenewable energyby December 2008

At least 6 propertieswith renewableenergy installationseach year

All targets detailedin the WREAP


AffordableWarmth SteeringGroup

RenewableEnergy ForumSustainableDevelopmentTeamEnergy Team

Wiltshire EnergyEfficiency AdviceCentreCommunity andvoluntary groupsNGOs, LocalbusinessesElectricityCompanies

RenewableEnergy ForumSBC, SSPClimate ChangeSteering GroupVoluntary groups

SBC HousingHousingAssociations

Wiltshire andSwindonRenewableEnergy Forum

64

Activity

The Council should lead byexample and work towards usingsustainable energy sources for allits heat and power

Identify funding to try and create arenewable energy fund to matchfunding opportunities such as theLow Carbon Buildings Programme

Conduct a feasibility study into thepossibility of setting up aRenewable Energy Park in theBorough

Target/Milestone

6 renewable energyinstallations inSwindon Boroughfor electricity by2009, 1 (2006/7), 2(2007/8), 3 (2008/9)to include 3 small-scale wind turbinesin public sectorbuildings, 2 woodfuel installations forheat in council-owned property by2009, 3 solarinstallations for heatin council-ownedproperty by 2009.Council to purchaseand/or generate100% of itselectrical andthermal energyrequirements fromsustainable sourcesby 2010/2011

Investigate potentialfunding sourceduring 2006/7

By October 2007


SBC EnergyManager

SBC FundingOfficer

SBC EnergyManager

65

Activity

Investigate the likely impacts ofclimate change on highways andhighways maintenance anddevelop a strategy to adaptaccordingly

Investigate the likely impacts ofclimate change on all othertransport infrastructure anddevelop a strategy to adaptaccordingly

Investigate the likely impacts ofclimate change on the travellingpublic and develop a strategy toadapt accordingly e.g provideshade or cooled waiting areas inorder to help travellers cope withheat stress caused by increasedtemperatures

Develop and implement theCouncil’s Travel Plan for staff

Introduce ‘Safer Routes to School’initiatives to further schools toencourage walking and cycling.Progress the ‘Safer Routes toSchool’ challenge awards

Complete the Swindon urbancycle and pedestrian network

As part of the Community Strategyand Promise 44 of Swindon 2010,introduce secure cycle storagefacilities at key points

Encourage more people in theBorough to travel by bus

Increase the frequency and hoursof operation of bus servicesincluding Sunday mornings andevenings

Target/Milestone

Strategy developedand resourcesidentified by 2010



Next Phase in 2006

100% of BoroughSchools to haveschool travel plansin place by 2009.April 2006 baseline:36 out of 84Borough schoolshave travel plans

Network completeby 2007

By 2010

20% increase by2010/11 from2005/6 baseline

Promise 43 ofSwindon’s 50Promises


SBC TransportPlanning Team

SBC TransportPlanning TeamBus companiesRail company

SBC TransportPlanning TeamBus companiesRail company

SBC

School TravelPlan AdvisorRoad SafetyOfficers, TravelAwareness OfficerSustainableDevelopmentTeam, EducationTeam, TransportTeam

SBC TransportPlanning Team

SBC TransportPlanning TeamTravel AwarenessOfficer

Bus CompaniesSBC TransportPlanning Team

SBC BusCompanies

Table 4. Actions relating to transport

66

Activity

To continue to make the bus moreattractive to car users, provide thefirst phase of a real-timepassenger-information system

Develop good rural transport links

Construct the Park & Ride site atCommonhead

Set improved standards for taxiand private hire vehicles licensed to operate in the Boroughincorporating a low-carbon strategy

Establish a Swindon Car Sharedatabase to reduce the number ofsingle-occupancy car journeys

Develop and promote ‘ActiveTravel’ (part of the ‘ActiveSwindon’ scheme) in order toincrease the number of peoplewalking and/or cycling to and from work

Purchase or lease additional poolvehicles and bicycles at SBC

Continue to replace, whereappropriate, SBC's non-LPGvehicles and investigate thefeasibility of using biodiesel

Develop a leaflet for drivers onways to drive more economicallyand cut pollution

Target/Milestone

First phaseprovided by 2007

Promise 43 by 2010

Apply for additionalfunding from the DfT

Action plandeveloped andimplemented by2010/11

Borough-wide carshare system inplace by 2008

Decrease thepercentage ofpeople commutingby car from 59% inline with the LocalTransport Plan(LTP2)

Business casepresented toCabinet by end2007

Ongoing work

Leaflet produced byend 2008


Bus companiesTravel AwarenessOfficer, TransportPlanning Team

SBCParish Councils

SBC

SBC

SBC TravelAwarenessOfficerPrivate sector

Active SwindonTransportPlanning TeamPCT

SwindonBorough Council

SwindonCommercialServices

Local DrivingSchoolsSustainableDevelopmentTeam

67

Activity

Hold a programme of events onEuropean Car Free Day

Encourage organisations toexamine business mileage as partof their environmentalmanagement systems

Target/Milestone

Annual event

Hold a Transportand Travel seminarfor local businessesto promote goodjourney planning,video-conferencing,home-working, carshare clubs – end2008


TransportPlanning TeamSustainableDevelopmentTeam, TravelAwareness Officer School TravelPlan AdvisorLocal schoolsLocal businessesLocal Councillors

TravelAwarenessOfficer, TransportPlanning Team

68

Activity

Investigate the likely impacts ofclimate change on wastemanagement and develop astrategy to adapt accordingly e.g.rubbish will decay more rapidly inhigher summer temperaturestherefore there may be a need toplan for more frequent wastecollections, particularly in summer

Carry out a range of activities thatwill encourage waste minimisation,increase recycling and compostingto reduce the amount ofhousehold waste going to landfill

Plan household waste collectionrounds so that they minimiseemissions from the vehiclesproviding the service

Make the recycling collectionservices convenient, reliable andeasy to understand

Develop a Municipal WasteStrategy

Develop a state-of-the-artrecycling centre for residents touse and provide facilities forwastes other than householdwaste if possible. This will doublecapacity for waste reception

Target/Milestone


50% of householdwaste will berecycled, compostedor treated by 2010(SBC Promise 49).Extend kerbsiderecycling collectionsto include everyhome in the boroughby 2010 (Promise 49)

Review collectionrounds 2007-2010

Produce anddistributeinformation, in anappropriate format,to all households bythe end of 2006and update the newwaste managementinformation websiteregularly

Strategy written andout for consultationOctober 2006

Review the WasteLocal Plan and otherwaste Strategies by2010 to safeguard asuitable site for asecond HouseholdRecycling Centre inthe Borough


SBC WasteManagementTeam, SwindonCommercialServices

SBC WasteManagementTeam

WasteManagementTeam, SwindonCommercialServices

WasteManagementTeam

WasteManagementTeam

WasteManagementTeam, SwindonCommercialServices,Planning ServicesThe WasteIndustry

Table 5. Actions relating to waste

69

Activity

Provide collection facilities forelectrical and similar products sothat they go for treatment notlandfill

Provide more plastic bottlerecycling points

Carry out waste audits on allCouncil properties

Expand the office paper collectionto schools

Develop and promote theCouncil’s ‘Swap Shop’, whichencourages the re-use of officeequipment and materials, as anexample of good practice

Implement Green Housekeepingwithin the council to reduce theamount of waste produced by thecouncil and increase recycling

Support the drive towards e-Government: Increasinglyemploy electronic storage anddissemination of information

Target/Milestone

December 2007

3 points by 2007

Complete 3 wasteaudits and presenta report on optionsto Members by

50% of all schoolsusing the collectionin 2007/8

Expand the ‘SwapShop’ to, using theinternet, to facilitatethe exchange ofequipment betweencompanies by end2008

Reduce waste by20% by 2007 andincrease recyclingby 50% by 2007from October 2005baselines

The Council willreplace paper-baseddocumentation,where appropriate,and encourage staffand customers aliketo use thetelephone, Intranet,Internet and e-mailby 2010.


SwindonCommercialServices, WasteManagementTeam


WasteManagementTeam, SwindonServicesFacilities ManagerSustainableDevelopmentTeam


SBCBusinesses

SBC GreenHousekeepingChampions

SBC GroupDirector ofResources

70

Activity

Introduce recycling options forelectronic and electricalequipment and goods

Provide recycling facilities forbatteries and automotive tyres that are household waste

Encourage the constructionindustry to recycle whereverpossible and develop aconstruction-waste recyclingfacility

Target/Milestone


2006

2006/7


SBC WasteManagementSwindonCommercialServices



71

Activity

Work closely with the EnvironmentAgency to minimise the impactsof flooding, to raise publicawareness of flood risk and toinform the public of what to dowhen flooding happens

Set up a Water Saving Forum to develop an action plan toencourage all sectors to savewater

Run a water-saving campaign forall Swindon Borough Council staffand tenants

Set targets to save water within 6Swindon Borough Councilbuildings (including offices andschools) to reduce water usage.

Target/Milestone

Ongoing activity

Forum set up byJune 2006

2006/7

Buildings identifiedand targets set byend 2006


SBC PlanningEmergencyPlanningEnvironmentAgency

Thames WaterSBC

Thames WaterSBC SustainableDevelopmentTeam, SBCGreenHousekeepingChampions

SBC EnergyManagerThames Water

Table 6. Actions relating to water

72

Activity

Investigate the likely impacts ofclimate change on themanagement of local greenspaceand develop a strategy to adaptaccordingly e.g Increase in rate ofgrowth leading to year-roundgrass maintenance

Adopt the principles ofCountdown 2010

Seek to implement at least onelandscape scale rebuildingbiodiversity project within aPriority Biodiversity area as notedin the Swindon BAP

Create buffer zones and links toexisting habitat

All developments to ensure thathabitats and species areprotected and not subject tofragmentation

Seek funding for a Phase onehabitat survey of Borough toprovide baseline information

Continue commitment to the 30-year vision for the GWCF, and,with partners, continue to deliver awoodland framework for Swindon

Plant more trees in urban sites toprovide increased shading inpublic recreation areas

Plant trees and shrubs that willtolerate future conditions and withthe influence of climate change onthe natural environment

Target/Milestone


Halt the loss ofbiodiversity inSwindon Boroughby 2010

One project fundedby 2008

Utilise existingmechanisms toadvise landownersand farmers

Launch andimplementation ofBiodiversity SPG/Gin 2006

Secure funding byend 2007

Targets are set inthe Great Westerncommunity ForestPlan

Ongoing

Identify suitablespecies by end2007


SwindonCommercialServices, SBCLandscapePlanning

BAP Partnership

BAP Partnership

BAP Partnership

SBC Planning

BAP Partnership

Great WesternCommunityForest, SwindonRangers

SBC LandscapePlanning, SBCPlanningDevelopers

GWCFSBC Landscape

Table 7. Actions relating to landscape and natural environment

73

Activity

Climate change may result inareas becoming unsuitable forspecies traditionally found in thearea. Plan to retain or developwildlife corridors to allow naturalmigration rather than causing thewildlife to be trapped in anunsuitable habitat

Facilitate colonisation process –removal of barriers to naturalecological processes

Support the re-creation orrestoration of habitats which areunder serious threat

Improve protection & managementof existing designated areas.

Target/Milestone

Targets are includedin the BAP





BAP Partnership

BAP Partnership

BAP Partnership

BAP Partnership

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Activity

Consider ways to increaseawareness of food hygienepractices and revise best practice

Investigate buying locally for in-house events. All council cateringshould have targets for increasinglocal food

Improve access to vegetable boxschemes in Swindon

Encourage small and medium-sized Enterprises (SME’s) to sell locally produced food. TheSwindon Pulse shop is oneexample

Encourage people to grow ownproduce by supporting andexpanding allotments

Target/Milestone

Best practiceinvestigated andguidelines amendedif necessary by2010

Work with Council’sin-house cateringservices to developa strategy forincreasing purchaseof local produceand set targets

Get Vegetable BoxSchemes set up in2 major localorganisations byend of 2006

Information leafletproduced anddistributed to 20SME’s by end 2006

Develop anallotment strategyand informationleaflet to promoteuse of allotments


SBCEnvironmentalHealth

SBC In-housecateringprovidersSwindonCommercialServicesProcurementTeam

ClimateChampionsNetworkSBC SustainableDevelopmentTeam, Local FoodTask Force

ClimateChampionsNetworkSBC SustainableDevelopmentTeam, Local FoodTask Force

SwindonCommercialServices, LocalFood Task Force

Table 8. Actions relating to food

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Activity

Aim to ensure health provision e.g.PCT, NHS is familiar with and alertto watch out for different diseasesthat could be brought about by achanged climate

Look at ways to increaseawareness of food hygienepractices and review best practice

Undertake risk assessments anddevelop a strategy to cope withhealth impacts of climate change.For example, assessing the risk ofsummer heatstroke anddeveloping ways of mitigating thisthrough monitoring the vulnerableand improving the coordination ofcare and emergency services

Start looking at ways to increaseawareness of dangers of exposureto the sun

Target/Milestone

Ongoing work byHealth ProtectionAgency

Ongoing work byHealth ProtectionAgency

Heat wavecampaign

Sun SmartCampaign


HealthProtection Unit,Devizes

HealthProtection Unit,Devizes

Risk Manager,PCT, CommunityTeam Managers

Public HealthDirectorate, PCT

Table 9. Actions relating to health

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Activity

Establish baseline data, in orderto be able to set targets, andmonitor and assess the progressbeing made

Once the baseline has beenestablished, Swindon shouldconsider setting a cap on carbondioxide emissions

Ensure key policies, strategies andplans take account of the impactsof climate change (‘climateproofed’)

Ensure the Community RiskRegister includes all identifiedpotential risks if climate changesby different degrees

In the event of a climate change-related event, Business ContinuityPlans to be robust and effectiveand meet the needs of thecommunity and a mission-criticalactivities list available

In terms of emergency planning,there may be an increased risk ofsevere weather and so it isimportant that emergencyprocedures and equipment areupdated to meet increased risk

Research undertaken on the realeconomic cost of climate change(i.e. the cost of adapting to climatechange impacts). Identify whatwork has been done and what ismissing

Target/Milestone

Identify funding toundertake a carbonfootprint ofSwindon Boroughend of 2006

Investigatefeasibility of this byApril 2007 anddecide action

Develop asustainability andclimate-proofingchecklist for all keypolicies, strategiesand plans byDecember 2007

Community Riskregister updated byend 2007

Business ContinuityInformation leafletto all SwindonBusinesses bySeptember 2006.Health checkavailability ofBusiness ContinuityPlans by July 2007

Carry out audit andidentify necessaryresources by end2007

Conduct researchthroughout 2006/7


Climate ChangeSteering GroupSBC externalFunding Officer



SBC RiskManagerEmergencyPlanning Team

SBC RiskManager

EmergencyPlanning Team


Table 10. Actions - Pulling it all together

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Activity

Expand the membership of theSCCAP Steering Group to helpdrive it forward and involve othersectors

Produce a summary version of theClimate Change Action Plan to bemade available to the generalpublic

Monitor and review the ActionPlan and update as necessary

Steering Group to work togetherwith other agencies and groups toensure there is a coherentmessage, that the same strategyis used and decision as to howthey should lobby, who and what.Steering group can coordinatewho lobbies, whether it be the SGdirectly or through others

SBC and other SSP partners tosign up to ‘Green Events’ guide

SBC will commit to obtaining ISO 14001 or EMAS

Continue encouraging businessesand community organisations toadopt EMAS/ ISO 14001/ BS8555 or work towards energyefficiency accreditation.Encourage more sustainablemanagement practices andreductions in the environmentalimpact of their operations, by:• emphasising benefits• improving signposting to

support organisations• making better use of existing

networks and newsletters

Consider an application tobecome part of Phase 4 of theCarbon Trust’s Local AuthorityCarbon Management Programme

Investigate opportunities forSwindon to become a UK centrefor environmental technology

Target/Milestone

4 new members byJune 2006

Summary VersionproducedNovember 2006

Annually

Ongoing

By 2007

Investigate feasibilityand identifyresources in 2007

Develop a registerof localorganisations withaccreditation byend 2007

December 2006

Ongoing







SBC

SBC EconomicDevelopmentGroup

SBC

SBC EconomicDevelopmentTeam

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Appendix 2

List of the schemes and organisations referred to in the tables

Carbon Management Programme – Run by the Carbon Trust, the programmeprovides Local Authorities with technical and change management supportand guidance to help them realise carbon emissions savings.

Climate Change Network - A community network to share information, ideas,good practice and enthusiasm and ultimately to tackle climate change.

Climate Friendly Communities - A community award scheme to encourageand recognise the work that communities are doing to become moresustainable. Under the scheme communities will be able to bid for ClimateFriendly status depending on a range of actions being undertaken on acommunity level. Training is available to volunteers, for example on climatechange and transport issues. The WWT can also hold workshops for schoolsas well as organise and coordinate events and trips. To find out more or tonominate your community, simply get in touch with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.Contact Hannah Moser, Climate Friendly Communities Project Officer on01380 725670 or email [email protected]

Council’s Travel Plan - Includes measures to subsidise Park & Ride andprovide bus season tickets.

Creative Planet - A carbon neutral development and tourist attraction with alonger-term vision.

Eco Schools – For information go to http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/

Forest Festivals – Organised by the Great Western Community Forest andheld each September in Old Town.

Forest Schools - The Forest Schools education packs get children to valueand respect the environment. It also involves the parents by providing trainingfor them to become forest leaders or storytellers.

“Green Events” guide - A nationally recognised tool produced by theGovernment Office for the South West to help organisations reduce theenvironmental impact of their conferences and seminars. Many have alreadysigned up including Councils, NGOs and businesses.

SBC Sustainable Development Team is based in the policy unit at SwindonBorough Council.

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Appendix 3

Glossary of abbreviations

BREEAM - Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

CO2 - Carbon dioxide

CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility

defra - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Eco - Ecological

ESD - Energy For Sustainable Development

GWCF - Great Western Community Forest

HECA - Home Energy Conservation Act

LA21 - Local Agenda 21

LDF - Local Development Framework

LPG - Liquid Propane Gas

LTP - Local Transport Plan

NERC - Natural Environment Research Council

NGO - Non-Governmental Organisation

ODPM - Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

PCT - Primary Care Trust

SBC - Swindon Borough Council

SCCAP - Swindon Climate Change Action Plan

SSP - Swindon Strategic Partnership

SWEA - Severn Wye Energy Agency

UKCIP - UK Climate Impacts Programme

WEEAC - Wiltshire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre

WWT - Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

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Appendix 4

Bibliography and further help and advice on climate change

Association of British Insurers (www.abi.org.uk/climatechange) - Includes the ABI’s report “Financial Risks of Climate Change” (June 2005)

BBC Weather Centre’s ‘Climate Change’ site (www.bbc.co.uk/climate/)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Action to TackleClimate Change (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/index.htm)

Department for Transport (http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_science/documents/page/dft_science_027568-01.hcsp) March/April2004 report “The changing climate: its impact on the Department forTransport” - on DfT’s main website.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Energy White Paper ‘Our energyfuture – creating a low-carbon economy’ (2003):(www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/ourenergyfuture.pdf)

Environment Agency (www.environment-agency.gov.uk), includinginformation on climate change (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/639312/), and publications: The State of the South West 2004; The ClimateIs Changing; Time To Get Ready (2005)

Forest Research (www.forestresearch.gov.uk/climatechange)

Forestry Commission - research agency web pages on climate change. Seealso a report prepared for the South West Conservancy of the ForestryCommission (2004) The Potential Effects Of Climate Change For Trees AndWoodland In The South West (www.forestresearch.gov.uk/pdf/cchg_SW_climate_change.pdf/$FILE/cchg_SW_climate_change.pdf)

Green Events Guide (www.oursouthwest.com/SusBus/gevents.html)

Greening Government website (www.environment.detr.gov.uk/greening/)includes practical advice on setting up environmental management systems,how to promote energy efficiency and buying energy efficient equipment,appliances and vehicles.

Hadley Centre (www.metoffice.com/research/hadleycentre/)The Hadley Centre is the climate change part of the UK Met Office. The sitecontains useful information on the basics of climate change and modelling offuture climate change. For example, the Met office hosted the ‘AvoidingDangerous Climate Change’ conference in 2005(http://www.stabilisation2005.com/)

Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA) (www.idea.gov.uk/climate)

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Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research(www.iger.bbsrc.ac.uk/Practice/climatechange.htm)

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (www.ipcc.ch/)This is the authority on climate change. The IPCC reports inform the UnitedNations discussions on climate change. The authors of the reports review allthe climate science from around the world to inform their conclusions. All thereports are available online. The full text is fairly long so for an easier read, seethe ‘Summaries for Policy Makers’ (called SPM on the website).

Local Government Association (www.lga.gov.uk)

Natural Environment Research Council (www.nerc.ac.uk) can providebriefings on climate change, and NERC’s website has an issues page withclimate change links: www.nerc.ac.uk/insight/issues/

Nottingham Declaration Action Pack (www.nottinghamdeclaration.org.uk)

Our South West (www.oursouthwest.com/climate/index.htm)Key information and guidance towards a sustainable future for SW England.Includes strategies and actions towards a low-carbon future for the SouthWest. The Business page gives comprehensive information and links tosupport schemes to help your organisation reduce its CO2 emissions andimprove its environmental performance in other ways too.

RAPID (www.nerc.ac.uk/funding/programmes/progsummaries/rcc.shtml)The website of NERC’s “Rapid Climate Change” research programme.

Regen South West (www.regensw.co.uk) The South West’s renewableenergy agency with responsibility for driving the regional Renewable EnergyStrategy 2003-10.

SBC (2005) Corporate Environmental Strategy sets out what the Council isdoing to improve their own environmental performance.

Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (www.solace.org.uk)

South West Regional Climate Impacts Scoping Study (2003) Warming tothe Idea (www.oursouthwest.com/climate/scopingstudy.htm)

SSP (2004) Community Strategy for Swindon 2004 – 2010

Stop Climate Chaos Campaign (www.stopclimatechaos.org/) A climate change coalition demanding stronger government action on climatechange while mobilising public support for government initiatives that reducethe CO2 emissions.

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The Royal Society – Science News (www.royalsoc.ac.uk/)The Royal Society is the independent scientific academy of the UK. It providesa useful link between science and policy, regularly comments on climatechange issues, publishes topical reports.

Tyndall Centre (www.tyndall.ac.uk/research.shtml/)The national UK centre for trans-disciplinary research on climate change. It isdedicated to advancing the science of integration, to seeking, evaluating andfacilitating sustainable solutions to climate change and to motivating societythrough promoting informed and effective dialogue.

United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme (www.ukcip.org.uk) It has produced a report on impacts in each region, as well as issue-basedreports, such as the impacts of climate change on nature conservation andbiodiversity. A monthly cuttings pack covering new academic literature onclimate change, science, impacts and adaptation is also available. It alsohelps organisations to assess their vulnerability to climate change so that theycan plan how to adapt.

UK Climate Change Programme 2006 (www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/ukccp/index.htm)Sets out the UK Government’s policies and priorities for action in the UK andinternationally.

University of Bath’s International Centre for the Environment (ICE)(www.bath.ac.uk/ice/)ICE is a cross-disciplinary centre that functions as a network within theUniversity, as well as with other centres of excellence in the UK andworldwide. The aim of the Centre is to promote leadership in environmentalresearch and education at the University of Bath. Professor Geoff Hammondfrom the Department of Mechanical Engineering is the Director of ICE with Dr Adrian Winnett from the Department of Economics and InternationalDevelopment as the Deputy Director. They reflect the interdisciplinarycharacter of the centre and its activities. The Directors are also active in thelocal community within the area of sustainability with stakeholder groups inBath & North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire.

University of Gloucestershire’s School of Environment(www.glos.ac.uk/schools/environment)

WaveNet (http://www/cefas.co.uk/wavenet)Long-term wave monitoring around the English and Welsh coast. Real timewave data from a network of wave buoys located in areas at risk from floodingto assess flood risk and on a longer timescale to help design improved flooddefence schemes and to provide data for climate change studies

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Appendix 5

Swindon Strategic Partnership

Tackling the key issues that determinethe well-being of a community, like crime,unemployment, education, socialinclusion, health and housing requires awide variety of public, business, voluntaryand community bodies to work togetherin a concerted and co-ordinated effort.

The Swindon Strategic Partnership brings together these organisations. It ismade-up of the Swindon Borough Council, the Police, Education, HealthService, Parish Councils plus representatives from business, voluntary andcommunity groups. It aims to ensure there is a joined-up approach across allagencies when future strategic direction, aimed at improving the quality ofpeople’s lives in Swindon, is being set.

The Partnership started work in July 2003 and is still in its infancy. Most of itswork this year has been focused on developing the Community Strategy andlearning about and commenting on other strategies as they are developed.

The Partnership will focus on the top-level decisions that steer the directionfor the Borough for the coming years. By joining people and issues togetherat the highest level it is hoped that organisations, groups, communities andindividuals will be able to work towards achieving a Swindon that people canbe proud of.

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Appendix 6

Membership of the Climate Change Action Plan Steering Group

Prof. Geoff Hammond (Chair). Environment Sector representative, Swindon Strategic Partnership (SSP)

Ruth Baker. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

Jenny Barker. Forum for the Future

Tom Charnock. Wilts Association of Local Councils (Swindon Area)

Dr Helen Clayton, Natural Environment Research Council

Lynn Forrester. Swindon Borough Council, Policy Unit

Jon Madge. Swindon Borough Council, Forward Planning Team

Janet Maxwell. Swindon Primary Care Trust

Dr Rosemary Power. Faith Representative.SSP

Dr Gesa Reiss. Great Western Community Forest

Adam Twine. Westmill Wind Farm Co-operative

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Personal Carbon Calculator

Work out your personal contribution to climate change using the informationbelow. The exercise is divided into four areas 1) transport 2) energy 3) foodand 4) waste.

It will take about 10 minutes and you will need a calculator.

Your emissions will be calculated in kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalentgases (some activities produce gases including methane and nitrous oxide –which have a much larger climate impact than carbon dioxide per kg).

This exercise is not precise. It may not fit your lifestyle perfectly. So please becreative, make guesses and adjust the numbers accordingly – but be honestwith yourself!

For other calculators online see: www.carboncalculator.com,www.resurgence.org/carboncalculator/ or for a very quick and easy onesee www.bestfootforward.com/carbonlife.htm.

1. Transport

a) If you are a car driver please score:

For typical drivers (8,500 miles/year in a petrol car – with average fuel consumption of 8.5 litres/100km) 3500kg

For high mileage drivers (15,000 miles/year) 6200kg

For low mileage drivers (2,000 miles/year) 830kg

If most of your car trips are local (3 miles or less) add 25% to allow extra energy for cold starts

If you drive a 4x4 (e.g. Range Rover Discovery) or MPV (e.g. Renault Espace) add another 50%

For a small car (e.g. Clio or new mini) subtract a third

Your car score:

b) If you use public transport:

For a weekly 150 mile trip by rail or bus, or a daily commute of 30 miles 700kg

c) For each hour you spend flying add: 350kg

Your total transport score (add a+b+c):

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2. Energy

a) First estimate your heating score:

If you have central heating and...

• You live in a detached house score 4800

• You live in a semi-detached/mid terrace house 3200

• You live in a terraced house 2200

• You live in a flat 1600

If you only heat the room you’re in 1000

How warm is your home? For each degree above 17°C add 10%

If your home is well-insulated (e.g. a modern house with at least 200mm of loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and double-glazing) subtract 30% from your score so far. If you have a new energy efficient boiler subtract another 20%. If your boiler is over 15 years old add 15%

These figures are for gas. Otherwise: if you use electric heating, multiply your total by 2.5; if you use oil add 40%, for coal add 80%; for wood divide by 8

Now divide by the number of people living in the house

Your personal home heating score:

b) Now your hot water score:

If you have a long bath or shower every day, score 300kg

If you have mostly quick shower (not a power shower) 200kg

If you have solar panels subtract 50% from your score

This assumes you heat your water with gas. If you use oil add 40%, for electricity multiply by 2.5

Your personal hot water score:

c) Your score for electrical appliances:

Start with a score of 1600kg

If you have only “A” rated appliances and efficient light bulbs, subtract 400kg

If you use electricity carefully (switching off lights, only using the washing machine when full, no dishwasher or clothes drier) subtract 200kg

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If you have a house full of energy hungry people, with TVs on all the time and daily use of washing machine and dryer, add 1400kg

Divide by the number of people in the house

Your total energy score (add a+b+c):

3. Food

For a typical British diet, 38% animal based 2000kg

For serious meat diets (50% animal based) 2250kg

Lacto-vegetarians (meat typically replace by dairy) 1400kg

Vegans (0% animal based) 1000kg

If you only eat mainly local food subtract 40% from this score. If you eat mainly organic food subtract another 40%

Your total food score:

4. Waste

If you produce the UK average of 23kg/week of waste (two black bags of mixed waste including glass, food waste etc) 1400kg

If you compost your kitchen and garden wastesubtract 20%

If you recycle all paper, glass and metalsubtract 10%

Divide the total by the number of people in your house.

Your total waste score:

How Do You Compare?

UK total emissions amount to about 11,000kg (11 tonnes) of carbon dioxideequivalent a year. The average US citizen produces about 20 tonnes. Theaverage Indian citizen about 1.3 tonnes.

If the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change, global emissionswill need to be reduced by 60% or more to about 2,500kg per person over thenext 40 years.

The author would like to acknowledge Quaker Green Action as a majorcontributor to this calculator.

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Per informazioni in altro formato,contattare il Servizio Clientichiamando il numero: 01793 463725

If you require Council Information inanother format, please contact Customer Services on 01793 463725

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Hadaad u baahatid macluumaad hab kale ku qoran fadian la soo xinirAdeega macmiisha (Customer Services) oo kasoo wac lambarkan (01793) 463725

This Action Plan can also be accessed on line at:www.swindon.gov.uk

This Action Plan is also available in hard copy and electronically in Swindon Borough Libraries.

Swindon Strategic PartnershipPO Box 2676, Swindon SN1 1ZU

Tel: 01793 466301

ART590/2752/2006

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17817 SWI SBC Climate Bro - University of Bath · 8 Global Climate Change • Computer projections suggest that the average global surface temperature may rise by 1.5 – 5.8°C over