Innovation in local government is about improving the lives of the people in our
communities. Browse through our case studies to see the many innovative programmes councils are involved
in.
The Core Strategy included a single criteria-based one-page policy (CS5) for the two urban extensions, cross referring to other district-wide policy requirements and without any plans other than the proposals map which showed the site boundary.
Following the closure of the brickworks and brickfields in the 1980s the brownfield site was designated as a replacement site for the fourth planned ‘township’ of the Peterborough New Town in the 1980s.
It took 15 years of land promotion following the identified closure of its radio station activities before the site was allocated as a Sustainable Urban Extension in Rugby Borough Council’s Core Strategy, adopted in June 2011.
As one of the largest development sites in the City, the decision to release the land from the Green Belt for approximately 6,000 homes was driven by the council’s desire to create new communities with all supporting infrastructure.
The site is now a strategic allocation made in the adopted South Cambridge local plan in September 2018 (Policy SS/6) for Waterbeach New Town, for approximately 8,000 to 9,000 new homes.
The current East Devon Local Plan (adopted January 2016) defined the current extent and subsequent guidance for the new community and its expansion is set out in the Cranbrook DPD, the subject of an ongoing examination.
In recognition of the climate emergency, West Sussex County Council launched its Climate Change Strategy during 2020. This underpins their corporate plan, making climate change a fundamental consideration of all actions going forward and elevating progress on a wide variety of supporting projects.
Solihull Council has embarked on a scheme to deliver an alternative source of affordable low carbon energy to the town centre. The network will distribute low carbon heat and power from a single energy centre directly into town centre buildings. The energy centre at the heart of this network will provide a range of renewable and low carbon energy solutions including air source heat pumps and gas combined heat and power.
In 2019, Nottingham set an ambitious target to become the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028. In keeping with Nottingham’s proud tradition of climate leadership, their Carbon Neutral Charter set out a vision for sustainable carbon neutrality on behalf of the council and the city’s Green Partnership.