Case studies

As part of their fleet decarbonisation drive, the shared service between South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City Council took delivery of a fully electric Faun Zoeller E-Rotopress in July 2022. The councils are working to replace bin lorries with electric or alternative fuel vehicles as existing diesel trucks come to the end of their working lives.

Partnering with the English Chamber Orchestra’s Close Encounters team, Urbanwise.London, and Fulham Academy Trust, Hammersmith & Fulham Council co-designed a musical exploration of the Thames, which saw six local primary schools explore its ecology and history. In addition, through creating musical instruments from recycled materials, children got to experience first-hand how they can reuse and recycle everyday products for alternative uses.

The Go Green Schools project documented the extent to which primary schools in Colchester have embedded environmental education and action into their ethos, practices and operations.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is the first council in the country to introduce a new listed building consent order, giving consent for solar panels on most Grade II and Grade II* listed buildings, without the need for individual listed building consent.

In January 2021 the Apricot Centre carried out a study that highlighted a huge skills deficit in Regenerative Systems, holding back farmers, growers, and food systems workers from transitioning to regenerative farming methods. Devon County Council supported the Apricot Centre to deliver a pilot training programme, helping local businesses to develop the required skills and to create new jobs in the sector.

Verity Close is Kensington and Chelsea’s first low-energy retrofit council property. This project is the basis on which they intend to make the wider Lancaster West Estate carbon neutral by 2030.

Enfield Council have worked in collaboration with Kensa Contracting and Engie to deliver England’s largest shared ground loop array heat pump programme replacing electric heating, all in under one year and whilst the flats remained inhabited. The project serves 400 flats in eight tower blocks in Enfield was named District Heating Project of The Year at the 25th annual H&V News Awards in 2019.

The challenge to meet net zero ambitions relies on a shift towards electrically heated properties. A key issue is how to bring fuel poor households along on this journey to net zero without making heating their homes even less affordable for them.

South Somerset District Council are embarking on a programme of retrofitting council properties and supporting the community to retrofit their homes to save money, carbon and increase comfort and wellbeing.

Lancaster City Council is looking to retrofit housing stock, engage with residents to explain the benefits and encourage more local contractors to bid for tenders.