Case studies

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.

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Community Orchards, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council

Community development officers working for Redcar & Cleveland Council developed community orchards in East Cleveland. As part of this scheme, members of the community are trained to graft and care for trees.

Cornwall Council and the University of Exeter: Climate Change and Health Adaptation Tool

The Climate Change and Health Tool is an evidence-based resource to support public sector institutions, initially in Cornwall, but with the hope that it can be rolled out nationwide. The model will provide evidence for decision-makers to focus beyond short-term outcomes and understand the potential implications of climate change mitigation and adaptation on health and the subsequent impacts across a broad range of sectors and services.

Cornwall Council Design Guide: Using ‘Building with Nature’ to define high-quality green infrastructure in policy

The Cornwall Council Design Guide supports the Cornwall Local Plan, by offering a comprehensive guide to design quality in Cornwall. By providing clarity on what is expected from development in Cornwall, the Council is helping to inspire and guide the delivery of high-quality places to live, that respond positively to cross-cutting issues like climate change adaptation, nature recovery creating healthy environments and enhancing the distinctiveness of Cornwall.

Cornwall Council: Cornwall Biomethane Pilot

Cornwall Council is piloting ground-breaking, highly innovative technology - developed by a Cornish company - to turn methane, derived from organic waste, into renewable fuel. Working with six of its farms, the project turns methane into 'better than Net Zero' carbon biomethane.

Cornwall Council: Cornwall’s first smart-grid enabled wind turbine

As part of our work to cut carbon emissions and increase renewable energy in Cornwall, we have installed a new smart-grid enabled wind turbine in partnership with Centrica that will create enough green energy to power over 1,440 Cornish homes a year.

Cornwall Council: Doughnut economics in council decision making – revisiting

Cornwall Council have been using the Cornwall Development and Decision Wheel (CDDW) for cabinet decisions since September 2019. The CDDW is based on Doughnut Economics. It has been used to illustrate the positive and negative impacts of the decision being proposed in an easily accessible form that draws decision-makers to key issues that may require further debate, mitigation or even cancellation. Three years into using the CDDW, we have revisited them to understand what Cornwall Council have learnt from embedding it in Cabinet and other decisions and the impact it has had.

Cornwall Council: Langarth Garden Village

Cornwall Council are using the Building with Nature (BwN) Standard Framework to inform the green infrastructure (GI) designs for Langarth Garden Village, creating a scheme that is on track to deliver positive outcomes for people and wildlife, and provide a demonstration of the Council’s strategic approach to placemaking and biodiversity gains for local stakeholders.

Cornwall Council: Whole House Retrofit Innovation Project

Cornwall is working towards an ambitious target of being Net Zero by 2030 and are finding ways of cutting their carbon footprint, while improving the quality of life of their citizens. Making energy efficiency improvements to existing properties is a key part of their response to tackling the climate emergency.

Cotswold District Council: Co-production of a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit

Cotswold District Council secured funding from the LGA Housing Advisers Programme to collaborate with two neighbouring councils to plug a perceived gap in the market for succinct, direct and practical advice on how to achieve net zero housing, both new build and retrofit.

Cumbria County Council agrees ambitious Carbon Management Strategy

In November 2020, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet unanimously agreed the council’s first Carbon Management Strategy which sets out how they will respond to the international, national and regional aspiration to achieve a low/net zero carbon economy by 2050.