Case studies

The Salisbury River Park project is a collaborative project between Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency, with support from both the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) and Salisbury City Council to deliver essential flood alleviation and major environmental improvements through the central riverside spine of the historic city of Salisbury.

In order to reduce the carbon footprint of the Council and demonstrate leadership locally, regionally, and nationally, Scarborough Borough Council has rolled out hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) into almost two thirds of its fleet vehicles. The fuel is being used as a straight replacement for diesel in the majority of the diesel fleet, from bin wagons to ride-on mowers. Over the course of a full year, the project could lower emissions by up to 900 tCO2e.

In June 2021, the London Borough of Barnet approved the Outline Business Case for the development of an £18.8M strategic sports hub including a wider leisure and community offer at West Hendon Playing Fields.

Hampshire County Council declared 2022 the “Year of Climate Resilience”, providing an opportunity for the Council to raise awareness of what climate resilience is and promote their approach

Brighton and Hove's Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan recognises and sets out plans to deliver the infrastructure needed to improve the city’s active travel network - creating the foundations to enable an active travel network where the whole community has the practical choices to travel by walking, wheeling, or cycling in a healthy and sustainable way.

The pioneering 5G Connected and Automated Logistics (5G CAL) pilot is the first in the UK to evaluate the potential of next generation technology in overcoming barriers for a more efficient future for last mile logistics. The pilot focused on understanding and utilising ground-breaking 5G technology in an operational automotive environment, to develop the UK’s first zero emission automated logistics HGV. The Council are now planning and delivering a series of projects to develop the technology and establish a testbed for connected and automated logistics in the North East.

In February 2021, Lancashire County Council adopted a resolution to set out on an ambitious carbon reduction and nature recovery strategy that seeks to 'transition the Lancashire economy away from carbon by 2030 and address the biodiversity crisis'. They recognised that the planned highway capital surfacing programme was a highly carbon intensive programme of works so have begun a journey to ascertain the carbon output of the programme, record and measure changes made to reduce carbon outputs and develop tools to eventually integrate carbon usage into the asset lifecycle modelling.

Warwick District Council have been awarded funding as part of a ‘Project Group’ programme to develop and deliver their rural community engagement programme. The first stage has seen them develop and deliver a training programme on community engagement practices with local community groups, key officers and Members. They are now in phase two of the programme, which will see them take this same programme and deliver it to rural communities.

Leeds City Council and its network partners Vital Energi have delivered a £49 million network of insulated underground pipes, supplying 15,400 megawatt-hours of heating last year, helping to reduce the city’s carbon footprint by more than 2,000 tonnes. The heat and hot water used in the system is produced from non-recyclable waste at the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF), creating a reliable and affordable lower carbon alternative to traditional fossil fuel powered heating systems for connected buildings.

Ealing Council in West London are creating the conditions to develop a mass community cycling culture in Southall, by tackling the core underlying barriers to cycling and putting residents at the heart of any change. The Sport England funded project involves the giveaway of up to 2,500 bikes to residents, a wraparound training offer, friends to cycle with, daily led cycle rides for all abilities and a platform to create wider system and infrastructure development to sustain a new cycling culture.