Thursday 12 March 2009

GOING GREEN PLANS SCRUTINISED

Thanet district Council press release

A new going green policy, that sets out what the council will do to help tackle climate change, has gone before the council’s watchdog body.

The Overview and Scrutiny Panel received a report on Tuesday (10 March) on the new policy, which looks at the work the council is already doing and what it intends to do over the next two years.

It focuses on eight key themes, with explanations of the progress the council has made on each to date and the approach it intends to take in the future. For example, one of the themes focuses on energy and water, with work already undertaken to cut the council’s energy consumption through the replacement of the heating system. Further planned improvements include the installation of double glazing, improved roofing insulation and lux sensor low energy lighting installed throughout the main Cecil Street building. This should result in a reduction in the council’s energy usage of 10% by 2010.

Another theme looks at waste management, with recycling rates already having risen from 4% in 2004 to over 30% in 2008 and a commitment to reach a 40% target by 2011. Transport is also covered in the plan, with the majority of the council’s waste fleet already using bio-fuel as part of their operation. Work is also underway to maximise home working opportunities for staff and to promote the use of public transport and car sharing wherever possible.

Cllr. Bob Bayford, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel, said: “The Going Green policy sets out the impressive amount of things that are already underway at the council. It’s interesting to see just how much we are already doing towards tackling this problem and how much more we plan to do over the next couple of years.”

The policy will go before Cabinet at their meeting in April.

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