Action on the Environment

What we've done so far

Under the Liberal Democrats the Council is committed to ensuring that concern for the environment actively influences our thinking practices and our working practices. We are looking for new ways to take care of the environment.

We have produced the Council's first Environment Plan aimed at stretching our environmental performance and monitoring the results.

These are some of the most important initiatives of the last three years:

• new door to door Black Box recycling scheme covering the whole city, taking the city's recycling rate from 9% to over 19% in three years
• improved Green Bin recycling scheme, avoiding contamination of the material
• development of a waste minimisation strategy to reduce the city's above average annual growth in domestic waste production, with initiatives like the successful city centre 'save a bag' scheme
• production with other Councils of a long term plan to deal responsibly with waste
• major new Environmental Improvements programme to carry out schemes requested by local people across the city
• further support for solar energy installations in Council houses at Cameron Way and Kendal Way and grant aid to the Self Build Solar Workshop project
• more money and extra staff for the protection and new planting of trees
• improved management and increased money for local nature reserves
• enhanced the Environmental Resources Centre in Guildhall, with events and activities throughout the year
• environmental education programme in schools
• progress in 'greening' the large fleet of Council service vehicles, including reduced mileage through changed working practices
• production of the Air Quality Management strategy and better monitoring arrangements
• increased grants to environmental organisations
• budget for promotion of sustainable development and renewable energy production
• introduction of sustainable development planning guidance to influence new developments
• continued focus on domestic energy conservation
• restored the 24 hour noise abatement service to counter noise pollution
• improved internal performance on energy conservation, recycling and waste minimisation
• more effective detection and remedy of contaminated land

As well as sustaining these improvements, our budget for 2003-4 provides for:

• expansion of recycling schemes such as Green Bins following a successful bid for Government money, raising the recycling rate towards our target of 28%
• further initiatives for recycling and waste minimisation
• additional planting and maintenance of trees
• expansion of the Environmental Grants funds
• increased payments to the Cam Conservators to clear rubbish from the river
• increased capacity to enforce laws protecting the environment and the public realm e.g. littering, fly tipping, fly-posting, illegal vehicle trading
• bringing in effective byelaws against verge parking, for implementation where there is public support

• setting up a cardboard recycling scheme for homes not served by the Green Bin scheme
• using new opportunities to control air pollution by tackling the problem of vehicles keeping engines running while parked
• installation of a wind turbine within the city boundary
• development of a housing sustainability demonstration project open to the public
• introducing more recycling schemes to blocks of flats with communal bins
• reducing visual clutter and redundant street signage in the public realm

• action over renewable energy and energy conservation.
• proper investment in recycling to bring this country towards the standards achieved in other European countries.
• that a regulatory framework that encourages waste minimisation in industry and commerce, for example discouraging the production of wasteful packaging and consumer goods with built-in obsolescence, and requiring retailers to refund a deposit for recyclable drink containers