What the Council is doing on climate
Our approach to tackling the climate and environmental emergency
Eastleigh Borough Council has a long history of tackling climate change and was awarded Beacon Status for its efforts back in 2008.
In July 2019, we reaffirmed our commitment on this issue by unanimously declaring a Climate Change and Environmental Emergency. Here’s how we are tackling the climate crisis and what its plans are for the near future.
Our operations
The Council’s operational emissions have reduced by over 35% since 2008. This has been achieved through a mixture of making our buildings more energy efficient, waste management, expansion of renewable energy and improving the efficiency of our fleet of vehicles.
Our plans
We have committed to make the Council’s operations carbon neutral by 2025. To achieve, this we are looking at everything we do through the lens of the climate crisis, from procurement to staff training.
Since our declaration we've:
- Moved all Council sites over to 100% renewable electricity.
- Upgraded several vehicles in our fleet to electric equivalents and we have three new electric bin lorries on order.
- Replaced the petrol driven hand tools used by our Streetscene team over to battery powered versions.
- Reduced single -use plastic in our venues and events:
- At our Eastleigh House main headquarters all cutlery is now metal, we have replaced watercoolers and disposable plastic cups in meeting rooms with glasses and jugs in kitchen areas, replaced paper towels with tea towels, and recycle food waste.
- At the Itchen Valley Country Park Cafe food packaging and coffee cups are made from veg ware; plastic cutlery has been replaced with wooden versions; single sauce sachets have been replaced with bottles and we encourage people to bring their own water bottles
- At The Point theatre: all crockery and cutlery are reusable, there's a water dispenser with glasses on the bar and customers are encouraged to bring water bottles.
Sustainable development
Sustainability (and therefore climate change) underpins all planning decisions taken by the Council, ensuring the impact of a development on the environment is minimal.
Our plans
Over the coming years the Council will develop a new suite of supplementary planning documents relating to biodiversity and environment net gain, efficiency of development sites, climate adaptation and strengthening the Council’s position on tree replacement planting - including numbers, species and size of trees.
Since our declaration we've:
- Agreed plans to invest in a green energy programme at One Horton Heath, which includes: a new large-scale ground mounted solar farm; an electricity network connecting the Council’s solar farms to businesses and electric vehicle charging points at One Horton Heath; and a ground source heat pump network providing heating, hot water and/or cooling to homes, community buildings and businesses at One Horton Heath. One Horton Heath will be at the forefront of sustainable development, with no reliance on fossil fuels, solar panels on every home, enhanced wildlife habitats and more.
- Secured the future of an existing 25,600 panel solar farm at Horton Heath.
- Approved a new Trees and Development Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which sets out a robust policy on the protection of existing trees and planting of new trees for new developments.
- Promoted BREEAM Excellence with a policy of refurbishing/building new to BREEAM Excellence standards
Protecting wildlife
The existing Biodiversity Action Plan identified nearly 600 priority species in the Borough, with over 1400 acres of priority habitats, covering 143 sites. Alongside our Country Park sites, the Council also looks after a wide range of habitats including woodlands, wildflower area and waterways.
Our plans
We’re introducing more wildflower planting across the Borough and more areas will be left with ‘minimal maintenance’ to support insect populations. New strategies will be developed to protect and replace trees, and protect and monitor biodiversity. We are also planning to develop proposals for a large scale habitat creation project.
Since our declaration we've:
- Pledged to plant 160,000 more trees in the Borough by the year 2030.
- Purchased agricultural land to protect it from development and safeguard waterways
- Approved the creation of new green spaces for local people to enjoy
- Set up a new tree nursery at One Horton Heath, which will supply the trees needed to meet our 160,000 target.
- Agreed a new Tree Strategy
- Increased the number of wildflower planting areas in the Borough
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Peat Free: we reaffirmed our long-standing commitment to not knowingly using peat
- Have taken a more environmentally friendly approach to grass-cutting :
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Find out how you can help protect wildlife.
Sustainable transport
As well as providing funding for bus services, community transport and medical transport, we work in partnership with local highway authorities, Southampton City Council and Hampshire Country Council to deliver new infrastructure, such as cycle lanes.
We also work with partners to deliver projects that promote cycling, walking and public transport use, including My Journey, the Bike It project (working local schools to promote cycling) and helping businesses with travel planning.
Our plans
We are developing a new Sustainable Transport Strategy and are looking to install more public electric vehicle charging points.
Since our declaration we've:
- Installed electric vehicle charging points which will soon be ready to use across four public carparks.
- Partnered with Southampton City Council on an electric cargo bike hire scheme for local organisations and businesses.
- Began creating a new cycling network through the One Horton Heath development, linking the surrounding areas of Hedge End and Fair Oak.
Find out how you can travel more sustainably.
Waste management
Eastleigh is the collection authority for waste but much of what can and can’t be recycled is decided by the disposal authority - Hampshire County Council.
However, Eastleigh Borough Council is one of the only local authorities in Hampshire to collect and recycle food waste, batteries and glass through kerbside collections. We also collect garden waste, which is recycled into a soil conditioner.
Our plans
Building on the success of our food waste recycling scheme, we will be investigating building an anaerobic digestion facility - reducing the mileage on transporting food waste and providing a hub within Hampshire to facilitating further uptake of the service across the county. We are also looking at providing the service to businesses in the Borough.
Since our declaration we've:
- Increased the frequency of battery and glass recycling from monthly to fortnightly collections
- Began rolling out our food waste recycling service to flats.
Find out how you can avoid waste.
Working with residents and the community
Over the last few years the Council has supported hundreds of residents with energy efficiency schemes at home, provided grants for community buildings to become more efficient.
Our plans
We aim to support communities and businesses across the Borough to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. We have plans to engage residents and businesses in the Climate Emergency, and launch a local carbon offsetting programme.
Since our declaration we've:
- Held Eastleigh Climate Champions events to involve residents in our plans.
- Secured funding for a Sustainability Hub to be delivered by the Point Theatre
- Held tree planting days at Itchen Valley Country Park
- Supported the roll out of green energy installation projects such as Green Homes Grants and Solar Together
- Run several communications campaigns, including encouraging cycling, avoiding wood burning, reducing waste and sustainable eating.
If you’d like to know more, you can read our climate change and environment strategy and action plan.
Find out how you can make a difference.
Working with Businesses in the Borough
Businesses across the Borough were invited to apply for their share of £5 million given out by Eastleigh Borough Council to help make their company more energy efficient as part of the Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) scheme.
Our Economy team worked extremely hard to make sure that businesses in the Borough received the financial support that they were entitled to throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Some of the businesses that have received additional funding towards helping to make their business more energy efficient, shared how they used the grant to improve their sustainability and reduce their spending.
Find out how these companies became more energy efficient.
Business Breakfast Briefing 2022
Eastleigh businesses attended a Council breakfast briefing on 8 February 2022. Key topics included post-Brexit export opportunities and support for reducing carbon footprint. The Climate Change Manager shared preliminary results of a carbon footprint survey, and guest speakers provided advice.
Downloadable presentations:
Andy Brennan - Eastleigh Borough Council and Climate Change
Matt Pullinger - GreentechSouth
Hamble Storage Solutions & Earth, Wind and Fire
Sustainability - KCC Packaging
My Journey Workplaces
RYA's Sustainability Strategy
Tuk Shop
UK Export Finance