An update from Cllr Kathryn Field
Since declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019, things have been more difficult than we would have liked with less visible progress than would have been hoped for. However, a lot of work has been going on on the background. A project officer has been appointed recently, her role is inward facing and the strategic, outward facing, role is yet to be filled.
Here is a useful summary of our progress to date:
1. The environment is key to all policies in the Corporate Plan
2. Planning policies are being reviewed to include more sustainability
3. The Council owned industrial units on Beeching Road are being refurbished to high
environmental standards including PV panels on the roofs
4. The Council’s housing company is building to sustainability standards above government
minima
5. The Town Hall is being renovated to be more sustainable and fit for purpose for the staff
6. Paperless pledge – in 2019 it was calculated that the Council used 9m sheets of A4 a year
7. Waterless urinals in the Town Hall will save 1.2m litres of water a year
8. The Council only uses fuel from renewable sources
9. Hybrid working has reduced travel to the Town Hall saving cost and emissions
10. The joint waste contract, paid for in part from Rother’s budget, is exploring green fuel for
refuse collection vehicles
11. There is an active plan to install Electric Vehicle Charging points in Rother owned car parks in Battle, Bexhill and Rye. The County Council is also working on this for on road sites across
the County
12. Trees are being planted in Bexhill, some of the County Council’s “mow only for safety”
verges pilot are in Rother
13. £700k, and rising, of CIL has been allocated to environmental projects
14. My Alerts has green tips
15. The Climate Change Steering Group meets monthly to monitor progress
16. There is a Green Team of officers from all departments to take forward green initiatives
17. A green business scheme/award will be considered and hopefully taken forward by the
business unit
And more to come. Work will go on with partners so that together we will meet high environmental standards. In the meantime, I hope this has helped demonstrate some of our activities to date.
Cllr Kathryn Field
Chair, Climate Emergency Steering Group
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