News
Scottish Local Authorities – Sustainability Round-Up
Published 01 May 2012 in Local Government
Highland Council – New Community Benefit Policy for Renewables
On 24 February the Highland Council launched a refreshed Community Benefit Policy for renewable energy developments. It seeks a minimum payment to community benefit funds equivalent to £5,000 per Megawatt of installed capacity per year. The Council will seek to negotiate concordats with developers, which will ensure that developers operate within the Council’s policy and that developers negotiate directly with the Council on behalf of communities to secure the greatest level of benefit possible. The Council’s policy is a 3-tier system of benefit with all of the first £100,000 per year of benefit going to local communities and managed within a Local Fund. The remaining community benefit will be split between the Local Fund, one of ten local Area Funds, and the Highland Trust Fund. Communities that do not have access to community benefit funding at the Local or Area Fund level will be able to bid into The Highland Trust Fund, which will be operated by an organisation at arm’s length from the Council. More.
Aberdeen City Council Completes Second Phase of Sustainable Council Housing Project
On 5 April Aberdeen City Council announced the completion of the second phase of its new-build council housing programme. Thirty-five properties, including flats and houses, are high-quality, sustainable and energy efficient and are located within walking distance of amenities, transport links and local schools. One section of the new development is a designated Homezone scheme, which places the needs of car drivers as secondary to the needs of users of the street. More.
Aberdeen City Council Launches First Car Club
Aberdeen City Council announced the launch of the city’s first car club on 2 April. The Council has appointed social enterprise Commonwheels to operate the club, using low emission vehicles. A fleet of 10 cars will initially be used. More.
Glasgow City Council Launches Food Miles Education Pack for Primary Schools
On 16 March Glasgow City Council announced the launch of a Food Miles Education Pack for its 140 primary schools. Developed by the Council’s Education and Development & Regeneration Services, the pack links growing, purchasing locally and calculating carbon emissions directly with the Curriculum for Excellence. It will also show that the further food has to travel from plough to plate the less sustainable and environmentally desirable it is. More.
Scottish Borders Council Runs Carbon Reduction Competition in Schools
Scottish Borders Council recently ran a competition in its schools, challenging pupils to come up with ideas for carbon reduction in their everyday environment. Pupils had to produce a poster and short note outlining their idea and why it was important. Ideas submitted included: increasing active travel opportunities, reducing energy usage, reducing food miles, increasing recycling and tree planting. Winning schools received money and energy monitors donated by Marks and Spencers. More.
Green Business Fife Organises Study Visit for Fife Businesses
Fife Council announced on 2 April that Green Business Fife organised and led a study visit for Fife businesses to Gaia-Wind Ltd.’s small wind turbine manufacturing facility in Glasgow. Green Business Fife was launched in March 2007 by Fife Council and aims to help local businesses achieve resource efficiency gains which will boost their competitiveness and minimise their environmental impact. Attendees had the opportunity to explore Gaia-Wind’s unique large two blade turbine design and were offered advice on the implication of the feed-in tariff changes. More.