Council offers more help to carbon-saving communities

South Lakeland District Council media release 

South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) is extending its Greening Campaign subsidy to help communities continue their carbon footprint savings.

So far 11 parish and town councils have signed up to Phase 1 of the Greening Campaign for just £25 thanks to an SLDC subsidy. Now, SLDC is encouraging those communities to move forward to Phase 2 by offering a 50% subsidy, which means they can sign up to Phase 2 for just £75 rather than the usual £150.

The Greening Campaign is a simple toolkit designed to guide parish and town councils through practical, effective steps to help households save energy. Phase 1 includes easy actions such as:

-        Halving food waste by making a meal plan and using up leftovers

-        Washing laundry at 30ºC

-        Turning the central heating thermostat down by 1ºC

-        Boiling only the water you need

-        Switching off all appliances on standby.

Residents place a card in their window to show they have committed to at least five challenges, and their collective CO2 savings are calculated to show how small, energy-saving actions by lots of people can make communities a greener place to live.

In Phase 2, communities are encouraged to build upon their success by embarking on collective projects such as:

-        Retrofitting homes with energy-saving features to reduce CO2 emissions

-        Rewilding spaces to create wildlife habitats

-        Raising awareness of the links between good health, mental wellbeing and climate change.

The latest council to embark upon Phase 1 of the Greening Campaign is Levens Parish Council, whose residents celebrated their campaign launch with a coffee morning and scarecrow-making competition to publicise their efforts.

Councillor Janet Battye of Levens Parish Council said: “In Levens we’ve got an enthusiastic group of local people supporting the Greening Campaign, helping to run the scarecrow workshops and the coffee morning to launch the campaign.

“Cards have gone up in windows around the village and now we’re counting them to see how much carbon we’ve saved between us. There are lots more ideas about what to do next so in the New Year I hope we’ll actually be able to celebrate and work out our next steps.”

On the Cartmel Peninsula, six councils - Grange-over-Sands; Allithwaite and Cartmel; Witherslack, Meathop and Ulpha; Cartmel Fell; Lower Holker; and Lindale and Newton – banded together under Peninsula Environmental Action Together (PEAT). They managed to place 301 cards in windows, resulting in actions which saved 182 tons of carbon and £85,409.

Duddon Parish Council helped residents to save 84.7 tons of CO2 and £35,956 in Phase 1 through steps such as switching all light bulbs to LED.

Also taking part in Phase 1 were Staveley with Ings Parish Council, where 39.7 tons of CO2 were saved - the equivalent volume of 39 hot air balloons – as well as Ulverston Town Council and Coniston Parish Council.

Councillor Dyan Jones, SLDC Portfolio Holder for Climate Action and Biodiversity, said: “It is fantastic to see towns and parish councils 'think global - act local'. Signing up for the Greening Campaign is a super way to join like-minded neighbours to carry out meaningful climate action where you live.

“I hope more folks will be inspired by the successes achieved by existing Greening groups across South Lakeland and take advantage of this offer. Every action, however small, can make a big difference when we do it together so please consider signing up soon.

“There are just nine Phase 1 places left for parish and town councils, costing only £25 with an SLDC subsidy. The first 20 groups to complete can then tackle Phase 2 subsidised at £75 instead of the usual £150.”

If you would like to find out more, you are welcome to join an open, informal online meeting hosted by the Greening Campaign on Thursday 2 December 2021 at 7pm. Please email Terena Plowright at The Greening Campaign at terenaplowright@gmail.com for a link to this event.

You can also contact SLDC Locality Projects Officer Jemma Fells at SLDC on jemma.fells@southlakeland.gov.uk for more information.