Low Emission Strategies

News

LES Regional Champions

March 2011

Throughout 2010, the LES Partnership has worked with three Regional Groups to promote low emission strategies in their areas. The groups have made significant progress, delivered a range of outputs and identified a number of learning points for other authorities going through the same process. Each group has also been awarded additional funding from Defra to continue their work on Low Emission Strategies during 2011.

Liverpool City Region

Liverpool City Region (led by Sefton MBC) has progressed work within six separate workstreams, to address transport emissions.

Developed a low emission strategies planning policy guidance note agreed across the region which can be developed into Supplementary Planning Documents by separate authorities
Included low emission strategies within the new Local Transport Plan (LTP3)
Explored the use of offset contributions to support low emissions buses
Drafted a regional code of practice for controlling construction emissions
Progressed with consultation and piloting of low emission technologies for taxis
Explored the inclusion of low emission strategies within procurement policies

The workstreams have been incorporated into ongoing projects and will be taken further during 2011.

Leeds City Region

At the start of 2010, the Leeds City Region (led by York and Leeds City Councils) set a long term vision to ‘transform the Yorkshire region into a recognised centre of excellence for the implementation of low emission planning policies and the practical demonstration and assessment of low emission vehicles’. They have made significant progress towards this through the Regional Groups Initiative. Work will continue in each of the areas during 2011.

Planning: Overarching Low Emission Strategy for York is due to be considered by the Council alongside the local transport plan in June 2011. Regional workshops have been held to discuss supplementary planning documents for low emission strategies.
Low Emission Technologies: Vehicle Demonstration Day in Leeds attended by over 100 delegates. Bio-methane refuse truck trials in Leeds, where they have also secured funding for a bio-methane refuelling station. Hybrid bus trials in both Leeds and York.
A bid for Plugged in Places funding was submitted, which whilst unsuccessful, has highlighted the need for electric vehicle infrastructure and provided an opportunity to bring key partners together. The Yorkshire Region has since secured £1m of ERDF match funding to roll out EV recharging infrastructure and provide a pool of electric vehicles for trial.
Research: Funding obtained to support in-use emissions monitoring and development of a regional database of in-use vehicle emissions. Modelling of current fleet and hybrid bus emissions are being undertaken in York to support LES development and help make the case for hybrid technology.

Sussex

The Sussex Regional Group focussed on awareness raising, and securing policy ‘hooks’ for low emission strategies within the region’s planning system. In working towards their objectives, they have run a number of dissemination events and established working groups, to bring the key people in the region together. This has helped significantly in coordinating policy. At the most recent event, a joint Defra/Sussex Air workshop on 11th March, Norman Baker MP provided the keynote address.

Sussex has also delivered a number of practical outcomes. They worked with developers on s106 agreements to establish a car club and electric charging infrastructure. They have also been involved with an initiative with West Sussex to develop an Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure.

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