 Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Norton Nurseries
Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee receives report on climate progress
In February the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee received the annual climate progress report for the council, featuring the latest greenhouse gas emissions figures and highlights of achievements over the last year.
 People-friendly, prosperous streets at the heart of Council’s next stage of regeneration
The creation of more people-friendly, prosperous streets in Sheffield city centre is due to get underway, helping to bring in a more open, attractive and spacious area for people to relax, enjoy and spend time in.
Mayor Oliver Coppard alongside leaders of South Yorkshire’s Councils have agreed to introduce bus franchising across the region, taking another element of public transport in Sheffield into public control.
In a bid to continue to improve the air quality for people in Sheffield and improve public transport, the City Council is setting up a fund, worth more than £11million, to help bus operators move to electric buses, after it received approval from the new government.
As part of the plans to improve air quality, £11.3million is being made available to scheduled bus operators to deliver zero-emission buses on key routes in Sheffield as quickly as possible. The introduction of the new electric buses will also improve the journey experience for passengers with the vehicles being cleaner, greener, quieter, of higher specification and more reliable.
From Monday 31 March, new waste regulations under the Environment Act 2021, will come into effect.
Under the new regulations, businesses with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees must now separate their waste provisions into: general waste, recycling, and food waste. Collections must be made by a licensed waste carrier. Businesses with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees have until 2027 to meet these requirements.
 A swift nest box being installed on a house
Sheffield Swift Network was formed in in 2022 by a coming-together of Sheffield neighbourhood swift groups and enthusiasts who had met on social media. We have JUST become a charity so we can further the work we are doing for swifts.
Our aims are to:
- Raise general awareness of the declining numbers of swifts
- identifying and protecting existing nest sites and encouraging the provision of additional nest sites across the Sheffield area
- collaborating with stakeholders like the council and developers.
Why swifts?
Swifts. Everything about them inspires awe. We marvel at their aerial agility and are fascinated by the contradiction of their proximity to us, as they nest in our homes, and their other-wordly life as aerial dwellers.
There are 2 BIG days in a swift lovers phenological calendar. The first is the heavenly day, in Sheffield usually in the first week of May, when you see a high-up dot dart out of the corner of your eye or hear the unmistakable ‘sreee-screeeee’ screaming call that heralds the return of the first wave of breeding swifts. The second is the sad one in the first fortnight in August when you realise that the swifts have left to migrate 7000 miles back to central Africa.
The UK’s regularly occurring swift is the Common swift, Apus apus, meaning ‘footless’ and the species are characterised with forward-pointing toes and flat skulls. This means that they cannot perch but will occasionally cling to walls.
It is well known that they are fundamentally aerial birds, landing at 35mph into their nest cavities in our homes, from the age of 3 years. They will use the same nest site for their whole breeding lives of up to 15 years! They are one of the fastest flyers capable of 69mph on the horizontal. Like many of their relative species, they eat, sleep, drink and mate on the wing. Swifts sky-roost, resting at 10,000 feet from dusk until dawn.
Swifts are in HUGE trouble
Swift numbers have been in free fall since 1995. Between 1995 and 2022 numbers have reduced by 66.1% (BTO). As of 2021 Common Swift is red listed on the Birds of Conservation Concern. The reduction is primarily caused by a of loss of nesting cavities in our homes due to modern roofing methods, as well as loss of insects and changes to weather due to the climate changing.
What can you do to for swifts?
Now is the perfect time to act before the swifts arrive in Sheffield for the nesting season.
Energy-Efficient Homes, Saturday 12th April, 2p.m. - 4.30p.m. St Peter's Church, Greenhill
Greener Greenhill will be hosting a domestic energy event where you can learn more about retrofit, solar and batteries, heat pumps, grants, advice services for private landlords, DIY measures and open house visits (to homes where these measures have already been implemented).
Trusted bodies such as SY Ecofit, National Energy Action, Sheffield Renewables and Upper Don Community Energy will be on hand to provide impartial advice, and there will be teas and coffees too! Pop in any time, wherever you live, and stay for as long as you want.
Festival of Debate, 22nd April to 30th May 2025
In its 10th anniversary year, the Opus Independents’ Festival of Debate has a brilliant line-up of climate-related sessions including Doughnut Economics creator, Kate Raworth.
Sheffield Sustainable Market, Saturday 26th April, Victoria Hall
The Sheffield Sustainable Market, organised by Sheffield Action on Plastics, is taking place on Saturday 26th April at Victoria Hall 11am to 4pm selling plastic free goods and gifts.
Sign-up to the 2025-26 garden waste collections
You can now sign up and pay for the 2025-2026 garden waste service if you would like the council to collect your grass cuttings and other garden waste. Waste will be collected every two weeks from May 2025 to the end of April 2026.
All of the green waste we collect is turned into compost which is used across South Yorkshire.
A new green bin, or a green bin replacement, costs £33. We will deliver this for you. The cost of collections will be £63.30 for the full 20 collections. Sign up by Sunday 20th April to receive a full year of collections.
Have you got the BetterPoints app?
BetterPoints is a free app which allows you to turn your steps, cycle rides, bus trips and more, into shopping vouchers or donations to local charities. The BetterPoints Sheffield scheme aims to encourage residents across the city to choose active travel to get around wherever and whenever possible, taking cars off the road in the city, reducing congestion and emissions, while helping to promote a healthier lifestyle.
To join in, download the free BetterPoints app and use it to record journeys made on foot, by bike, in a wheelchair, or by bus, tram or train.
Green skills courses for people in work
The Sheffield College have increased their range of green skills and sustainability short courses which have been created to offer adults in employment the opportunity to develop their knowledge in sustainable practices and technology.
Courses include a mixture of face to face and online learning, creating flexible qualifications in retrofit, sustainability and renewable technologies with an aim to provide the green skills of the future, supporting learners and employers with the transition to green economies and workforces.
Find out more and apply: Green Courses | Sheffield College - Adults (sheffcol.ac.uk)
Funding available for not for profit organisations
The npower Community Fund has grants of up to £100,000 available for not for profit organisations within 50m radius of their Leeds office, LS15 8ZA, with projects aiming to decarbonise and safeguard our world, support the growth of responsible businesses, promote social innovation or champion local skills or employment.
Do you want to feature in the Sustainability and Climate Change Newsletter?
Our community article and events sections give the opportunity for Sheffield organisations and local people that are taking action to tackle climate change in the city to share their stories and events.
If you would like to have the opportunity to share a short article about the practical action your or your community or organisation are involved in to reduce carbon emissions, tackle climate change and help the city become a green and resilient city, please get in touch via sustainability@sheffield.gov.uk, letting us know who you are (and your organisation, if relevant) and what you would like to write about. A member of the team will get and touch and let you know what to do next.
We are also happy to include information about events with a practical focus.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Sheffield City Council consultations are published on Have Your Say Sheffield. We advertise relevant city centre and citywide consultations in the newsletter, and encourage you to take a look at the site for local consultations and updates on previous consultations.
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