View this email in your browser

A cleaner, greener, safer Test Valley💚

Welcome to Green Test Valley!

As a council we are committed to providing a greener borough for our communities, with the goal of becoming carbon neutral. We will provide you with the latest news and information about the environment, countryside, climate and more.

Copse at Bury Hill named in memory of Queen Elizabeth II

At a ceremony on 8 September 2023, a meadow at the new Bury Hill site in Andover has been dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The copse area has been officially named Queen Elizabeth Memorial Copse, as a tribute to Her Majesty and the number of important connections she has to the borough of Test Valley.

Bury Hill was purchased by Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) in 2021 for wildlife, recreation and public access to the countryside.

Solar Together Hampshire

🌞 Let the sun pay for your energy bills 🌞

Join more than 2700 households and register for the Solar Together scheme.

You will receive better offers for solar PV, battery storage systems and personal, tailored recommendations.

Visit www.solartogether.co.uk/test-valley and register for free!

Warmer Homes scheme

Get a cosier home with the Warmer Homes Programme.

Test Valley Borough Council has been successful as part of a consortium of 23 Local Authorities in securing funding from the Government’s Home Upgrade Grant, to offer fully funded energy saving improvements for your home, such as insulation, air source heat pumps and solar PV panels.

These improvements can help lower your energy bills and keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Find out more and apply today by clicking the button below!

The Big River Watch

Running from 22 September to 24 September, The Rivers Trust are encouraging people to take 15 minutes observing a riverside location and tell them what you see. 

You should download the Big River Watch app and fill in the simple questions given to you once you've completed your observations. 

To find out more, visit their website.

Dispose of your waste without burning

Bonfires are often associated with the end of summer, but can impact on local air quality and annoy neighbours. Did you know that smoke from bonfires can be investigated by the Council as a potential Statutory Nuisance when it is unreasonably and substantially interfering with other people in their home, garden or workplace. We can require that the burning is stopped or reduced.

Where you can, please dispose of your waste without burning.

Garden Waste Collection Service - We operate a garden waste collection service. For further details contact 01264 368000 or see our website.

Home Composting - For information on composting and how to order a composting bin, please visit the `Recycle Now' website at www.recyclenow.com or call 0845 076 0223.

If you must have a bonfire, only burn dry material as this produces less smoke and wait for suitable weather. Never burn household rubbish, tyres or anything containing plastic, foam or paint. They will give off very unpleasant smoke and the chemicals released are bad for your health and the atmosphere. Always ensure that bonfires are sensitively positioned and are properly supervised in order that they can be put out if they start to cause a significant problem, for example if the wind direction changes causing dense smoke to drift across neighbouring gardens. 

After declaring a climate emergency in September 2019, Test Valley Borough Council committed to identifying steps it can take to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible. A Climate Emergency Action Plan was approved in June 2020 and is updated with ongoing work, and is often reviewed to ensure targets are being met.