In case you missed it
Here's what has been happening across the borough this month:
We gave an update on our retrofitting programme, which is fitting solar panels to existing council buildings. So far three quarters of schools have had panels fitted as well as half of all other buildings, including libraries, youth and community centres and offices. New buildings with panels installed include Peach Place and Elms Field, Bulmershe Leisure Centre and the new Dinton Activity Centre.
Farley Hill Primary School moved into its new building, which used carbon cutting construction methods, including seventy percent of the building work completed off-site and moved in modules to Arborfield.
Plans for a solar farm in Barkham were approved, which will see the installation of 67,340 solar panels, 11,000 new trees and the creation of a new greenway to better link Arborfield, Barkham and Finchampstead. The panels will generate enough renewable energy to power thousands of local houses as well as reduce carbon emissions.
We were awarded £100,000 from the Department for Transport to support cycling in the borough, which will be used to support schools, businesses and residents to cycle as much as possible and pay for minor improvements on cycle and walking routes and support the new Local Cycling and Walking infrastructure plan.
A new state-of-the-art 3G pitch was opened at Cantley Park, with investment from the Premier League, The Football Assocation and Government's Football Foundation. Having local facilities will reduce the number of people that have to travel outside of the borough to play football.
A scheme was launched inviting residents to re-purpose their black recycling boxes once they cease to be collected on 4 October. After a large financial and environmental cost was identified in us collecting them all, we're asking people to re-purpose them or find them a new home, with a dedicated Facebook page to help.
We are launching a new scheme to provide grants help residents reduce their utility bills and tackle climate change by making their homes more energy efficient. Eligible residents will be able to apply for free grants of up to £10,000 towards renewable energy and insulation upgrades to their properties.
Local Plan update
Our updated local plan will guide where and how growth will take place in the borough in the years up to 2036. We know we have to plan for more housing, which is always a complex and controversial subject.
We also need to plan for new employment, schools, roads, parks, shops and community facilities necessary to create places people want to live, work and do business. You can find out more about how the plan addresses climate emergency here.
To keep up to date with information about the local plan update, you can opt in to receive our Planning Policy newsletter.
Youth Council hold climate discussions
The youth council, made up of representatives from secondary school students in the borough, held its first formal meeting this month with a session all about climate change, an issue the group wanted to focus on.
They were joined in the session by a number of speakers who discussed the impact of climate change and what can be done to combat this. You can read more about the meeting here.
The youth council agreed to form a sub-committee to focus on climate emergency, open to any interested young person in the borough age 11 to 18. If you are interested in joining, or know someone that is, please contact cem@wokingham.gov.uk.
Thames Valley Flood Scheme
The Thames Valley Flood Scheme (TVFS) is being developed by the Environment Agency with the aim of reducing flood risk on the non-tidal River Thames and its tributaries. The scheme is committed to enhancing the environment, growing the economy, supporting sustainable growth and improving the health and wellbeing of all Thames Valley communities.
You can keep up to date on the project on the Thames Valley Flood Scheme website.
Spotlight on...Fraser's Property UK
This month, we hear from Amira Hashemi, the sustainability manager for Frasers Property UK, the owners and managers of Winnersh Triangle Business Park.
Amira talked to us about how they are playing an active role, in partnership with our property managers, to improve the sustainability of Winnersh Triangle Business Park.
What are the key things you have achieved so far?
Winnersh Triangle is well on its way to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and to date has achieved the following:
- Installed 378kW of rooftop solar PV panels
- Certified over 585,000 sq ft with BREEAM, the UK’s leading green building certification
- Source 100% renewable electricity through the grid
- Installed new electric vehicle charging points across the park
- Free bikes for occupants to use within the park
- A health and wellbeing programme including yoga and bootcamp classes, and air quality testing throughout all indoor common areas
- The installation of beehives, bug hotels and hedgehog housing, and Winnersh Triangle participated in this years’ RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch identifying nine species of local birds
- ISO 14001 for Environmental Management System certified
- Street trees, outdoor green space, an integrated pedestrian network and connectivity to Winnersh Triangle Train Station promote a walkable and clean environment to work
Why do you think making these changes are important?
While reducing carbon emissions is pertinent to our roadmap, and increasing the electrification of our assets, we still take a holistic approach to tackling the climate emergency by ensuring issues such as biodiversity, health and wellbeing and active travel remain important. Businesses need to adapt to become more resilient and secure the longevity of their operations.
Do you have any tips for other businesses that want to become more sustainable?
Firstly, ask your commercial landlord what their priorities are for sustainability. They might already be supporting your sustainability goals.
Secondly, look for quick wins that are easy and cost effective to implement. LED lighting for example can be paid back within three years.
Lastly, I suggest asking your suppliers if they have any ‘green’ products or services and asking them what actions they are taking to improve their sustainability. This could affect you too!
What is coming up next?
Winnersh Triangle is opening a biophilic-inspired Sports Hub in November, which will host fitness classes and an outdoor sports pitch. The Sports Hub features a green roof and a FSC certified timber exterior, taking inspiration from the local Winnersh Meadows.
A state-of-the-art Cycle Hub is planned to open in 2022, making cycle travel more attractive and accessible for occupiers.
In addition, the Park will continue to:
- Using BREEAM ratings and sustainability audits to identify building efficiencies
- Installation of more electric vehicle charging points
- Installation of more rooftop solar PV
- Measure and improve fauna and flora diversity
You can catch up with previous editions of our Spotlight series here.
Could you go meat free for one day a week?
Going meat free for just one day a week can have huge benefits, not only to your own health and finances, but to the health of the planet.
According to Meat free Mondays, If everyone in Wokingham borough went meat free for one day a week for a year it would save:
132577874.95 bathtubs of water - the average meat eater requires 16 Olympic swimming pools of water to produce the meat that they will eat in their life.
9115761.29 fish - The average meat eater eats 30,000 aquatic animals (fish, crustaceans, shellfish, etc.) in their lives which evens out at roughly one per day.
500319.58 tennis courts of forests - every meat free day you have slightly reduces global demand for habitat destruction, thereby saving land.
72963381.49 miles of greenhouse gasses - by having one meat free day per week for a year, you save the equivalent amount of greenhouse gases as driving from London to Edinburgh.
4149.42 cattle and 595976.82 of chickens - You save a chicken for roughly every 15 days you don’t eat meat.The average number of cattle eaten per person in their lifetime is four.
Ten top tips for a meat free day
With World Vegetarian Day coming up on 1 October, we wanted to give you ten top tips to having a meat-free day each week.
1 - Plan your meat free day. Maybe you want to do the same day each week? Maybe you want to be flexible to fit in with social and work plans? Make sure you decide in advance which your meat free day will be.
2 - Start with what you know. You'd be surprised how many of your favourite foods are vegetarian. Scrambled eggs and beans on toast, pasta and pesto, veggie supreme pizza, vegetable soup, cheese toastie. Familiar foods can help the transition.
3 - Build up small. Have a look in your local shop for meat free alternatives, such as vegetarian sausages and mince to make the adjustment easy.
4 - Think about what meals/snacks you like and how you could make them meat-free. Could you swap your chicken wrap for one made of falafel? A lamb curry for chickpea curry? A meatless-chilli made with lots of different beans?
5 - Bulk cook. You may find it easier to cook in bulk and freeze portions for your upcoming meat free days, especially if you are the only one in the household taking part. It can work out cheaper and help stop cheating if you already have something prepared.
6 - Meal plan. This can help make sure you have all the right ingredients in stock to cook up a vegetarian feast that you really want to eat. Meal planning also helps to reduce food waste, which has a huge impact on climate change.
7 - Challenge yourself. Once you have got over the initial hurdle of introducing a meat free day, create yourself additional challenges. Maybe you could aim to try a new fruit or vegetable every week? Learn ten new recipes? Hold a meat-free dinner party?
8 - Become knowledgeable about nutrition. Meat provides some of our main sources of nutrients, such as Vitamin B12, iron and protein. Make sure that you are eating a balanced diet (all week!) so that you don't miss out on these important nutrients.
9 - Focus on your reasons. You may find it difficult to make the transition, or that others question your choices and reasoning. It is helpful to have your reasons for going meat-free once a week fixed in your mind to help you in those times when you're tempted to cheat, or want to explain to your colleague why you aren't having your normal ham sandwich at lunchtime.
10 - Watch out for hidden ingredients. You may want to just ditch meat for a day, but if you want to truly go vegetarian for a day, you need to watch out for hidden ingredients. This could be things like gelatine in sweets, gravy and stock and even some alcohol.
Coming up this month
Together for Our Planet - National Lottery Fund
The National Lottery is offering grants of £1,000 to £10,000 to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change. Closing date for applications is 18 November.
Unblocktober
Unblocktober is a month long campaign to protect our seas and rivers by being conscious of what we flush away.
Walk to School month
October is international Walk to School month, encouraging children and parents to ditch the car. MyJourney Wokingham has lots of information available about walking to school, including maps showing walking routes for all primary schools in the borough.
World Vegetarian Day
1 October is World Vegetarian Day. Why not check out some of our tips above to change your eating habits?
COP26
Starting on 31 October for two weeks, COP26 is the global UN Climate Change Conference, bringing world leaders together to discuss climate change and create new policy.
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