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BCP Council and Beryl have won the 2023 Municipal Journal (MJ) Award for the UK’s Best Transport Decarbonisation Project. The national award was announced at the gala event at the Park Plaza in Central London on Friday 23 June, presented by BBC News at Ten anchor, Huw Edwards. The MJ Awards are considered the highest level of recognition in the UK local authority community.
BCP Council and Beryl have won the 2023 Municipal Journal (MJ) Award for the UK’s Best Transport Decarbonisation Project. The national award was announced at the gala event at the Park Plaza in Central London on Friday 23 June, presented by BBC News at Ten anchor, Huw Edwards. The MJ Awards are considered the highest level of recognition in the UK local authority community. In order to reduce congestion carbon emissions and encourage the use of healthy and sustainable forms of transport, BCP Council tendered for a Dockless Bike Share operator for a 5-year term. This contract was awarded to Beryl in 2019. The bicycle hire scheme was introduced to help encourage a modal shift in transport, away from short car and vehicle journeys to more sustainable forms of transport. Congestion in the BCP Council region is particularly high and for example traffic research has shown that around 7000 commuters drive their cars on their own, less than 2km into Bournemouth each day. The scheme is aimed at reducing this congestion and the pollution it creates by offering an alternative, easily accessible and sustainable mode of transport around of area. The scheme has been a great success with demand far exceeding expectation. Almost 198,000 users have undertaken more than 1.55 million journeys since the launch in Summer 2019, covering a distance of over 5.5 million kilometres. Close collaboration between the partners has ensured the delivery of an innovative, safe, well managed scheme which in turn has provided the key outcome of encouraging modal shift away from cars and on to sustainable transport, with almost a quarter of all Beryl journeys replacing a car, van, taxi or motorbike journey. On top of this, 35% of users have returned to cycling after a break and 47% are now cycling more often indicating that the desired long term behavioral change has occurred. Beryl has recently celebrated its four year anniversary as the service provider in the BCP area and its distinctive green bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters are now a familiar site across the region. The hire scheme has grown over the intervening four years with new and innovative forms of transport such as e-scooters and e-bikes being introduced to the hire fleet. Over 188,000 users have undertaking 1.5 million journeys since the launch in June 2019, covering over 5 million kilometres. The main objective of the scheme is to encourage a change in travel mode, away from cars and other vehicles to more sustainable forms of transport, an aim which is being achieved. Using on-app questionnaires at the end of each trip, Beryl reports that 33% of journeys have replaced a motorised vehicle journey. Also, 35% of users have reported returning to cycling and 47% are now cycling more often as a result of using the Beryl hire service.
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In a project carried out by DEED, along with Wimborne War on Waste and supported by Litter Free Dorset, artist Claire Nuttall painted two drains with artwork designed and created by Year 12 graphic students at QE School.
The project aims to highlight that throwing cigarette butts down drains can wash up and pollute the sea and poison fish and so encourage people to no longer discard their cigarettes in this way. A new housing scheme providing purpose-built temporary accommodation, has won an affordable housing award.
A new housing scheme providing purpose-built temporary accommodation, has won an affordable housing award. The development, which is due for completion in autumn, is situated on the site of the former Bourne Valley Community Centre in Herbert Avenue. Led by BCP Council and delivered by Poole-based AJC Group, it will provide 24 energy efficient apartments for people who are currently homeless and require a stepping-stone between hostels and independent living. It received the Affordable Housing Development of the Year accolade at the Insider South West Property Awards earlier this year. The judges choose this development due to the social impact of the scheme, tackling homelessness in a challenging area of the region while providing strong eco, accessibility and Passivhaus credentials. These credentials include a low carbon footprint due to the Passivehaus certification, ensuring rigorous energy efficient design standards; and bat and bird boxes have been installed which help to maintain a healthy ecosystem. The development was also shortlisted in the Sustainable Development of the Year category in last week’s South Coast Property Awards. This project will help reduce the dependency on temporary Bed and Breakfast accommodation, instead providing a more suitable housing solution through the mix of 1,2- and 3-bedroom self-contained units. Best in class: Glasgow Prestwick (64g per passenger)
Worst in class: 1. Jersey (JER) – 156g per passenger per km Jersey has a bigger carbon footprint than any other airport in the UK, totalling 156g per passenger per km. In an attempt to tackle this high level of air pollution, Jersey Airport has made plans to alter its flight paths, making the routes more efficient which, in turn, will help to reduce the amount of carbon emissions. 2. Bournemouth (BOH) – 67g per passenger per km With 67g of carbon emissions per passenger per km, Bournemouth Airport is next on our list. Bournemouth Airport has implemented an energy conservation programme in the hope to reduce its carbon footprint, and this has no doubt contributed to this airport’s second-place entry in our list. https://www.bournemouthairport.com/net-zero-2040/ RCA (Regional and City Airports) is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions from its airport operations by 2040 at the latest - with any remaining emissions to be tackled through investment in carbon removal and storage.We are part of the internationally-recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, and have worked as part of the industry-led green aviation consortium 2ZERO - a government-backed project pioneering electric hybrid aircraft on regional routes. This saw us host the first English eflight trial from Exeter in 2021. We are now working in collaboration with Cranfield University to develop new initiatives in sustainable aviation practice and technology. As a member of the Sustainable Aviation Programme Board’s initiative to design new airport infrastructure accommodating smart aviation technologies, fuels, and a roadmap of future skill requirements, we are driven by a sustainable green agenda in cooperation with key local stakeholders. A solar park has started providing power to buildings in the City of London's financial centre - more than 100 miles away.
Renewable firm Voltalia's solar farm near Spetisbury, Dorset, is being used to power various sites. But the Campaign for Rural England (CPRE) said the land should be used to "provide food for Dorset rather than powering bankers' offices". Voltalia said it was "proud" to be supplying "clean and cheap" energy. The £40m contract between the City Corporation and the South Farm Solar Park will last for 15 years. The 49.9MW generated - enough to power 15,000 homes - will be supplied to Guildhall, Tower Bridge, three markets and the Barbican Arts Centre. After approval by Dorset Council, the project was extended in 2021 to two additional fields. A council report at the time read: "There is a necessity for renewable energy development and with vast swathes of Dorset within designated or valued landscapes, there are few opportunities to site solar farm developments appropriately." But the scheme has faced a backlash from locals and the CPRE, which is also opposing two other nearby projects at North Dairy Farm and Hardy's Vale. Rupert Hardy, chairman of North Dorset CPRE, said: "At a time of concern over food security, land should be used to provide food for Dorset rather than powering bankers' offices in the City of London." He added the project was also "desecrating our beautiful landscape". Voltalia said it had invested more than £800,000 within 25 miles of South Farm Solar Park and more than £3m in the wider region. CEO Sébastien Clerc said: "In the current energy crisis, we are very proud to supply clean and cheap electricity to some of London's most iconic landmarks." Chairman of the City Corporation's environment committee, Keith Bottomley, said: "The deal will increase our green energy supply, has no reliance on taxpayer funding, and helps us transition quickly away from fossil fuels." The Prime Minister has announced the police will now have the power to give tougher penalties when they are dealing with fly-tipping offences.
The announcement comes after Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), David Sidwick joined with his counterparts for Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire to pen a letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs calling for tougher sanctions to tackle the 'growing menace' of fly-tipping. This was picked up by the National Rural Crime Network and other PCCs who supported the initiative. The five PCCs lobbied the government to do more to deter fly-tipping which has become the anti-social behaviour of both urban areas and the countryside. The group said that 'greater coordination' and 'tougher penalties' are needed in order to meet the Government target of eradicating waste crime by 2043 - stating that it's time 'criminals pay for fly-tipping, not taxpayers'. Now, the government has announced they are raising the minimum fine for the offence from £400 up to £1000. The government said that the increase in fines will give the enforcement agencies involved the tools they need to act. The changes will also see additional support given to local authorities to enable them to hand out more fines to ‘disrespectful offenders’, a league table for local authorities based on fly-tipping performance and a change in the law removing the need to have the regulator present when a police officer seizes a vehicle unlawfully carrying waste. A £4m investment is being made at the Wessex Water recycling centre in Wimborne as part of a major project for the health and ecology of the Dorset River.
It will see an additional tank built at the site to increase the overall capacity to retain storm storage by more than a third. Typically, if there is too much rainfall in the system, the overflow automatically discharges into watercourses. However, the new tank will mean more water can be stored there before it is returned to the system for treatment when storm waters recede. It is one of two projects starting this month to boost protection of the River Stour with a further £3M being invested upstream at the water recycling centre at Gillingham. Within Wessex Water’s £3m a month investment to tackle storm overflows, the Wimborne scheme is part of more than £150m being spent between now and 2025 to help complete nearly 100 projects. These projects all share the joint aim of reducing the operation of storm overflows by a quarter while supporting the environment. Project manager Kirstie Hearn said: “This is just one way in which Wessex Water is reducing the automatic operation of storm overflows and on top of that, we’re updating some of our other equipment at the site to monitor and remove chemicals, such as ammonia and phosphorous within wastewater.” Climate Action Now! is an initiative developed by Blandford Museum in partnership with charities in Blandford. We all see climate change as the biggest challenge confronting the world in the years to come.
Green Fair at the Arches beside the Stour as part of Blandford’s CAN 2023 and the national Great Big Green Week from 10 - 18 June. Exhibitors and stallholders who have already agreed to take part include, DWT, producers of vegetarian and vegan food, cosmetics and gifts, refilling businesses and other eco-friendly products. There will also be activities for children. PLANS for a new eco-friendly service station and hotel on a 12-acre site near Sturminster Marshall have been submitted.
The scheme, submitted on behalf of MB Wilkes Ltd, would see the services, including a battery storage facility, built on land at Hanbury Green off the A31, also serving the A35 and A350. The scheme would create a new roundabout to the A31 and the Henbury Farm Industrial Estate. Potentially featuring hydrogen fuel services, as well as electric chargers and a traditional filling station, the plans also outline proposals to create a ‘wetland and woodland habitat’. The application says the services could cater for around 50 electric vehicle charging points, as well as a hydrogen charging facility and petrol and diesel fuelling. Parking would also be created for an additional 50 other vehcles, plus 30 for cars towing trailers or caravans, motorhomes and coaches. The site would also boast an amenities building, business centre and a hotel with between 50 and 100 beds. Proposal opposed by Purbeck & Poole Group of CPRE.
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