22/9/2005 - Sustainable Communities Project wins major environmental award

A Green Apple Award has been awarded to an innovative environmental initiative led by Cumbria County Council’s Sustainability Team. The prestigious award will be presented by Rt. Hon. Patricia Hewitt MP, Secretary of State for Health in the House of Commons on the 8th of November.

The Sustainable Communities Project is being driven by the Sustainability Team in partnership with Eden Local Agenda 21, Churches Together in Cumbria, Voluntary Action Cumbria and Cumbria Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (CEEAC).

Achieving sustainable communities is all about helping people to live more sustainable lifestyles that benefits their environment as well as improving quality of life.

The project was launched towards the end of 2004. Cumbria County Council provided £5000 from its Local Agenda 21 fund to help kick start the project which has already posted some major successes.

The four pilot communities are in the process of receiving energy efficiency advice from CEEAC and each of the communities will have an air source heat pump and a solar panels installed free of charge on domestic properties. 

There will of course be substantial savings in carbon emissions as a result of switching to these renewable energy systems. The solar panels will provide year round hot water and further reduce energy costs. As well as providing sustainable energy systems for the housholders lucky enough to have these units fitted, they will also become demonstration sites where people can learn about how the renewable energy technologies work and encourage wider uptake of renewables across Cumbria.

Whilst the communities are acting at a local scale these actions have a global dimension and impact too. In reducing environmental impacts at a domestic and community level the project is also contributing to tackling regional issues such as waste and landfill and global issues such as climate change.

Jack Richardson, Cabinet spokesman for the environment, says" Sustainable Communities is a wonderful initiative that will help people realise the importance of looking after our environment. It is no surprise that the initiative won a top environmental award. The project demonstrates that community partnerships can provide positive leadership and commitment to change attitudes and lifestyles and bring about real benefits for the environment and communities as a whole".