More than £500,000 has been awarded to Solihull Council to develop a plan to reduce carbon emissions and act on climate change.
Solihull Council has been awarded the money from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), funded from the Government’s Net Zero Accelerator Programme, to create a plan to explore how the town of Chelmsley Wood can benefit from climate change action.
The pioneering scheme is one of six taking place across the West Midlands, and aims to design a plan to tackle climate change and create a low-carbon community, introducing measures which will benefit both residents and businesses.
The project could involve energy retrofit assessments to identify ways residents can improve their energy efficiency and reduce fuel costs. This will be achieved through measures such as insulation, solar panels, and low-carbon heating solutions alongside planning for neighbourhood improvements to boost the natural environment and enhance active travel opportunities.
Plans were discussed at the Cabinet Portfolio Holder Climate Change and Planning Decision Session on Wednesday 25 September, where it was resolved to accept the funding.
Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Planning, Cllr Andy Mackiewicz, said:
“We are delighted to have secured this funding to create a plan that will focus on climate action by enhancing the natural environment, improving air quality and reducing net carbon emissions.
“This exciting project will be the first of its kind in Solihull and we believe it can deliver real benefits to Chelmsley Wood – an area of the borough which has high levels of fuel poverty and where there is potential to improve the energy efficiency of homes.
“This project will put the community of Chelmsley Wood at its heart whilst setting out a plan for how the area can benefit from climate action and being more sustainable.
”We will be starting the process of talking to the residents in the new year to make sure the planned actions meet what the community want.”
Image of Cllr Andy Mackiewicz courtesy of Solihull Council
