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Category: Climate Adaptation

Eastbourne Eco Action Network 2025 Symposium

Eastbourne Eco Action Network 2025 Symposium

By Sam Powell

Nearly six years since Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) set its target to become carbon neutral by 2030 and the Eastbourne ECO Action Network (EEAN) was formed, the 2025 Symposium offered a moment to reflect on progress, reassess goals, and explore the next steps.

Members of panel discussion at Eastbourne's 2025 Symposium. Members from left to right are Candy Vaughan, Mayor, Oliver Sterno, Plastic Free Eastbourne, Professor Scarlett McNally, Orthopaedic surgeon, Andy Durling, Director Eastbourne Eco Action Network, Stephen, Emmanuel Church, Richard Watson, Energise South Coast, Lord Ralph Lucas

Symposium Panel Discussion

 

Collaborative dialogue on climate action

Eight presentations, followed by a panel Q&A and open discussion, brought together EEAN members, local councillors, Donnalyn Morris (Bus Service Improvement Plan Officer at East Sussex County Council (ESCC)), representatives from organisations registered as Community Interest Companies and Community Benefit Societies, businesses, charities, campaigners, and residents, including Lord Ralph Lucas.

Participants included representatives from Energise Sussex Coast (ESC), Plastic Free Eastbourne, Bespoke Cycle Group, the Eastbourne United Nations Association (EUNA), the Eastbourne Climate Coalition, international groups such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, and Emmanuel Church, the venue host.

The afternoon began with two opening speeches, one from EEAN’s Executive Director, Andrew Durling and another from EBC Leader Councillor Stephen Holt. Cllr Holt’s speech recognised the achievements of EEAN and associated groups since 2019. He praised EEAN’s role as a “critical friend” to EBC, challenging but constructive, providing a dialogue for improvement toward the 2030 carbon-neutral goal.

Andy outlined how carbon cycles  are essential to life on Earth and stressed the urgent need to restore balance by cutting emissions and enhancing natural carbon capture. We need actions like tree planting and soil restoration to increase the ability of the land and ocean to absorb the excess carbon and neutralise the excess of carbon emitted.

He also highlighted the success of local initiatives, from Treebourne and food allotments, attempting to relocalise the food system and EUNA’s carbon offsetting project,  to hospital car park solar panels, Energise Sussex Coast, and many other environmental projects across the town. 

Andy Durling, presenting

Andy Durling

Community energy, retrofits, fuel vouchers and beyond

Richard Watson, co-founder of ESC, gave a compelling presentation on their community-owned solar projects, including new schemes to install shared solar in blocks of flats using Solshare technology, allowing residents to equitably share the solar energy supplied.

As a Community Benefit Society, ESC secures grants and raises funds through community share offers, so that local energy is owned by local people and supports the local economy through lower costs for residents. Any surplus is used to address fuel poverty, providing practical help with retrofits, Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) improvements, fuel vouchers, retrofit advice and more.

Chris Richards introduced ESC’s Energy Champions project, which trains local volunteers to provide eco-energy advice and connect residents with additional support. He emphasised the importance of understanding Scope 1 (direct), 2 (purchased energy), and 3 (supply chain and other indirect) emissions, and discussed the value of solar carports, ward-specific emissions research, and combining art with climate science to engage the public.

Grid capacity and possibilities

During the panel, Richard highlighted a key barrier: limited local grid capacity. ESC planned a 300kW solar installation at a bowls centre, but they would only use 15%, and the grid cannot handle the reverse flow (when excess solar power is fed back into the grid). A £300,000 upgrade, “for the transformer and the primary substation,” is required, rendering the project unviable. Community batteries, inspired by Australian models, were floated as a potential solution. These store and share power locally.

During the presentation and beyond, there were also suggestions and talks of:

  • AI mapping Eastbourne’s solar potential (rooftops, etc.)
  • Developing solar carports in car parks
  • Exploring the possibility of having community-owned turbines via the Rampion extension – an extension taking place to the pre-existing wind turbines off the coast of Newhaven
  • Solar options for temporary housing (which Cllr Holt was specifically interested in)

“One turbine would generate enough power for 12,000 homes”, Richard said. “So three [large] turbines would be enough to power almost all the homes in Eastbourne.”

Richard Watson presenting in front of a slide about Pearl Court Eastbourne

Richard Watson       

Transport and the “modal shift”

Professor Scarlett McNally, orthopaedic surgeon and co-founder of Eastbourne Bespoke Cycle Group, underlined the health and wider environmental, economic and social benefits of active travel. Walking and cycling reduce emissions and improve air quality. But they also reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, cancer, many other illnesses, and road accidents. This also eases pressure on the NHS, both through prevention and reduced accidents.

“142 pedestrians have been hit by cars in Eastbourne over the past five years,” she noted. “This is a health and safety issue, not just a climate one.”

Jill Shacklock, EEAN Director, shared updates from EABUG, a successful project bringing together bus operators, councillors, council officers, and local bus users. She also ran a quiz on emissions and shared key statistics:

  • 68% of Eastbourne commutes are by car; just 2% by bicycle
  • 70% of UK residents support 20mph zones; only 14% oppose
  • Fewer injuries and deaths reported since Wales introduced 20mph limits
  • Community interaction and health improve alongside emissions cuts

Transport featured heavily in the panel Q&A and discussion regarding:

  • The seafront bus lane start date
  • Could sections of the seafront be bus-and-bike only?
  • Possible pedestrianisation areas
  • Funds allocated for bus lanes potentially being redirected elsewhere

Regarding the last point, Cllr Brett Wright said, “We need to put pressure on ESCC to actually spend that money on the bus lanes now, rather than delaying them to free up funds for the Exceat Bridge.”

Professor Scarlett McNally presenting

Professor  Scarlett McNally

Jill Shacklock presenting in front of a slide on campaigning for 20's Plenty

Jill Shacklock

Single-use plastics and consumption

Oliver Sterno of Plastic Free Eastbourne (PFE) outlined how infrastructure changes, like public water fountains and reusable bottle campaigns, can nudge behaviour. Thanks to council support for PFE’s “Refill Eastbourne” project, the town now has 14 public water fountains.

He also shared his annual tracking of travel and consumption reductions, saying, “We need to show people not just how to consume differently, but why.”

On corporate responsibility, he added: “We really need to get some powerful people — like the council, or the government — to start confronting these businesses. It’s the same with the water companies.”

This message of shared responsibility was echoed by the venue hosts, Emmanuel Church. Stephen Brown spoke about energy auditing, water-saving measures, waste reduction, ethical procurement practices and lifestyle changes regarding consumption and carbon footprint reduction. Emmanuel Church won an Eco Church award for environmental sustainability, making it an appropriate venue for the Symposium. The church congregation kindly donated the entire cost of hiring the venue as a gesture of support for the ECN2030 campaign.

Oliver Sterno presenting, pointing at a chart on a large screen. The chart shows progress made by Plastic Free Eastbourne in achieving targets for reducing carbon emissions

Oliver Sterno

Business and carbon offsetting

Ian Elgin of the EUNA spoke on carbon offsetting through the Uganda tree-planting project, which saw 14,000 trees planted in 2023, with similar numbers in 2024. EBC have become involved in the project to offset Airbourne emissions.

During the discussion, he asked: “We’ve got five years to become carbon neutral. Where is the message getting through to businesses?” Christina Ewbank (Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce) offered to connect him with businesses but said manufacturers and parent companies —not just small local branches and businesses—require most encouragement.

Education and youth engagement

A recurring theme throughout the day was how to meaningfully involve young people in climate action. Ideas included:

  • Monthly school eco-magazines
  • Public art campaigns to raise awareness
  • Solar panels on schools
  • Eco projects
  • More influence from Youth Parliament

Treebourne’s school partnerships were praised as models of engagement.

Sea defences

Andrew reminded attendees that the Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne Coastal Management Scheme’s long-term plans won’t start until 2037, and urged faster action alongside others. Whilst Cllr Wright stated that, thinking like a Whitehall civil servant, who decides which towns get sea defence funding, Eastbourne needs to remain economically attractive.

Cllr Jim Murray (Cabinet Member for Carbon Neutral 2030 and Water Champion) noted how the town is prioritised for funding and highlighted its social and economic importance. “If the sea wall collapses, 30,000 houses get flooded. Because of that figure, we’re getting prioritised. We’ve got the largest amount of money singled out for sea defences in the country.”

However, current funding models plan for only 1 metre of rise, while some climate science projections (Professor James Hansen) reach up to 3, 4, even 5 metres, and as Andrew pointed out, £100 million is not enough. He highlighted how Pevensey and Cooden beaches have “extremely low shingle banks” and need to be prioritised by the Environment Agency.

An Eastbourne beach at dusk, tide is out and line of breakwaters runs horizontally across the image,

Council progress

Cllr Murray’s presentation highlighted council progress:

  • 8% reduction in Airbourne emissions (2023 vs 2022) and carbon offsetting through the EUNA Uganda tree scheme
  • EV food waste fleet coming in 2026
  • 480 hectares added to the Seven Sisters ‘Super National Nature Reserve’
  • EV charge points
  • Sustainable new builds and retrofitting
  • Primary and Secondary education, green skills, career engagement

Council emission reductions for 2018/19–2023/24 are as follows:

  • Gas: ↓33% reduction
  • Electricity: ↓49% reduction
  • Fleet fuel: ↓31% reduction

Overall, scope 1 & 2 emissions are down 35.5%. Still, acceleration is needed to meet the 2030 target, as Cllr Murray himself said.

Closing reflections

The day closed with a mix of urgency and hope. “We haven’t solved the problems,” said Lord Ralph Lucas, “but at least we focused on them.”

There are questions left to answer regarding bus and bike lanes, changing transport perspectives, encouraging plastic reduction, ethical consumption, community energy, solar new builds, sea defences, and fundamentally, what stimulates change, and whether/how local economic growth can exist alongside the aims to reduce carbon emissions.

Cllr Candy Vaughan, the town’s Mayor at the time, concluded: “We want to make it happen [carbon neutral by 2030] and it’s only going to be down to us [everyone in the room and Eastbourne] to make anything happen. So let’s start.”

Top 10 actions raised at the 2025 Symposium

  1. Expand community-owned solar and battery storage
  2. Improve cycling, walking and bus infrastructure
  3. Scale up refill schemes and cut plastic waste
  4. Boost carbon literacy and climate education
  5. Accelerate sea defence planning
  6. Engage more businesses in climate responsibility
  7. Continue expanding nature recovery, local food allotments and tree planting
  8. Support green skills and youth employment
  9. Retrofit homes to reduce emissions and fuel poverty
  10. Use arts and media to communicate climate issues

Get Involved

Whether you’re an individual, a business, a school, or a community group, there’s a role for you in helping Eastbourne reach its Carbon Neutral 2030 target.

Ways to get involved:

  • Join or support local projects like Treebourne, Refill Eastbourne, or EABUG
  • Become an ESC Energy Champion and help neighbours cut energy use, adopt greener energy practices and signpost to services
  • Write to your councillor or MP about sea defences, active travel, and climate priorities
  • Follow and engage with EEAN on social media and subscribe for updates
  • See how you can change your household energy system, travel and consumption choices

With five years to go, Eastbourne’s path to carbon neutrality will depend on continued community effort, cross-sector collaboration, and the will to turn plans into progress.

Symposium presentations

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Biodiversity and conservation on the Pevensey Levels

Biodiversity and conservation on the Pevensey Levels

By Sam Powell

On a calm Sunday in May, the Eastbourne Eco Action Network (EEAN) led a walk across the Pevensey Levels, a land where water meets land, history seeps into the soil and rare life exists.

 

Following the Pevensey Castle and Pevensey Haven Circular, the walk traced a quiet path through one of southern Britain’s most ecologically rich wetlands. Here, the past folds into the present: the 290 AD Roman fort (Anderida) and the 12th-13th century Norman castle echo across the lowland marsh, where grass beds bow in the breeze.

Bending blue river with bullrushes and long grasses on its banks, shrubs on one side and a group of people walking across a bright green grassy bank

Pevensey Haven
Photo credit: Sam Powell

 

A living wetland

Between Eastbourne, Bexhill-on-Sea and Hailsham, the Levels stretch across some 3,600 hectares of protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), also designated as a Ramsar site and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Its complex channels, sluices and ditches, controlled by the Pevensey and Cuckmere Water Level Management Board, Environment Agency, Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT), East Sussex County Council and local district councils, support both agriculture and one of England’s last great wetland ecologies.

To walk here is to step into a world alive with sound and stillness. Reed warblers sang; a heron rose from a “scrape” pool, and below the Pevensey Haven water’s surface, bream, carp, pike, roach, chub, tench, eel and perch swam unseen. Overhead, the occasional geese honked as grass whispered in the wind.

Long ago, the sea lapped the base of Pevensey Castle. Today it lies a mile away, edged back by centuries of land reclamation and natural processes. But freshwater still shapes life here.

a group of people wearing hats in a community orchard

Quinces and Pippin apples growing in a community orchard across from Pevensey Castle.
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Rare and at-risk

Not all life is as easy to see. The lapwing, once common, is now red-listed in the UK. The yellow wagtail and snipe have also become rarer. In still corners, the great silver water beetle, shining ram’s-horn snail and fen raft spider continue their quiet existence.

Amphibians such as the great crested newt, which moves among aquatic plants and is protected under UK and EU law, rely on clean water, as do elusive barbastelle bats and water voles that slip silently through the reeds.

All are vulnerable to pollution, especially from the 77 combined and emergency sewer overflows mapped within the Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels catchment.

Robert McGowan and Andrew Durling walking across grassy levels, carrying walking sticks with group of walkers following

Andrew Durling (right) and Robert McGowan (left) led the walk across the Levels.        
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Guardians of the Levels

In response, conservation efforts have arisen. Formed in 2018, the Pevensey Levels Farmers Cluster Group (PLFCG), a sixty-strong coalition, supported by the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund has worked to restore balance through sustainable land management.

SWT, with its 150-hectare reserve purchased in 1996, partners with PLFCG to deepen that work. Through its Network for Nature project, ditches are reprofiling, culverts set, scrapes formed, shallow pools to welcome waterbirds and deeper ponds dug.

As SWT’s Jamie Parsons describes it, this is a reserve alive with “rare species such as the Fen Raft Spider, at least 25 rare aquatic molluscs, 16 species of Odonata such as Hairy Dragonfly, along with a huge number of rare aquatic invertebrates and plants.”

We met Martin Hole, owner of Montague Farm, National Farmers Union South East chair and co-founder of the PLFCG. A lapwing conservationist and lover of rooks, he spoke of water levels, habitat and the land’s slow healing.

In a field of Martin’s, a sea of almost 4,000 green-winged orchids bloomed among 20 grass species. Considered “near threatened” in the UK, they’ve returned with quiet determination, living proof of what patient care can restore.

As the walk neared its end, a fork in the path offered two choices, one toward the local pub, the other back to the railway station and modern life. The group parted gently, with the low sun stretching shadows over the grass.

 

Behind us, the Levels lay calm, echoing with birdsong, holding centuries of memory and the fragile promise of continued renewal.

Martin Hole talks about biodiversity, conservation and farming on the Pevensey Levels.
PhotoCredit: Sam Powell.

field of many different grasses with hundreds of wild purple orchids between the grasses

Green-winged orchids
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

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Eastbourne campaigners call for year-round seawater testing

Eastbourne campaigners call for year-round seawater testing

By Sam Powell

On 17th May 2025, dozens gathered on Eastbourne’s beach by the Wish Tower as part of a national “Paddle Out” protest by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), calling for action on sewage pollution and year-round water testing. Eastbourne’s demonstration, one of 43 nationwide, was organised by Plastic Free Eastbourne, founded by Oliver Sterno in 2018 and designated SAS’s seventh “Plastic Free Community” in 2019.

Local voices urge change

Campaigners want the Environment Agency (EA) to extend water testing off Eastbourne’s beaches beyond the May-September bathing season, citing increased year-round sea swimming, health and environmental risks from contamination.

“We are here for the same reason, and that is because we want to see our oceans and our health protected,” said Emma O’Neill of SAS. “The water system in this country is broken, and now is the time to call for change.”

Emma referenced EA data indicating an increase in “spill” discharge hours across England in 2024. Combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharge reached a record total of 3,614,427 hours, an increase of 8,558 hours (0.22%) compared to the previous year (The Rivers Trust).

“This is simply not good enough, and pollution for profit must stop, and that’s why we’re here today,” Emma added, citing figures available through the Top of the Poops database and UK Parliament stats, showing that Southern Water released untreated sewage for 304,537 hours in 2024, a reduction of 4% compared to 2023, across 29,355 CSOs.

While seawater quality in Eastbourne was rated “good” in 2024, Southern Water still released untreated sewage 91 times, lasting a total of 617 hours, which is a decrease from 2023’s 108 releases lasting a total of 754 hours, and an increase from 2022’s 434 hours. However, this does not cover “spills” from inland pipes into rivers.

“We want the quality to be good all through the year,” Oliver Sterno added. “They test it from May; they should test it in the winter months as well, because we have swimmers here all year round.”

Currently, only citizen science fills the year-round testing gap. More than 30 swimmers were preparing to enter the sea, and just two said it was their first dip that year, highlighting the year-round use. Before they entered, Emma declared: “Our message really is clear, cut the crap and end the sewage scandal.”

Onshore, protesters chanted:

“What do we want? Clean waters!
When do we want it? Now!
Stop the scum, clean the tides!
No more sewage, no more lies!”

A large group of people holding banners, paddleboards and canoes. Some are holding oars. Banners have slogans including "stop the sewage scandal", "end this shit show", "save our oceans"

Surfers Against Sewage “Paddle Out” event, Eastbourne, 17 May, 2025.
Photo credit: Sam Powell

Chris Mason and Oliver Sterno holding a cardboard banner with the words "The Big Turd Paddle Out". Behind them is a green sea, people swimming and canoeing and the end of Eastbourne pier with its golden dome.

Oliver Sterno (right) and Chris Mason (left).
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

The sea remained relatively calm for Eastbourne’s 2025 “Paddle Out” event.       
Photo credit: Sam Powell

Policy Reform and Accountability​

Emma O’Neill also highlighted some progress. Since 2017, Southern Water has not paid shareholder dividends, and the Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, is reviewing the sector, inspiring SAS’s ‘Dear Jon’ campaign.

The Water Special Measures Act 2025 also introduces:

  • Criminal liability for environmental breaches
  • Penalties
  • Bonus bans for underperformance
  • Independent real-time sewage outflow monitoring
  • Mandatory Pollution Incident Reduction Plans

It came into force on June 6th, immediately blocking bonuses for 10 executives across six firms, including Southern Water. Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Water company bosses, like anyone else, should only get bonuses if they’ve performed well, certainly not if they’ve failed to tackle water pollution.”

Real-time Event Duration Monitoring has also been in place since 1 January 2025 under Section 81 of the Environment Act 2021.

Three women holding cardboard banners with the slogans "Incompootence", "End this shit show", "Water slaughter", "Stop the sewage scandal", "Dirty Poolitics"

Jill Shacklock (pictured left) and Robert McGowan of EEAN joined the event, as did Cllr Ali Dehdashty, (then) Mayor Cllr Candy Vaughan and Cllr Andy Collins.
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Southern Water's plans for Eastbourne

Of four local coastal outflows, three already meet the 2050 target stating that “Storm overflows will not be permitted to discharge above an average of 10 rainfall events per year by 2050” as outlined in the government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan.

The company has pledged £21.36 million for post-2030 upgrades to Eastbourne Wastewater Treatment Works 1, located roughly 2.5 miles offshore, to boost storage and treatment capacity to meet these targets.

A poster outside the Eastbourne Wastewater Treatment Works. It has recently also come under fire due to unpleasant smells in the area.           
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Victorian infrastructure and systemic challenges

Companies cite Victorian infrastructure, increased use, rainfall, and pump failures as reasons for raw sewage release during heavy rain to prevent home backflows, such as the 16 incidents recorded in the Pevensey and Cuckmere catchment in 2019-2020 (see p. 10).

However, campaigners state concerns about “dry spills” during good weather and a lack of past regulatory action. Critics argue England’s fully privatised water system, unique globally, is ill-equipped to tackle these systemic issues. As Parliament noted in 2018, “England is the only country to have fully privatised its water and sewerage system.” With around 15,000 storm overflows in England, pressure for deeper reform is mounting.

Photo of large rocks in foregroound on a pebbled beach. Breakwaters can be seen

Location of Eastbourne’s three main sewage outfall pipes (Langney Point). The other (the rarely used “Granville Road Eastbourne” pipe) is near the Western Lawns.                      
Photo credit: Sam Powell.

Investment and the cost

In 2023, Southern Water CEO Lawrence Gosden said he apologises “that action was not taken sooner on sewage spills in the South-East,” and endorsed Water UK’s industry-wide £10 billion investment plan from 2023 to 2030.

Southern Water alone has pledged £7.8 billion to upgrade services, with £1.5 billion aimed at cutting sewage spills by 8,000 annually by 2035.

But the costs may fall on customers. Ofwat’s David Black warned of rising bills in late 2024.       A 2022 government press release spoke of the difficulties of achieving the ideal solution of separating rainwater and sewage pipes. It stated it “would cost between £350 billion and £600 billion,” while alternative solutions involving storage tanks could cost £160 – £240 billion, all impacting consumer bills.

As the push for cleaner seas continues, progress is steady but costly, reigniting debate over regulation, historic underinvestment and the case for public ownership.

Recommended sewage maps available to the public

Maps to check CSO releases:

Map for advice on bathing:

Maps for planned upgrades and release data:

Oliver Sterno (right) and Chris Mason (left) at the “Paddle Out” Protest. 
PhotoCredit: Sam Powell.

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New Houses need more Solar Panels

What a wasted opportunity! Thousands of new houses are being built in South Wealden without enough solar panels. Very similar in Eastbourne where apart from small schemes, houses are being built with either no or inadequate solar. This being the sunniest place in the UK!

Background

The price of solar panels ( Photovoltaic PV) keeps dropping dramatically . So why do local councils not influence builders in making the most of this clean energy?

It would make sense to reduce electricity grid demand by ensuring that all our newly built homes have enough solar panels. This does not appear to be happening. Where they are included, there can be as few as 2 panels and no battery. This would provide up to 1kW. This is barely enough to run a toaster.

Eastbourne’s previous MP, Caroline Ansell, in 2022 backed a bill, to make solar panels mandatory on new homes. “Solar costs have fallen by 50 per cent in the last seven years and I believe it is now the right time to ensure developers put this technology on all new homes. This is a win for homeowners and the planet. Installing solar is green and it will cut energy costs for people when gas and electricity prices are high and will remain so for some time.”

Sunsave says “The benefit of legally mandated solar panels on new builds in the UK would be enormous, and it seems to be on the horizon. However, until that time, it’s crucial that developers refrain from putting a pointlessly small number of solar panels on the roofs of new properties, as this only causes headaches for homeowners further down the line. “

Locally

Hindsland – Eastbourne Road Polegate

Some developers are doing well and some not. Here is an example in Hindsland (Polegate) . There will be 180 houses, where each unit, has around 2 solar panels. Next to it will be Mornings Mill with 800 units. Let us hope this will do better.

In the main picture is an estate in Hellingly. These houses have 4 to 6 panels. However on the other side of the road is a huge estate with next to none.

Building Regulations

So solar panels aren’t compulsory on new builds. They have become a common way for developers to meet certain building regulations. Many builders choose to install them in order to meet the required SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) score for energy efficiency.

By incorporating solar panels in the roof, developers enhance the property’s energy performance and raise their SAP score. This score is a calculation of its energy cost performance and renewable energy sources. Each building’s SAP score is then used in its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating.

SAP scores are on a scale of 1 to 100+ with higher scores indicating better energy efficiency and less environmental impact. A score of over 100 would mean that the property’s net cost of energy over the year is nil, perhaps due to exporting back to the grid.

According to the UK Government’s most recent survey, the average SAP rating was less than 70 points. So how do developers get a higher score?

      • Walls, roofs, and floors are well-insulated
      • High-efficiency boilers or heat pump
      • Solar panels
      • Using double/ triple-glazed windows LED lighting
      • Mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR)
      • Less heat loss by design & construction
      • Smart thermostats & heating controls

So solar panels are just one way to increase the score. But adding only 2 panels can have negative effects. One common problem is that developers don’t use all the available roof space. The property gets a higher SAP score but with only a few panels the actual impact on energy bills is negligible.

This can then create challenges if the homeowner decides to expand their solar panel system. Sometimes the original panels might be sunk into the roof and will need to be removed, to allow for a larger system, which adds to the total cost.

From the house to the Power Grid is becoming bi-directional (From Octopus )

Often the developers will provide an EV charger, for each house, but this will need to use the national grid . What a waste ! When more panels and batteries could result in free power. The idea of ‘National Grid 2.0’ allows for electric cars with solar panels and a battery, to export excess energy and provide enough household energy for up to a week.

Conclusion

Many developers appear to be installing as few solar panels as possible. This will not support net zero.  There should be a minimum number. Perhaps  4 panels  in a ‘standard house’ with even  more in larger ones.

Paul Humphreys – EEAN Transport Group

 

growing food in a changing climate: a community garden view

Some of us from the Eastbourne Eco Action Network team paid a visit to the Gather Community Garden at the Churchdale allotments in Eastbourne recently and had a chat with the team there about how they deal with some of the impacts of climate change on their site. The community garden is well-managed with a large team of volunteers busily looking after a wide variety of food crops, with much of the surplus distributed to foodbanks and community fridges across the town, helping to alleviate food insecurity locally through a steady supply of fresh, organic, nutritious fruit and vegetables.

What emerged from the chat was that the garden experiences growing problems from both the stronger winds and more intense rainfall events that climate change is bringing to the local area. The winds can now be so strong that the roofs of various wooden structures around the site may be blown off at times, or the structures themselves might be blown over, resulting in much maintenance work to repair and reinforce those structures. The wind effect is most pronounced on the side of the site most exposed to the wind because of a lack of trees on that side, but the opposite side of the site is bounded by a line of very tall trees, providing good wind protection on that side.

section of garden where flooding is most severe

More significantly, the site experiences severe flooding at times, especially as the site is very much in the Eastbourne Levels, a low-lying area of town almost at sea-level and therefore difficult to drain fast enough during periods of intense rainfall. The solution that the garden is seeking is the insertion of a French drain alongside one side of the site, then linking that drain to a drainage ditch (the Horsey Sewer) just outside the entrance to the site. This ditch is part of a vast network of drainage ditches that help to drain the Eastbourne and Pevensey levels, which receive a huge volume of water from the many rivers and streams flowing into them throughout the water catchment area. Indeed, without this drainage network, the Eastbourne Levels would revert to becoming the marshland it once was centuries ago.

a diagram of a traditional French drain

According to Wikipedia, “A French drain (also known by other names including trench drain, blind drain, rubble drain, and rock drain) is a trench filled with gravel or rock, or both, with or without a perforated pipe that redirects surface water and groundwater away from an area. The perforated pipe is called a weeping tile (also called a drain tile or perimeter tile). When the pipe is draining, it “weeps”, or exudes liquids. It was named during a time period when drainpipes were made from terracotta tiles. French drains are primarily used to prevent ground and surface water from penetrating or damaging building foundations and as an alternative to open ditches or storm sewers for streets and highways. Alternatively, French drains may be used to distribute water, such as a septic drain field at the outlet of a typical septic tank sewage treatment system. French drains are also used behind retaining walls to relieve ground water pressure”.

But the garden is waiting for permission from the Environment Agency for permission to connect the French drain to the drainage network, as the agency has the ultimate responsibility for the network and controls the water quality as well as maintaining the many pumps and sluice gates that regulate the flow of water through the network. This permission is essential before work on installing the drain can begin (assuming sufficient funds can be raised for this project).

Whilst we were at the garden, we talked to a volunteer about his work and discovered that one of the problems the site experiences in very hot summers is the soil drying out and becoming very hard, making it difficult to break up when preparing a new growing bed. There is plenty of mains water on site so watering the rowing beds is not an issue (apart from the labour involved!),  so there is not an emphasis on having lots of rainwater butts on site like we saw on other sites like the forest garden in Pevensey, which lacks mains water. However, the volunteer did report that he would like to see a large water container sunk into the ground on site to store water so as to reduce the amount of walking from the mains water pipes outside site to the growing beds.

Bus Lane Consultation – Seaside and St Anthony’s

Introduction

Guest Blog by David Everson – Chair of the EEAN Transport Group

Information for those wishing to complete the ESCC Bus Priority Measures consultation for Seaside and St Anthony’s, Eastbourne, which closes on 18th August 2024.

The consultation documentation can be found by following the link below.
Bus Priority Consultation

The EEAN Transport Group support the revised proposals for Bus Priority Measures and would encourage as many people as possible to support the plans in a positive way.

As we look to the future, we need to encourage the use of mass transport systems such as buses to reduce congestion on our roads. Bus can be used by most people including the young and old who are not able to drive a car, or other sections of the community who cannot afford to drive.

Key points 

  • The plan to spend £3 million is a significant investment for Eastbourne and will help the town move towards sustainable transport in the long term.
  • The plan will reduce bus journey times through the proposed bus lane area particularly at peak times making bus use a more attractive option for travellers.
  • The introduction of several pedestrian crossings will improve pedestrian safety and assist those who walk to bus stops.
  • The bus lanes will take up some road space and the amount of parking along Seaside will be reduced. However, surveys carried out by ESCC indicate that sufficient parking will remain for both residents and local businesses.
  • Traffic flow through the project area will be eased and so reduce congestion along Seaside and St Anthony’s. This will make buses more reliable.
  • If passenger numbers increase due to the bus priority measures, then bus companies will be more likely to invest in more buses on routes.
  • If buses are not hindered by congestion, then it is much more likely that bus companies will invest in electric buses which will assist in efforts to decarbonise our transport and improve air quality.
  • There is no evidence that the introduction of a bus lane will damage the viability of local businesses, in fact studies have shown that bus lanes can increase footfall for businesses along routes.
  • Eastbourne is one of the most car dependant towns in the South East of England and the provision of bus lanes will encourage people on to the buses.

ecotransportgp@gmail.com
August 2024

 

growing food in a changing climate: a community centre view

Eastbourne Food Partnership’s community engagement stall.

At a recent community fair at the Langney Community Centre, at which the Eastbourne Food Partnership ran a community engagement stall with regards to the new community garden being developed outside the centre, I chatted with Martin Hills, the gardener employed part-time by the centre to help design and develop the community garden on land owned by Eastbourne Borough Council. Martin is a qualified permaculture designer and is applying his knowledge of permaculture design principles to help design the community garden, which is about 0.75 acres in size. As he says in his garden plan: “The aim is for a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem that meets the needs of its inhabitants – including human. To this end, it will be a place where people want to be, a place of beauty, a place that appeals to all the senses, a place where some human food can be grown, a place to play, a place to sit and quietly reflect, a place to connect with Nature”.

Martin Hills with his community garden design.
Martin standing in front of the community garden.

As the garden design incorporates vegetable beds already partly prepared, and an orchard already under development, as well as a forest garden that would contain plants that can be foraged, I asked Martin about how the food growing systems in the garden would cope with the extreme weather events now more frequently occurring as climate change accelerates. He replied that the key is diversity of planting and designing in resilience to the garden. The greater the diversity of food crops and plants grown within the garden, the more likely that there would be some crops in any year that would survive extreme weather events, even if other crops failed in that year, something that would have to be expected and accepted to some extent as climate change progresses. Increasing the chance of survivability would be made possible by the extensive use of no-dig methods, deep-rooting plants (especially perennials), and cover-mulching (with compost and humus produced on-site) to protect the stability and quality of the soil as well as ensuring enough drainage to prevent the soil from either drying out too much or becoming too wet. The site is on a slope, and elevated above the Eastbourne floodplain, so it does not suffer the kind of extensive flooding during extreme rainfall events that, for example, some of the allotments sites in the lower part of town do.

Google satellite image of Langney community garden.

The addition of forest gardening principles within the garden also helps as it increases biological sustainability and plant diversity, attracts pollinators and other beneficial wildlife, helps keep pests and diseases under control, and provides leaf litter, leading to increased nutrient resistance and drought resistance (particularly useful given that Eastbourne is in a  water-stressed area and increasingly severe droughts are a feature of climate change in the south east of England). This helps to ensure the garden can flourish without large amounts of watering. The other useful feature of forest gardens is that they also allow for continual food output without annual tilling, pesticides, fertilisers, or other high inputs of chemicals or energy. Another good example of how a forest garden works can be seen at the Pevensey & Westham Community Forest Garden, a very short distance away from Langney.

Martin standing next to the copper beech tree in the community garden.

The community garden already has an abundance of mature trees around the edges, including a magnificent copper beech tree providing valuable cool shade. There are also some new tree saplings planted by Treebourne, which will provide valuable shade along the side of the garden next to the road. Trees help protect young crops by providing wind-shelter against winter storms and cooling shade during summer heatwaves, invaluable as the UK now experiences warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers.

Martin explained that, as the community garden develops, whatever surplus food is produced by it will be directed to the foodbank and community larder hosted by the Langney Community Centre each week, helping to ensure that there is a regular, fresh supply of healthy organic fruit, nuts, and vegetables  to supplement surplus food brought in from elsewhere. This will help to build local food security and food resilience in Langney, one of the relatively more deprived areas of Eastbourne, and this is so important given that national and international food supply chains are increasingly coming under stress due to the impacts of climate change.

Martin at the edge of the circular lawn.

The creation of a large, circular lawn in the centre of the garden would facilitate outdoor community gatherings as well as workshops to educate local people about matters such as foraging, crop processing, plant identification, etc. The Langney Community Centre is keen to facilitate this education, as evidenced by the explanatory signs in the Edible Garden already developed on a small patch of land immediately in front of the centre and maintained by a keen band of volunteers.

Martin’s top tip for growers is to avoid digging the soil as much as possible, as digging disturbs the soil life that is essential for good plant growth and efficient drainage.

 

 

 

growing food in a changing climate: an allotment view

Pevensey Bay is a low-lying coastal community in East Sussex, next-door to the large resort town of Eastbourne. The shingle bank along Pevensey Bay’s seafront provides protection from the strong storm surges that often come its way, especially in winter. But the village also experiences flooding inland, as several drainage channels run through it, helping to drain the large water catchment area known as the Pevensey Levels, a freshwater wetland renowned for its wildlife. Because the village is more or less at the level of the high-water mark, the water in the drainage channels can sometimes only be released out to sea when the ebb tide falls below the level of the water in those channels, which can be very full in periods of intense rainfall, periods which will become ever more frequent and intense as anthropogenic climate change accelerates. This can lead to the channels overflowing their banks at times.

flooding in winter of 2023-24

To explore this phenomenon further, following on from my previous investigation on climate change impacts on local food growing, in collaboration with the Eastbourne Food Partnership, I paid a visit in June 2024 to some allotments at Pevensey Bay owned by Pevensey Parish Council, situated off Waverley Gardens. These allotments are next to the Salt Haven, one of the main drainage channels running through the village, and therefore had a history of flooding incidents. From my conversations with some of the allotment holders on site, it was clear that many of the allotments there are flooded at least once every year, but that the winter of 2023-24 was the worst in living memory for flooding, as there were about 4 or 5 very severe flooding incidents. Not all the site gets flooded, as about half the allotments are on higher ground as much of the site slopes gently upwards from the Salt Haven. But all those allotments that back directly onto the haven do flood every year.

fruit trees next to Salt Haven

The main impact of the flooding is that growing vegetables is pretty much impossible in winter on the areas that do flood, but it was noticeable that there were many large, mature fruit trees and bushes on the areas that experienced flooding every year, and that they seemed to be flourishing, with plenty of fruit developing on them, which seemed to indicate a high degree of tolerance to the flooding than if vegetables were planted, perhaps indicating how the allotment holders had adapted to such flooding by earmarking those areas just for fruit growing. Certainly the allotment holders I spoke to were phlegmatic about the flooding situation, accepted that only fruit trees were capable of surviving the flooding and just planned most of their vegetable growing higher up on the slope above the flooding level. But they reported that because there had been so much rain over the previous winter, the whole site was so waterlogged that most vegetable planting had to be significantly delayed until May, shortening the growing season quite considerably. The difficulties for growers on the site is reflected in the fact that the rental charges for the allotments are much lower than on other allotments in the area, especially in Eastbourne. However, it was clear from my site visit that, once planting had finally got under way, the productivity of the site appeared to be high, with most allotment plots demonstrating a healthy abundance and growth of crops.

pipe outlet that exacerbates allotment flooding

One allotment holder was keen to show me a drainage pipe outlet that was below the haven bank as it apparently aids the flooding of the site by allowing the water to flow easily onto the site well before the haven breaks it banks, leading to a much more rapid and more frequent flooding of the site than perhaps should be the case. It appears that there is no tide flap (or the tide flap is damaged or malfunctioning) on the haven side of the pipe to shut off the flow when the water level in the haven rises above the level of the pipe. I heard that there are probably several other similar pipes on site within the bank undergrowth with the same or similar issues, which has been raised by some allotment holders with the local Environment Agency staff to no avail apparently.

view of Salt Haven from allotments bank
view of Salt Haven from allotments bank

It does raise the possibility of whether a survey could be done at some point (perhaps by the Blue Heart Project  or an organisation funded by it?) to investigate what kind of pipe drainage does actually exist along the Salt Haven and how it affects water levels both within the haven and beyond its banks. Such a survey would presumably involve extensive clearing of the undergrowth along the bank to check where the pipes are and what condition they are in. But it would perhaps generate valuable data about how the haven actually functions in a critical stretch of it before it reaches the sea, and also create more accurate data about how fluvial flooding impacts Pevensey Bay generally, as many of the gardens elsewhere in the village also experience flooding from the drainage channels.

growing food in a changing climate: a forest garden view

The impacts of climate change are becoming ever clearer and more damaging as the years go by. One of the most significant impacts is on the way we grow food. As climate scientists predicted, UK winters are becoming warmer and wetter, and last winter was no exception, resulting in significant crop losses for UK farmers. It also resulted in greater difficulties for local growers in the Eastbourne area, such as smallholders, allotment holders, community gardens, etc, especially as intense rainfall events led to flooding issues on many growing spaces, followed by weeks of very sodden ground that made any work very challenging. The need for growers to adapt to a rapidly changing climate is becoming ever more acute.

in response, the Eastbourne Eco Action Network has begun a collaboration with the Eastbourne Food Partnership, supported by the Blue Heart project, to survey the ways in which local growers are responding to the challenges of growing food despite the impacts of climate change and investigate how such growers can be better supported in their climate adaptation efforts.

One such local growing project is the Pevensey & Westham Community Forest Garden, which has been running for the last 8 years, planting many fruit and nut trees and bushes on land that had fallen out of active management for many years, becoming an unkempt and overgrown scrub and woodland in the process. The volunteers that run the forest garden report that they have not experienced any significant drop in fruit and nut production even during intense heatwaves or periods of intense rainfall, primarily because:

  • the site is very well-drained, being in the Pevensey Levels where the extensive network of deep and wide drainage channels is carefully monitored to ensure water levels in the channels are kept at stable levels with no flooding onto adjacent land (the Langney Sewer runs alongside the forest garden but has never flooded onto it).
  • the site is protected by shading from an extensive tree canopy that keeps the forest garden cool enough during heatwaves, reduces water evaporation from the soil and ground cover, and protects young plants against strong winds during winter storms.
community orchard site next to Pevensey Castle

The forest garden volunteers point out that, by contrast, a community orchard they have been developing in the last few years on an exposed site next to Pevensey Castle, a short distance away from the forest garden, did suffer a big drop in fruit production in 2022 during the intense summer heatwave that resulted in the UK reaching a temperature of 40 degrees C for the first time ever. The relative lack of tree cover for the orchard, compared to the forest garden, meant that the young fruit trees did not have enough shade, putting them under great stress.

rainwater butts at side of forest garden tool shed

However, the main issue for the forest garden is the lack of any mains water on site, which means that in intense heatwaves and periods of prolonged drought there is no supply of water readily available for any watering needs. This has necessitated the volunteers setting up many water butts and rainwater cisterns on site to capture and store as much rainwater as possible. Rainwater conservation is sure to become ever more important for all growers and gardeners as time goes by, especially as fresh water is generally becoming an ever more scare, and more costly, resource in the water-stressed south-east of England.

Forest gardening is therefore one way in which food growing can be adapted to changing climate conditions. But other local food growing enterprises and communities will be visited over the course of the next few months to discover how they try and  cope with the challenges of climate change and what kinds of help they may need to cope better.

Commenting on Wealden Local Plan

Introduction

Whether you live in Wealden or on the borders of Eastbourne, Lewes or Rother additional housing growth, in the Wealden area, will affect you. So you should comment on the Draft Local Plan.

“Wealden District Council is preparing a new Local Plan. [it] will be the key planning document for Wealden District. Once adopted, the Local Plan will form part of the Development Plan for the District, replacing all existing local plan policies and will be used to assess and make decisions on planning applications.” There will be 16,000 new houses of which around 8,000 have already been planned for .

It is a challenge to go through all the background documentation. The consultation itself is over 200 pages. So this blog has had to be selective. To begin with here are the top 8 areas in terms of new housing

Most of this will be in South Wealden and especially on the borders of Eastbourne. From this table you can see that much of the local area is already ‘confirmed’. In Willingdon for example all the space is already committed apart from some ‘windfall’. So you may feel it is too late. This is not the case. Within the plan are some policies that have some merit and these should be supported.

Here are some links you will need . The Wealden Local Plan itself including a short video . Then the Consultation Portal – Where you create an account and add comments

Background

The lack of a local plan has made Wealden vulnerable to developers who were likely to win, if they appealed, when their planning submission was rejected. With a plan the council has more control of where housing can go. Without a plan the growth of housing could be higher. If there is a proposed housing development ,that you do not agree with, then you can highlight this in your submission, ideally linking it to the relevant policy.

One of the key concerns is the transport infrastructure. Before reading the rest of the blog you may wish to read this blog, on how over optimistic future predictions , are used by councils and developers to the detriment of residents.

Discussions with relevant district officers, councillors and directors suggest there may be residents who do not support a greener and more active travel agenda . Therefore it is important to support these policies and schemes.

Below are a number of the key chapters in the consultation that are worth commenting on. :-

Chapter 3 is Vision and Objectives

Suggest you strongly support “Sustainable and active travel’ but make points as to how this is not being addressed.

There has been no evidence of any increase in public transport, wheeling, cycling and walking. Many County, District and Borough plans refer to a planned shift away from cars . This has never been delivered. In fact East Sussex CC has not achieved any change in the mix of transport and total vehicle trips have simply increased

Suggest the need for high level plans across multiple sites. There are many examples where each site has its own access road and no attempt made to have public or active travel routes through these developments . For example at Horsebridge there is an area with over 5 different adjacent estates with no co-ordination of the access across them. A house that you want to visit, maybe only a few hundred meters away, but the car may need to exit one estate and then enter another one. On top of this the connections to the Cuckoo Trail, tell cyclists to dismount and push over 200m on sandy narrow tracks to get to the estates. Discriminatory especially to those who use mobility scooters, elderly or with heavy e-bikes

There needs to be a clear strategy to deal with the effect of all this housing growth on the current residents, where the existing streets might have more ‘permeability’ and could then be used as ‘rat runs’.

Plus stress more emphasis needed on actively supporting greater biodiversity, perhaps in adjacent areas, to counteract the consequences of this extra urban housing. Perhaps though Section 106 agreements.

There does not seem to be enough on encouraging reaching net zero through the design of housing in terms of their location and the wider community. This would strongly support higher insulation, solar panels, EV charging and heat pumps

Chapter 4 – Spatial Strategy

Suggest you strongly support “4.18 The benefits of a 20-minute neighbourhood concept are extensive, providing health, social, environmental and economic benefits to people and communities. Additionally, the concept would seek to tackle many of the issues that we need to address through our plan such as reducing carbon emissions, helping people to become more active, reducing mental health issues and loneliness, improving our town and village centres, making our settlements great places to live as well as improving access to affordable healthy food.”

Support the statement in “4.26 East Sussex County Council’s Local Transport Plan 4 Consultation(12) supports the 20-minute neighbourhood or the ‘complete, compact and connected neighbourhood’ approach by providing a shift towards supporting healthy lifestyles by walking, wheeling or cycling and more active travel, as well as through the design of public places and healthy places through integrated neighbourhoods.”

So from the above, mention your support for higher density dwellings in the centres which should have access to a mix of leisure, shopping and business all nearby and accessible by bus or active travel. You could also add support for 20 mph and school streets

Support – “Policy SS9: Health, Wellbeing and Quality of Life”that creates improved connectivity and supports healthier and more active lifestyles

Chapter 5 – ‘Climate Change’

Generally strongly support

CC1 Net Zero Development Standards – New Build. Support Policy but would prefer a clearer steer around residential standards of insulation, solar, batteries and heat pumps. There are no examples locally which could be seen as evidence of the ideal higher standards

CC4 Carbon sequestration, Support Policy but make the point, large areas of land are being urbanised and it is unlikely that sequestration could be achieved in or around the new housing estates

Policy CC5: Renewable and Low Carbon Energy. Agree with the principle of “Support will be given to community led energy schemes where evidence of community support can be demonstrated”

Policy CC6 Water Efficiency . Support the principles though make the point it is partly the cumulative effect of all these new houses which will determine how both water and waste (Southern and South East Water) cope. Some of the pumping stations, pipes and sewage works are already under strain

Policy CC7 Managing Flood Risk. Support the principle though areas such as between Polegate and Willingdon have always been susceptible to flooding. Concreting over will add to the problem across all the low lying estates. Make reference to the work the Environment Agency are undertaking around flooding and rising sea level.

Policy CC8 Sustainable Drainage. Support the principle such as in CC7 but perhaps question whether previous experience shows if this been dealt with in the past

Chapter 9 Infrastructure

Policy INF1 Infrastructure provision, delivery, and funding. “The provision of infrastructure facilities such as those relating to healthcare and education should be provided” Stress there needs to be guarantees of them being built and that you have concerns based on recent sites that the delivery of schools and health centres may not happen. This is due to the higher build costs and the funds that health and education may have. Plus a need to adhere to DfT’s “Guidance on Land Use/Transport Interaction Models”

Policy INF2 Sustainable transport and active travel– Support this policy. However the local housing developments simply fail on the criteria listed. No attempt appears to have new been made to create viable routes through multiple estates . Routes identified in the LCWIP, that are supposed to be on these sites ,have not been taken into consideration. Good examples would be alongside the railway from Hampden Park to Polegate (such as routes 312 and 225). Recent experience shows that proposed bus and cycle lanes are very vulnerable to being dropped through pressure from those who do not support them. They must be installed.

Policy INF5 Safeguarding of Infrastructure– Support the concept but as already mentioned there are many potential active travel routes in LCWIP that have been ignored through planning.

Policy INF8 Open space, sports and recreation provision– Suggest make the point – There are large areas of open land that have been lost and this cannot be rectified by a few small parks

Chapter 10 Design

Policy DE1 Achieving well-designed and high-quality places. Support the aim however challenge most of the new developments. These are car centric, low traffic neighbourhoods that do not allow through traffic. Most of the current developments have similar housing and add very few community buildings. The road layouts are meandering and do not support more direct routes for active travel . They also do not support bus routes and this will mean when funding runs out residents without a car will struggle. Perhaps building housing for elderly people should be closer to amenities and bus routes on main roads. In ‘Manual for Streets’ it explains the consequences of building ‘car-centric’ estates that make active travel within the estate and to other destinations problematic

Closing comments.

Please read any other chapters and additional documents, if you want to look into this plan in more detail. You have until Friday 10th May 2024 to submit your comments

Local Transport Plan 4– Guidance Notes

Introduction

Note- Following comments and feedback new sections have been added, at the end, in indigo – 28/01/24

If you are looking to comment on the East Sussex Local Transport Plan (LTP4), you may find this blog helpful. Hopefully it provides some general guidance. Please remember a short blog cannot address all the issues.

Overall the consultation asks you to score a number of nebulous and intangible statements. For most it is hard to disagree with them. You are asked to provide an overall score on categories that are open to interpretation. These might be  for example – strongly agree, agree …..disagree.

However the questions may cover areas where your response might be more nuanced.

As background you may find this blog on the shortcomings of the consultation process of some relevance.

Governance and Reporting

Most project methodologies such as Prince2 have monitoring, interim targets, reports and exception reporting. Most of these are found in the Council’s Carbon Plan .

Section 9. Governance “ Provide oversight of the delivery of the action plan .. Annual reporting to Cabinet and full County on progress “

For transport an equivalent could be modal share. (The split between cars, walking, cycling ,bus and rail). This could be either around private transport (70%) or perhaps for active travel (walking, wheeling, cycling and buses) (20%). Other metrics such as the share of EVs or carbon footprints are perhaps down to national policy.

There were predicted modal share changes, in LTP3,  but there appears to be no review undertaken. It is also normal for plans and projects to have a ‘lesson learnt’ process at the end. So for LTP4 , following the approach elsewhere , there should be:-

•  5 year interim targets. With perhaps one or two clear definable metrics.
•  Review every 2 years
• Description of the new projects for the following 2 years.

This is described in Theme A Section 4.3 “potentially suitable KPIs [ Key Performance Indicators] …. We will establish appropriate governance to oversee the development, delivery and benefits realisation arising from schemes and policies included in this strategy.”

Action – Request that the governance, reporting and targets are more clearly stated

Modal Shares

In the plan there are a number of scenarios provided. All of them are compared to a 2050 ‘Business as Usual’ scenario . This one below is one of the more ‘optimistic’ of them. All have, to some extent, fewer cars trips and more active travel

You may want to consider, as stated in LTP4, that cycle journeys are recently down. Bus journeys are still not at pre-pandemic levels and the plans for bus lanes have been severely scaled back. There has never been any evidence, of a long term reduction, in the modal share and total trips for cars. This is excluding systemic changes resulting from Covid.

The blog on the dangers of unverifiable modelling may be of interest

Action. Ask for more information how the ‘numbers’ behind the scenarios can be validated

Change of Approach by the Council

Campaigners have seen no evidence, of a change in mindset, as suggested by the LTP4 vision. This month the local bus lane plans have been severely reduced, 20 mph schemes are not considered for wide areas, cycle schemes remain very low, but a priority around cars and large road schemes remains in place

Here is an example from Transport Scotland for a clear direction to reduce national car kilometres by 20%.

“The route map does not aim to eliminate all car use. We recognise that would not be realistic or fair, especially for journeys undertaken by disabled people or in rural areas where sustainable travel options may not always be available or practical. Rather, the route map encourages all of us to reduce our over reliance on cars wherever possible and identifies four key behaviours that we want everyone in Scotland to consider each time we plan a journey:

• make use of sustainable online options to reduce your need to travel;
• choose local destinations to reduce the distance you travel;
• switch to walking, wheeling, cycling or public transport where possible;
• combine a trip or share a journey to reduce the number of individual car trips you make, if the car remains the only feasible option.”

Action – Ask how the council officers and councillors intend to change their approach to transport to support the scenarios they outline in the Plan.

Pollution and Decarbonisation

There are those who think that the issue of carbon can be addressed by a shift to Electric Vehicles (EVs).  Instead of the LTP’s ‘People and Places’ the alternative of ‘Avoid Shift Improve’ is much more focussed on active travel, de-carbonisation and alternatives to the private car, even if electric.

For parking perhaps propose charges based on either CO2 or else around the size of the vehicle. You may also wish to comment on the extra journeys generated through the proposed large road schemes, such as the ‘duelled’ A27.

One aspiration, featured in this and the previous LTP, was linking ‘Land Use Planning’ and Transport. There is very little evidence for recent housing developments that this is being take seriously.

Action – If you want to encourage less polluting vehicles then ask how they will be encouraged ( E-bikes, e-scooters, and smaller greener cars)

Action – Ask for ESCC to be more positive in planning applications in supporting active travel and buses in the large car-centric housing developments especially in South Wealden.

Cycling and Walking

The Plan has many references to more walking, wheeling and cycling. However consider from data provided by ESCC, only £165k has been spent, on cycle infrastructure in the last 4 years.

Contrast this with 6.61 “Reviewing and delivering the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan – which includes a robust pipeline of deliverable active travel schemes for networks and places – ensuring a balance of schemes to support walking, wheeling and cycling.”

Whatever is written in the LCWIP and in the Council’s budget book, the actual spend on cycling is negligible. The plan ’admits’ that those cycling once a month, in the county, have dropped, in 5 years, from 15% to 10% and is now well below the England average

In terms of walking there has been progress . However  schemes that might help active travel such as 20 mph, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods , modal filters and School Streets require a change in approach from officers and councillors.

Action 1) Ask for evidence of investment, not from the Budget Book, but of actual schemes they will build.

Action 2) In the Health Impact Assessment how the general health of the population will be prioritised . This is around reducing obesity, lack of exercise and multiple chronic conditions

Scenarios

The problem of predicting future levels of traffic, is that even with no interventions, the  so called ‘Business as Usual’ (BAU) in 2050, is different to now. Here is an example from Transport for South East ( TfSE). This is

from their BAU of 2050.  Then the various others scenarios are on top of this. In other words how much the trip balance will change, from BAU, with various interventions. (Note the icon with a cycle is for walking as well)

So the BAU is likely to be similar for East Sussex.  Here are various scenarios from LTP4. Unless one of them is chosen then there is no effective track on progress. This may suit the Council as no real accountability exists. Plus  the option of having 5 year reviews is then less valid. 

Targets

Once an agreed scenario, as above, is agreed there has to be a clear plan to get there. This is called ‘backcasting’ and is the opposite of forecasting. (How do we get there v what might happen). In the image below it shows how it should be broken down into smaller time periods. Perhaps every 5 years.

So in LTP4 there are many schemes and policies but there is no guidance, for readers, as to what would deliver the most change. During the initial workshops there were requests, to provide details as to how the algorithms generated the various scenarios . Otherwise it is a ‘black box’ with outputs that the public have to take on trust. Change would partly be achieved  by the schemes and projects listed in LTP4. (Of course some change will also be through National Government). Otherwise you may mention, in your consultation reply,   certain schemes that sound good to you, but actually  deliver less, in terms of overall change,  than another good alternative. 

The targets could include :-

  • modal shares
  • pollution NOx PMx
  • road traffic incidents
  • children specific  – such as trips to school
  • transport poverty of each council , (that shows Eastbourne to be nearly the worst in the South of England.)

Ideally ones that are already recorded and for which there are comparisons across the UK. 

Cars

If the most important consideration is reducing carbon then moving from the ‘Internal Combustion’ to Electric Vehicles will do this. Especially within the county where the manufacture and disposal is elsewhere as is most of the  electricity production. 

However cars are getting bigger and heavier each year. ( 0.5 cm wider p.a) . They no longer fit in car parking places.  Brakes and tyres create PM2.5 pollution. When in the road they make passing harder and this increases congestion and road damage. Smaller, lighter cars need to be encouraged. Currently an EV charged at home is cheap per mile and this may encourage even more road miles.  If you think road charging might reduce congestion look at this report .  As mentioned earlier ‘Avoid Shift Improve’ would encourage alternatives such as more micro-mobility. 

Paul Humphreys EEAN -Transport Group

Gatwick Airport Expansion Plans

Speech at Eastbourne Borough Full Council Meeting

Background:

Gatwick airport have requested Eastbourne Council’s support for their plans to expand the airport capacity from 46 to 80 million passengers a year. Eastbourne’s Scrutiny Committee met with representative of Gatwick Airport to question them over their plans.

The Recommendation of the Scrutiny Committee to the Full Council was as follows:

1. Makes any support for Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway Project conditional on Gatwick Airport’s production and pursuit of a credible plan, in partnership with its Scope 3 stakeholders, to work towards carbon neutrality across its Scope 3 emissions by 2030.

2. Calls on any Government to mandate a faster transition to low-carbon aircraft fuels, and to provide meaningful support to the fuel industry, airlines, manufacturers and other aviation industry stakeholders to achieve this.

Speech by David Everson: Chair EEAN Transport Group to the Full Council

The Scrutiny Committee propose you let the airlines and Gatwick airport  work towards carbon neutrality by 2030 and that you encourage government to support a faster transition to sustainable flying.

On the Gatwick Website it states that the UK Sustainable Aviation Industry has a road map for net zero by 2050 not 2030!

The government’s own official advisor, the Climate Change Commission, has stated ‘that the 6th Carbon Budget set for the government will be breached if net airport expansion is not significantly constrained.’

What is special about the 6th Carbon Budget? It covers the period 2033 -2037. Why will the Carbon budget be breached? Because for the first time the UK will have to start to include all the CO2e emitted by international flights leaving the UK.

The Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, this month, published the UK’s Greenhouse gases emissions. It showed that the UK produced 427 million tonnes of CO2e, of this the airline industry was responsible for about 2% of the emissions due primarily to domestic flights.

It is important to note these figures do not include any international aviation emissions for flights leaving the UK. If they were, it would add another 37M tonnes of CO2e to the total, this would bring the total figure for aviation to a staggering 10% of all the UK’s annual emissions.

So the CCC are saying to the Government do not allow airports to expand if you want to meet your Carbon budget.

What about improvements to make the aviation industry more sustainable

Sustainable fuel for example.. – At the World Economic Forum in Davos January this year, the corporate signatories of ‘Clean Skies for Tomorrow’ pledged to…… ‘achieve sustainable aviation fuel blend of 10% in global jet fuel supply by 2030. … That means by 2030 – 90% of aviation fuel will still be  fossil fuels!

The International Energy Authority (IEA) commented in Sept 2022 – ‘renewable synthetic Kerosene is relatively far from commercialisation’

What about improved Aircraft Design

The International Energy Authority (IEA) in Sept 22 talks about better aircraft designs reducing GHG emissions but state… ‘New aircraft are more efficient – but this has been insufficient to keep up with growth demand’.

What about Economics

I think the expansion of Gatwick airport will harm Eastbourne’s economy by allowing more Brits to travel abroad rather than staying in the UK to holiday.

Summary

I ask you to publicly and strongly reject Gatwick’s request to support their expansion. To do otherwise would make your declaration of Carbon Neutral 2030 a sham!

The Aviation Industry is not sustainable and will not be for at least a quarter of a century.

David Everson: Chair EEAN Transport Group to the Full Council

 

 

Are you ready for the big E10 Petrol change?

During this summer of 2021, a more eco-friendly fuel will be introduced to UK roads – and it’s a big deal.

During this summer of 2021, a more eco-friendly fuel will be introduced to UK roads – and it’s a big deal.

The standard petrol grade in the UK, currently E5, will change up to E10. It might not sound important to you now, but the E10 switch is a crucial step towards saving our planet. The new change comes after the UK Government took action to achieve net-zero emissions by banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

What is E10 Petrol?

What makes E10 petrol different? Well, to put it simply, E10 petrol contains up to 10% ethanol mixed into the normal petrol. Ethanol is a type of alcohol – the very same that adds flavour to your small glass of beer – and is produced by fermenting plant matter. The current petrol, E5 contains 5% ethanol. The remaining 95% is regular petrol. This is why we call it E5 Petrol!

Why introduce E10 Petrol?

At this point, you may think – so what? However, switching to E10 Petrol is actually a very good idea indeed.

The extra ethanol added to the petrol is a renewable biofuel and so will help us reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels in our car engines. It is possible to run cars entirely on pure ethanol – Brazil was one of the first countries to mass-produce ethanol biofuels, in fact.

The Government hopes that by introducing E10, CO2 emissions will be reduced by up to 750,000 tonnes per year. That’s the same as removing 350,000 cars from our roads!

Will your car be compatible?

You might be worrying about whether or not your own car will be able to run on E10 petrol. Don’t fret! Most petrol vehicles on the road today are fully compatible with E10 petrol.

However, if you own a vehicle or motorcycle which was made before 2011 you will need to check if your vehicle will run on E10. You can find out by visiting the Government’s website.

If your car or motorcycle is not compatible with E10, then E5 will still be available in the ‘super’ grade, which will remain in some filling stations.

Is E10 really that eco-friendly?

There are, unfortunately, some disadvantages. The introduction of E10 will have little effect on air quality issues and drivers may find that their fuel consumption goes up very slightly.

These changes do not apply to diesel fuel. In fact, diesel vehicles currently use B7, which indicates that the fuel contains 7% biodiesel, from renewable sources.

In the end, the very best way to reduce your carbon emissions from transport is to walk, cycle, use public transport or have an electric car that is charged using renewable energy.

David Everson

EEAN Transport Group

Photo credit: Pexel, Pixabay

Electric Vehicle Charging

Currently, most of us are used to buying fuel in litres and we understand range and miles per gallon (mpg). Mainly it is about making sure we do not put the wrong fuel in and finding a petrol station for a top-up. So what are the differences with an EV?

Following the 2030 ban of new sales of diesel and petrol cars would you consider moving over to an electric vehicle (EV)?

Currently, most of us are used to buying fuel in litres and we understand range and miles per gallon (mpg). Mainly it is about making sure we do not put the wrong fuel in and finding a petrol station for a top-up. So what are the differences with an EV?

Research shows that there is a range anxiety with EVs and a lack of knowledge about how to charge them. This blog does not go into too much detail. It is just to get over the basics.

Factors to consider

EV charging comes in both AC (typically lower power and slower) and DC (typically higher power and faster). Plus there are a variety of different cable standards. 

EV cable standards

You also have to consider the following:

  • How large is the car battery? This is vehicle specific and will tend to be larger in bigger cars;
  • How long will it take to charge? This is determined by the charging technology and the design features of the car;
  • Can I just charge at home? This depends on how long the trips are and so may require charging en route. Plus do you have off-road parking?

Perhaps the guideline to remember is the power in kW of the charge point and is directly equivalent to the range added (in miles) per 20 minutes of charging. So as an example using a 7kW point, 1 hour will add around 21 miles (7×3)  range to the battery. Likewise using 50kW would add 150 miles range in an hour. However, the average range will be extended by up to 20% by passengers/load, regenerative braking, and economical driving.

Charge Points

There is a number of different types of the charge points, and here are some from the Eastbourne area:

  • 50KW DC- Rapid Charging
  • 7kW AC – Supermarket
  • 7kW AC – Home

Now lets us look at this typical EV that has these ratings 22kW AC and 50kW DC.

  • 3pin socket at home probably only transfers 3.7kW. Though the car could accept 22kW
  • Standard chargepoint at home has an AC of 7kW even though rated at 22kW
  • Fast charger – triple phase AC 22kW
  • Rapid Charge – DC 50kW

Questions to Ask

Q1 Can all EVs accept all AC powers? – Typically Battery EVs charge at 7 kW AC whilst currently most Hybrid EVs with smaller batteries are limited to 3.7 kW AC.

Q2 Can all EVs accept all  DC powers? – The maximum charging power will depend on the vehicle’s battery management system.  Need to check the car specification.

Q3 Do all EVs have AC and DC charging?  – All EVs have an onboard charger and should be able to convert power from AC. However, some older model cut corners and did not provide  DC charging. 

Q4 What happens if the vehicle charging limit is lower than the ChargePoint power? – The charging power will be reduced as required.

Q5 Will I always get the charging power advertised? – No, sometimes it will be less, especially where all the points are in use.

Finally, where are these charge points? Possibly the best resource is ZapMap. It provides locations and types of chargers. Tells you which payment network you would need to be on. Because there are different connectors between the EU/UK and Japan, it is worth looking at a car you might be interested in and refer to the specifications of the charge points and cables you can use. 

There are other maps, provided by other organisations, but they work in a similar way. For each site, there is a review and the current information if it is in use.

Charge point review

In conclusion, with a bit of research, there is no need for anxiety. The EVs are becoming increasingly popular, and therefore using them is becoming considerably easier.

Paul Humphreys

EEAN Transport Group

Photo credit: Getty Images

What about e-scooters?

The sale of E-scooters is gradually increasing and over the summer it is possible that their popularity will increase even more. There are extensive trials of rental E-scooters taking place across England to assess their suitability for use in towns and cities. The E-scooter is classified as a PLEV, Personal Light Electric Vehicle, a type of motor vehicle.

There are some issues that need to be considered when thinking about the use of E-scooters.

Some rules about E–Scooters

  • E-scooters can be hired in one of the 30 or so permitted towns or cities in England such as Tees Valley, Liverpool, Nottingham and Slough. The number of towns permitting their use is gradually increasing.
  • The E-scooter must have an MOT and be road taxed, the rental company arrange this.
  • To drive an E-scooter you need to have a provisional driving licence as a minimum and be 18 years old.
  • In trial areas they can only be used on the roads (not motorway) and on cycle lanes.
  • They cannot be used on the pavement
  • Privately owned E-scooters (those not hired) cannot be used on the road or the pavement and can only be used on private land with the land owner’s permission.

Safety

  • The E-scooter has a speed limit of 15.5 mph.
  • Only one person may use the hired E-scooter
  • The rider does not need to wear a crash helmet, although they are recommended.
  • In Newcastle, their use has been stopped between 11 p.m and 5 a.m. because of a number of drink driving offences associated with them.
  • There have been concerns where riders have been riding on the pavement where the young, those with poor mobility, eyesight or hearing can be at risk of injury.

Pros

  • As they use electric motors, their use in town centres should improve air quality.
  • Their use could reduce congestion in town centres if people use them instead of cars.
  • Their use could reduce noise pollution in town centres.
  • Their use could reduce CO2 emissions and so help tackle climate change if the energy used for charging is renewable.
  • By allocating road space to scooters and bicycles this could make town centres a more pleasant environment for people to use.
  • If scooter hire is available at transport hubs, such as railway/bus stations, then this may encourage travellers to leave their cars at home and use e-scooters for the last miles to their destination.

Cons

  • At the end of a journey, the scooter is often just left on the pavement causing an obstruction.
  • The rental company that collect the scooters after use often use fossil fuel vehicles, which can cause air pollution and CO2 emissions.
  • The life of a scooter is quite short, 1 to 2 years, which means many have to be repeatedly made and recycled. This process creates CO2.
  • The electricity used to charge them may well not be produced by renewable supplies so their use can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
  • People may prefer to use e-scooters to walking, cycling and using public transport.
  • The E-scooter could have a detrimental effect on taxi use.

David Everson

EEAN Transport Group

Photo credit: Dirk Vorderstraße

One Small Step Toward Big Change

By now we are all versed in the evils of single-use plastic products and their impact on the environment, yet not enough is being done to tackle this issue. Like many, I am disheartened when I walk into a supermarket and see shelves lined with plastic packaging. It’s a big problem, which is why it might seem counterintuitive when I ask you to turn your attention to one small segment of this big problem: packaging of citrus fruits in polypropylene mesh bags. 

Hear me out.

Polypropylene mesh bags are harmful for the environment and for wildlife. Polypropylene is a plastic that has a high rate of degradation when exposed to UV light, leading to the release of dangerous microplastics in our land and oceans. Additionally, prior to and during degradation, these bags are hazardous to wildlife which can become tangled and trapped in their mesh. They also often contain one or more mouldy fruits, leading to both customer dissatisfaction and to increased food waste.

The practice of packaging citrus fruits is completely unnecessary. Citrus fruits have a sturdy rind that makes them ideal for selling and storing loose. There would be no need for a supermarket to invest in more expensive biodegradable packaging as a replacement for the mesh bags, as the fruits could instead be sold individually.   

I am therefore campaigning Morrisons Supermarkets to stop packaging their citrus fruits in polypropylene mesh bags and to sell them loose instead.

While this might seem like a small goal, Morrisons is the fourth largest supermarket chain in the UK with 494 stores in the country. Imagine the impact if 494 stores ceased using these bags to package their lemons, limes, and oranges, and instead sold them loose – it adds up.

Many people have asked why this campaign does not target all supermarkets and all of their produce packaging. I believe that by targeting one supermarket and one unsustainable practice, we are more likely to affect change than asking for a sweeping change across the entire industry. Once we have achieved this one small change, we can use it to leverage Morrisons and other supermarkets to further improve their sustainable practices.

I hope that you will consider joining me by signing the petition and sharing it with your friends, family, and networks in the UK. Together we can achieve this change for the planet and all her creatures.

Sign the Petition

Amber Erwin

Northampton

A message from the guest blogger:

This campaign started two weeks ago when I was doing the shopping at my local Morrisons in Northampton. My usual frustration at seeing the amount of plastic packaging tipped into action when I reflected on how unnecessary it is to package citrus fruits. I went home and began developing a plan of action, starting with this petition.

Although I don’t live in Eastbourne, I am so inspired by the strides made toward carbon neutrality and the community effort that has gone into bringing about change. I believe that it’s exactly the type of effort needed to make this campaign a success. I hope that everyone will spend the 2 minutes it takes to sign and share!

Are Consultations Blocking Progress?

I think everyone is aware that traffic levels appear higher than last year and with all the new housing this will only get worse. At the same time, Eastbourne is committed to a shift towards more walking, cycling and bus journeys. So why is this change not happening?

ESCC Hailsham to Eastbourne Sustainability Corridor

It has been increasingly apparent that consultations and public engagement can result in no change at all.  You may think they are the best example of the democratic decision on the local matters but let us look at the evidence. There are more car users than any other group and many of them will want what they already have. The share of car trips has gone up by 40% since 1981 whilst bus and cycle trips have more than halved.

One of the key reasons that progress is not being made is that even with Covid-19, there is built-in inertia. The car-centric view is simply entrenched across all of East Sussex. So out of all the county’s funded Covid-19 schemes only 2 pedestrian schemes were built. Locally in Eastbourne, everything was eventually dropped “following public consultation”.

Eastbourne Draft Local Plan

There are probably four ways that consultations can be used to reinforce the status quo:

1) Only some key stakeholders are consulted

2) The questions are adapted to fit the agenda

3) The comments are simply counted as for and against.

4) Weightings are used to prioritise certain groups

The Government has said that they want to double cycling numbers by 2025, link future transport funding to current performance and set higher design standards. So for routes, away from the roads, such as Horsey Sewer or Shinewater it is possible to build reasonable shared paths. However, because space is limited in town, and cycling is marginal, either the routes are removed – such as around Terminus Road – or designed to make the least change to the road layout. Currently, there is no cycle route in Eastbourne town centre of sufficient quality to appear on either Google maps or Cyclestreets.

The same issue is true for buses. One of the reasons that there is no local Quality Bus Partnership, which would mean better and greener buses, might be that the road network would need to be re-allocated in favour of buses. That would once again face some resistance through a consultation process. There are indeed some bus lanes being added on the route from Polegate to Eastbourne but they are short and may not make enough difference to get the bus companies to invest.

With the County Council elections coming up,  now is the time to question the candidates. Do not ask if they are in favour of cycling or bus lanes, as nearly everyone says yes. Instead, ask about a specific route that you want and where there are consequences and hard choices to be made.

Paul Humphreys

Bespoke & Cycle East Sussex

Photo: Eastbourne Bespoke cycling group 

Eastbourne Businesses – What Can You Do?

The two biggest uses of carbon are buildings and transport. Energy used in buildings emits 63% of the carbon used in our town. Buildings use energy for electricity for powering lights, computers etc and for heating. Gas heating is in a large percentage of buildings for hot water and heating.

The two biggest uses of carbon are buildings and transport.  

Energy used in buildings emits 63% of the carbon used in our town.  Buildings use energy for electricity for powering lights, computers etc and for heating.  Gas heating is in a large percentage of buildings for hot water and heating.  Gas is a major emitter of carbon in Eastbourne.  By looking at how you use these it is possible to cut energy use.  Your business will be cutting its energy bill and saving money.

In rush hour and other busy times of the day Eastbourne has many traffic jams.  Not only do these waste time, emit a large amount of carbon but stationary cars with engines running emit dangerous compounds which cause air pollution.  Air pollution is a problem in Eastbourne and it causes many people health problems, and premature deaths.  It is in everyone’s interests that traffic pollution is tackled. 

There are three things you can do as a business.

Switch energy supplier

Switch your energy supply to one which provides 100% renewable energy to the national grid.  The price of producing renewable energy has come down considerably in the last few years.  There are some really good deals around at the moment.

Click here to compare companies for renewable electricity contracts for business.

Get an energy audit on your building

Get an energy audit on your building. You can order one for free from East Sussex County Council. There is also a limited amount of money available in the form of a grant to help you reduce your energy costs.  This is available on a first-come-first-served basis.

You can then start to make a plan of how to cut your carbon footprint at your workplace building.  Get some quotes and make a plan. Actions may be something small and inexpensive like replacing all your electric bulbs to LEDs to something which requires more capital such as insulating your building.

Remote Working

Recent recent research by the Herman Miller Insight Group indicates that when asked about where employees want to work:

  • 5% want to be back in the office;
  • 19% love working from home;
  • 53% want to work from home and their normal workplace.

Since the COVID crisis, we have already had many people working from home.  This isn’t practical for all of the time but allowing staff to work at home for some of the time allows staff to achieve a better work/life balance and less stress.  Less people commuting also has environmental impacts. Working flexibly where possible reduces the CO2 emissions from commuting. We recognise this needs an intelligent approach, and to ensure the well being of staff. Read the Home Working Guidance developed by the University of Bristol.

Using Active Transport

For journeys travelling to and from the workplace with a distance of 5 km or less than active transport should be encouraged. Walking or cycling to work not only has great health benefits for the person but fewer cars on the road mean fewer traffic jams for everyone and this in term improves air quality and everyone in Eastbourne benefits.

Take a look at the government’s bike to work scheme.

Or have a look at the Green Commute Initiative which allows for the cost of more expensive e-bikes.

There have been a lot of new ways of transport developed in recent years as alternatives to car transport.  

Learn more about the e-bikes

Here is some really useful information about ebikes

Electric cargo bikes for business

Electric scooters

We are working towards a carbon neutral Eastbourne by 2030.

Miles Berkley

Executive Director, EEAN

Rachel Norris

Workplace Group, EEAN

Government Announces UK is Failing on CO2 Emissions

Eastbourne Borough Council, like many other local authorities, has committed to do all it can to reduce carbon emissions in the town to net-zero by 2030 and has declared a climate emergency. However, much of this cannot be achieved without Government initiatives. Their advisers this week are warning that the UK is falling behind on its own target to cut greenhouse gas emissions and risks an increase in CO2 emissions now that the COVID-19 lockdown is easing.

Eastbourne Borough Council,  like many other local authorities,  has committed to do all it can to reduce carbon emissions in the town to net-zero by 2030 and has declared a climate emergency. However, much of this cannot be achieved without Government initiatives. Their advisers this week are warning that the UK is falling behind on its own target to cut greenhouse gas emissions and risks an increase in CO2 emissions now that the COVID-19 lockdown is easing.

Lord Deben, chair of the committee on climate change (CCC), published its progress report to parliament this week and it states that ministers must act fast to avoid a carbon rebound. Chris Stark, chief executive of the CCC, said: “Without central and integrated leadership we will fail in our task”.

These initiatives would include more active travel, new schemes to insulate homes, raising carbon taxes, switching to electric vehicles and ensuring reliable broadband to allow working from home.

Much of this can be supported by the local authorities. Taken from the best examples in the UK is the Friends of the Earth, Ashden,  31 climate actions for councils. This outlines practical suggestions to reduce carbon at a local level in areas that local authorities have either direct control of or could influence.

So how much progress is being made?  This week the latest CO2 statistics for Local Authorities were published by the Government. Eastbourne, for geographic and industrial reasons, tends to have a lower than average carbon footprint.

The latest data is for 2018 and shows a 1.4% decline from 2017. The carbon footprint for Eastbourne is now 293,000 tonnes per annum or around 3 tonnes per person. This reflects the steady improvement across the UK, over the last 10 years, with less coal and more renewables.  So for example, one challenge for the town is natural gas, which is over 40% of all our carbon emissions.

Locally, as across the rest of the UK, commercial and residential sectors have shown significant reductions with only transport remaining stubbornly at around 80,000 tonnes p.a. The report also states that nearly all of Eastbourne’s footprint is within “the scope of influence of the local authority”.

With 2030 only 10 years away there will need to be a major change in strategy to even begin to approach the net-zero carbon target.

Read Delivering a Better Eastbourne by EEAN Transport Group outlining some suggestions for improving our town’s carbon emissions.

Paul Humphreys

EEAN, Transport Group

Img Veeterzy, Unsplash.

Eastbourne ECO Action Network

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