Our Climate Emergency Action Plan – progress and achievements

The progress of actions in our Climate Emergency Action Plan is monitored regularly with an update published every year.

View the Climate Emergency Action Plan update report for 2024/25 (PDF, 87.6KB)

A summary of progress and achievements in 2024-2025:

• Installing a water filtration system, pool covers and ‘smart’ energy efficient motors at Leisure World Colchester. These projects will contribute to delivering significant energy and water savings.
• Delivering energy efficiency improvements to our managed housing stock to help reduce emissions and energy costs for residents.
  
  We have also installed smart thermostats into some of our council homes which help us to monitor use of heating systems and identify the occurrence of potential issues such as damp and mould.
  
  We can then offer support with preventing these issues and getting support to pay your energy bills.
• Starting a feasibility study to create a new heat network based at the University of Essex but with the heat generated potentially being used in other areas of Colchester, including for parts of council housing and parts of the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community that is yet to be built.
• Investigating opportunities for increasing renewable energy generation through installing rooftop solar panels or solar canopies in car parks for example.
• Continuing to manage our green spaces for positive outcomes for biodiversity, including exploring increasing the number of wildflower areas and ongoing use of non-peat based composts.
• Completing a river restoration project at Cymbeline Meadows to help improve water quality. We achieved this by stabilising the riverbank with coir rolls and installing cattle troughs with solar powered pumps to pump water from the nearby river into the troughs to help stop the cows accessing the river for drinking water and eroding the riverbank.
• Delivering several wayfinding projects to support walking and cycling in Colchester, including the new Walk with Words project.
• Development of the Cycle Colchester website which contains lots of information on cycle security, maintenance, bike hire, cycle groups and a cycling map which displays off and on road cycle routes around the Colchester urban area as well as other features like cycle parking facilities.
• Continuing to raise awareness on ways to improve air quality including updating the content in the schools clean air toolkit and consulting on a new Air Quality Action Plan.
• Introducing an e-bike/e-Cargo bike loan scheme for residents, alongside the business loan schemes.
• Creating the new Recycling and Waste Strategy 2025-2040 for Colchester, aligning with and supporting Essex County Council’s Waste Strategy for Essex.
• Expanding our business waste service to offer businesses the option to have plastics, paper and card, glass, cans and food waste collected for recycling.
• Working with Essex County Council and Community Climate Action UK to plan a workshop which enables residents to brainstorm and develop ideas for local energy projects that benefit their communities by improving energy security, reducing energy bills, increasing renewable energy generation for example and more.
• Continuing to promote sources of energy advice and grant funding to residents. Over 50 properties received grant funding for improving their energy efficiency through various funded grant schemes which we helped advertise through letters and attending events.
  
  Residents can find the latest information on advice and grant funding on our website.
• Supporting the development of the Net Zero Homes and Buildings Policy led by Essex County Council’s Climate Action Planning Unit. The policy sets high standards for building new homes so they are compliant with achieving net zero emissions - we are including this as a proposed new policy within the Preferred Options Local Plan.
• Updating our travel plan, a document produced to support and encourage staff to use active travel modes (walking, cycling, public transport) to travel to and for work.
• Updating our events policy to include more information for event organisers on ways they can consider, and reduce, the environmental impact of events held on council land.
• Researched information on the current and future risks and impacts posed by climate change that could affect the services and work we deliver. A report was produced, alongside summary information for residents. The report can be viewed on our website (PDF,284KB).

August 2023: We secured funding for vacuum equipment to clean chewing gum from the streets 
Our main office reopened with new heat pump, LED lighting and ventilation upgrades creating a greener office
September 2023: We launched our partnership with Better Housing, Better Health to help provide residents access to independent energy advice and grant support   
Over £319,000 of funding delivered to improve the energy efficiency of 36 households through the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme (Phase 3) 
October 2023: We received an above average score on the UK Council Climate Action scorecards
Resident electric bike and electric cargo bike hire opens from city centre Secure Bike Hub 
November 2023: We recorded measured improvements in air quality around the city centre
December 2023: Our Street Care and Safety team was nominated for a Community Engagement network award at Keep Britain Tidy awards.
We supported the running of the eCargo bike delivery Christmas service, replacing 156 miles of van deliveries with greener cargo bikes, reducing pollution and improving air quality. This service runs all year round, provided by Colchester eCargo.
We adopted three new Supplementary Planning document on Climate Change, Active Travel and Biodiversity, providing guidance on building new developments to greater environmental standards 
January 2024: We joined the Green Events Code of Practice pilot project to understand ways to improve outdoor event sustainability 
We supported the re-launch of the Bikewise campaign providing advice on bike security 
February 2024: We delivered the 17th year of Trees for Years, providing free 10,000 trees, shrubs and plants to residents to help green the city! 
March 2024: We secured funding to improve energy efficiency of swimming pools at Leisure World Colchester
April 2024: We supported the launch of the new community bike hub opens in Newtown where electric bikes can be hired
May 2024: We launched a giveaway of 30 compost bins to promote composting of garden waste
June 2024: Schools in Colchester celebrate Clean Air Day 
July 2024: Consultation on our new Recycling and Waste Strategy began

We received Green Flag awards for the management of Highwoods Country Park, Castle Park and Colchester Cemetery and Crematorium 

We also published progress reports on actions and projects in our Climate Emergency Action Plan in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24:

• Climate Emergency Action Plan 2021/22
• Climate Emergency Action Plan 2022/23
• Climate Emergency Action Plan 2023/24