Climate Emergency

As part of Stroud Town Council's local actions to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies, we have recently planted two small "coppice" woodlands (or copses), one at Uplands Playing Field and another at The Leazes Playing Field. These copses will contribute towards the council's carbon reduction target, improve wildlife habitat and add much needed plant diversity to both parks.

These modest areas... Read More »

With climate chaos an impending reality and all-too common news reports such as "analysis of 353 species of wild bee and hoverfly species found the insects have been lost from a quarter of the places they were found in 1980" we are trying to make a difference here in Stroud. With over 97% of wildflower meadows having been destroyed since the Second World War, it is time to reverse this decline.

We are... Read More »

In order to reduce our usage of fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel, we have been replacing power tools with cordless electric versions where this is possible.

To date we have bought the following cordless items:
Chainsaw
Strimmer
Hedge cutter
2 leaf blowers
Vacuum cleaner (for glass and cigarette butts)

Whilst there are still some tasks that still need the oomph of a petrol strimmer, we expect the technology... Read More »

Back in 2016 we decided that the Green Spaces Manager did not always need to use a conventional vehicle, but Stroud is very hilly, so we decided to purchase a second-hand electric bicycle.

We bought the 'A2B' bike from a local supplier, eCycle. The bike has been invaluable for visiting sites and attending meetings, with the added benefits of some cardio-vascular exercise and free parking. It has clocked... Read More »

Stroud Town Council's Climate Change Resolution

To facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions, the council resolved to:

1. Commit to becoming a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030, to include scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions2. Create a carbon audit and roadmap for achieving this aim by the end of 2019.
2. Create a grant pot to encourage and enable carbon-reduction schemes within Stroud. The primary criterion for... Read More »

Following on from the climate change resolution one of our first actions was the purchase of a second-hand Renault Kangoo ZE LL21 Maxi fully electric van.

The van, which was originally registered in 2014, had 10,000 miles on the clock and cost £6,950 plus VAT. The latest version can be found on the Renault website and in the Renault brochure.

Apart from the obvious benefit of no longer using petrol,... Read More »