East Riding Council up for green award

EAST RIDING COUNCIL is in the running to scoop a public sector award as the Low Carbon Council of 2011.

The Local Government Chronicle Awards aim to celebrate achievements made by councils across the country and to stimulate learning from good practice.

The Low Carbon Council Award, sponsored by British Gas, will highlight those councils that are making progress to reduce carbon emissions and improve the fuel efficiency of social housing and public buildings.

The nomination notes that East Riding Council has invested £1.5m in energy efficiency measures, with a particular focus on high-use buildings, such as leisure centres and schools. Meanwhile, the council’s local development framework seeks to ensure new development takes place in areas where there are services, facilities, homes, jobs, and good transport links – it also requires more than 10% of the energy supply for new developments to come from renewable or low-carbon sources. Such measures have contributed to a carbon reduction of 3%, as well as a 5.4% reduction in electricity consumption.

The council is up against competitors from Aberdeen, Liverpool, Mansfield, Southampton and Worcestershire.

Winners will be named in a ceremony on 23rd March 2011 at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.