Chelmsford is safer and greener with a Lib Dem Council
November 20, 2019 6:56 PM
The Liberal Democrats campaigned in the local elections to make Chelmsford Safer, Greener, Fairer and Better Connected. Below are some of the many policy changes and actions that the Liberal Democrat-led Chelmsford City Council has undertaken in the first six months.
Making Chelmsford Safer and Greener
- Declared a Climate and Ecology Emergency in Chelmsford and committed the Council to being carbon neutral by 2030
- 100% of electricity for the council now comes from renewable sources.
- Agree to only use Fair Trade / Rain Forest Alliance products on Civic centre site.
- Reduce single-use plastics and eliminate entirely from the Civic Centre site.
- Green vehicles - replacing park vehicles with two electric powered alternatives already in use and two more later this year.
- Green travel - encouraging staff and Councillors to cycle to work by providing new cycle stands, lockers and shelters at the Civic Centre.
- Protect vital green space in Chelmsford by removing John Shennan playing fields from the draft local plan
- Encourage sustainable transport by progressing plans for a new station, working with Essex County Council on the successful Housing Infrastructure Fund bid.
- Gaining Garden Village Status for the future development in N.E. Chelmsford; an additional £150,000 funding was awarded for this financial year.
- £500,000 of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money devolved to neighbourhood CIL so that many local projects in the central, non-parished urban area can be funded to go ahead.
- Encouraging electric car take up with electric charging points. Two installed in Chelmsford City Council Car parks with another six being installed by the end of the year all at no cost to the council.
- Promoted health and wellbeing in new development through the design and launch of the new Live Well Development Accreditation Scheme.
- Start saving the council money and reducing vandalism in car parks by installing cashless parking machines on a phased basis, programmed to start next year.
- Address public concerns about badly parked vehicles with two more parking enforcement officers for Chelmsford in the second half of the year.
- Free advice sessions for start-up businesses by joint working between the City Council and COLBEA, a business support organisation from Colchester.
- Inspire young people to explore high-tech / vocational career opportunities by hosting the first Skills Festival at Hylands Park in July. Some 400 Year 8 students from two Chelmsford schools took part in work activities provided by many local businesses ranging from virtual reality engineering, to being a DJ, designing a town and working in media
- Promote high-tech manufacturing by creating the Chelmsford Tech Ambassadors group, bringing together many Chelmsford tech businesses to explore ways to grow this sector of the local economy.