Climate News
The Council continues to be committed to its aim of becoming net-zero by 2030.
As part of our residents' survey for 2022, 84% felt it fairly or very important for the Council to tackle climate change. Notable steps which the Council has taken include:
Sustainable Mid Devon website.
The Council has set up a climate and sustainability website to provide guidance for residents and local businesses.
Mid Devon Leisure decarbonisation works.
We have been successful in securing circa £3.4 million in funding to reduce energy consumption, moving away from fossil fuels, by significantly reducing gas usage at our leisure centres at Exe Valley, Tiverton and Lords Meadow, Crediton.
Bin It 1-2-3, three-weekly waste collection service.
Following a pilot in the summer of 2022, the Bin It 1-2-3 scheme launched across the district on 10 October 2022. The scheme saw a change in non-recyclable waste collections, from fortnightly to three-weekly, with more than 35,000 wheelie bins delivered.
The change allowed the Council to achieve a number of environment benefits, including to:
- reduce its carbon footprint.
- increase recycling rates.
- increase the amount of food waste collected.
- decrease the amount of non-recyclable waste collected.
Information on how the scheme has performed can be found on the Council website, here.
Community tree planting.
In 2021/22, volunteers helped to plant 615 trees on Council land across the district, made possible by Devon County Council’s Emergency Tree Fund, a generous grant provided by The Woodland Trust.
Zed Pods, St Andrews (CGI)Higher standards for new build developments.
14 super-efficient modular homes are set to be built on land in Cullompton and Tiverton, previously occupied by garages and car parking. The homes, built by Zed Pods, are set to be carbon-neutral, making this one of the first social housing projects of this type within the district. The developments have also been nominated for a number of awards, both regionally and nationally.
- Information on the proposed development in St. Andrews Estate, Cullompton.
- Information on the proposed development in Shapland Place, Tiverton.
The Council’s plans for 70 Passivhaus homes in Tiverton, which include plenty of parking spaces, landscaping, electric charging points and a mixture of bike lockers, cycle storage and sheds, have been approved. The plans have also been designed to achieve a 10% net biodiversity gain in regard to ecological enhancement.
A retrofit pilot project at two homes in Lapford uses filtered air circulation and heat recapture to maximise comfort and minimise heating bills. The homes reflect the highest level of energy efficiency the Council hope to achieve within this building type.