Our Action Plan
Supporting the environment and reducing our carbon footprint helps our residents to live longer and healthier lives. Critically those who are more disadvantaged are often the people who suffer the effects of climate change most acutely.
Poor environmental health contributes to major diseases, including cardiac problems, asthma and cancer, as well as reducing people’s general well-being. That is why our climate change work is also closely linked with our public health work.
Climate change is an integral part of our Bexley Plan 2022 - 2026 which sets out our priorities and ambitions for the years ahead. By doing this we ensure that climate change issues are always at the very heart of our policymaking.
Part 1: Reducing emissions within our organisation’s direct control
These emissions are within the ability of the Council to control and for which we can take responsibility to reduce. We have not quantified the anticipated impact of this plan because these activities are foundation activities that are key to accelerating delivery later. An approach to measuring impact is in development.
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead officer |
|---|---|---|
| Increase use of green/renewable energy sources to power the council owned estate. | Carbon reduction | Head of Property and Facilities Management |
| From 1 April 2023, improve the energy efficiency of let council-owned non-residential property by insisting on compliance with the Government’s Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. | Carbon reduction | Head of Property and Facilities Management |
| Install priority site Automated Meter Readers (AMR) to improve the energy efficiency of the estate. | Carbon reduction | Head of Property and Facilities Management |
| As part of modernisation work to Council properties, explore cost effective options that could improve the energy efficiency of properties (using the recent conditions survey of properties, external funding where possible and long term capital programme). | Carbon reduction | Head of Property and Facilities Management |
| Pilot energy management devices in Council buildings. | Carbon reduction | Head of Property and Facilities Management |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Tackle illegal depositing of waste in accordance with Bexley’s zero-tolerance policy for littering, fly-tipping and other environmental offences. | Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Repair and refurbish recycling banks and bins rather than buying new. | Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Increase the tonnage of recycling by staff within Civic Offices and reduce single-use plastic. | Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| All council-run events to have adequate recycling facilities suitable for the event to be held | Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services Head of Property and Facilities Management |
| All council vehicles below 3.5 tonnes meet Euro 4 (NOx) standard if petrol driven and Euro 6 (NOx) standard if diesel driven All Council vehicles over 3.5 tonnes meet Euro VI (NOx and PM) |
Reduce air pollution Carbon reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Increase non-residential recycling by improved coordinated working across the council | Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Increase the number of reuses and loans of specialist equipment and adaptations by Bexley Integrated Community Equipment Service | Waste reduction | Head of Integrated Commissioning LD & PD |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Continue to develop and use our Carbon Offset Fund to fund carbon offsetting projects that aim to deliver tangible carbon savings. | Carbon reduction | Head of Planning and Regulation |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Uphold green standards at Eltham Crematorium Eltham’s cremators are 100% CO2 abated and programmed routine maintenance ensures optimum efficiency. |
Carbon reduction | Director of Place |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
Encourage greener travel for staff:
|
Carbon reduction and Improved air quality | Deputy Director of Corporate Services |
| Trial the use of advanced/recycled highways materials. Roadways will be produced using recycled asphalt. This process is far less resource-intensive than using virgin materials. Material from old roadways can be recycled and included in the new surface. | Waste and carbon reduction | Head of Highways, Traffic & Infrastructure |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Increase green awareness amongst staff by using Council communications. | Carbon reduction | Head of Communications and Marketing |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Review our Social Value Policy to include use of green / sustainability as an assessment criterion in the Council’s procurement process and raise skill level of officers in green procurement. | Carbon reduction | Head of Procurement |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Drains in most urban areas were built many years ago and were not designed to cope with increased rainfall. Within improvements to the public realm, we will reduce storm water run-off and pressure on storm water sewers by using permeable surfacing that allows water to drain into them. | Reduced flooding | Head of Highways, Traffic & Infrastructure |
| Investigate the use of sustainable management of water resources through rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling within Council-owned buildings. | Improved recycling | Head of Property and Facilities Management |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Prior to tendering grounds maintenance contracts, seek to reduce fossil fuel and chemical/pesticide usage and impact on biodiversity where it is cost-effective. | Carbon reduction | Head of Leisure, Parks and Open Space |
| Use plants that will attract wildlife, have a longer life span and require less water, energy, and tendering. | Carbon reduction | Head of Leisure, Parks and Open Space |
| Maintain and seek additional funds to retain and increase tree cover in parks, public land, and highways. | Carbon reduction Reduced rain run off |
Head of Leisure, Parks and Open Space |
| For new projects in parks and green spaces, use best practice to assess any climate change impacts and to consider appropriate mitigation options where feasible. | Carbon reduction Reduced rain run off |
Head of Leisure, Parks and Open Space |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Adopt an ethical investment strategy. The Bexley Pension Fund has appointed an investment consultant to help achieve its sustainability ambitions and to focus on climate risk management. | Carbon reduction | Director of Finance and Corporate Services |
Part 2: Influencing others to reduce emissions that are not within our direct control
Those emissions that the Council does not directly control but can seek to encourage or influence others to reduce. We have not quantified the anticipated impact of this plan because these activities are foundation activities that are key to accelerating delivery later. An approach to measuring impact is in development.
Commitment 1 - Celebrate, Promote and Protect our Natural Environment
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Apply policies within Bexley’s Development Plan including the Review and adoption of our new Local Plan, which sets out a vision and a framework for future development.
Our Local Plan includes:
Apply Development Plan to planning applications. Monitor Development Plan (the monitoring can gather evidence for future policy, and support development management decisions). |
Improve air quality Reduce flooding Carbon reduction |
Head of Strategic Development |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
Encourage improvements to air quality through:
|
Reduction in traffic congestion Carbon reduction Improved air quality |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Apply the NPPF Sequential Test at all stages of planning where appropriate. The sequential test compares the site proposed to be developed with other available sites to find out which has the lowest flood risk. Where possible, new development will be steered towards sites with the lowest probability of flooding. | Reduced flooding |
Head of Strategic Planning Head of Planning and Regulation |
| Apply the NPPF Exception Test to determine relevant applications for development. If the sequential test shows that it is not possible to use an alternative site, another test called the exception test could be required. The exception test will show how the development will manage the flood risk and that it will not increase flood risk elsewhere (as well as other factors). | Reduced flooding |
Head of Strategic Planning Head of Planning and Regulation |
Commitment 2 - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Slow, stabilise and reverse the rate of growth of municipal waste. | Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Improve residents and businesses participation in recycling by providing help, advice and information (with focus on those unaware or unwilling to recycle). | Carbon reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Working in partnership with clothing reuse charity TRAID, we offer a free home collection scheme for all Bexley Households to donate clothes, shoes, or accessories they no longer wear. Residents can also include a small bag of broken small/medium-sized electrical items for recycling, such as kettles and toasters. | Carbon reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Improve the reliability of the kerbside waste collection service and that recycled material collected is of high quality. | Carbon reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Investigate the options for the pre-treatment of residual waste to reduce its biological content and therefore emissions generated from the decomposition of organic waste. | Carbon reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
Encourage local businesses to evaluate and reduce the waste they produce by:
|
Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Consider running Community Fridge schemes where donated food can be used by any resident. | Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Provide free vouchers for eligible families to buy fruit, vegetables and milk via the Healthy Start Programme. Families may also be able to claim free vitamins. | Waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Promote home composting and advise Bexley residents where they can get home composters at a discounted rate. | Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Reduce the quantity of textiles being disposed of within the Borough. | Carbon reduction Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Reduce the amount of household items being disposed of in the Borough that could have been repaired/ reused. | Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Help to reuse items that are being disposed of at the reuse and recycling centres - residents could donate or buy items for reuse. | Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Encourage families in the Borough of Bexley to use reusable nappies. | Carbon reduction Waste reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Increase the quantity of materials recycled through the Borough's two Reuse and Recycling Centres. | Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Increase the capacity of kerbside containers. | Improved recycling | Head of Environmental Services |
| Change the food boxes in the food waste recycling service to a larger capacity fox resistant type, as well as providing a food waste leaflet with all new food boxes. Investigate including packaged food waste within the food recycling service. |
Improved recycling | Head of Environmental Services |
| Evaluate the recycling options to recycle all Christmas trees and ensure that all trees from the Annual Christmas Tree Festival are recycled. | Improved recycling Waste reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Trial ways to maximise recycling and reduce contamination in flats and flats above shops. Work with the Planning service to include waste management as a key consideration for all new plans and for large new developments to consider underground banks. |
Improved recycling Waste reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Work with landlords to increase recycling at Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO's). | Improved recycling | Head of Environmental Services |
| The Engine House to provide adequate recycling facilities for businesses working from their building and to advise businesses where they can get recyclable products. Work in partnership with BIDS to encourage recycling (including a potential hot drink cup recycle scheme in Bexleyheath town centre). |
Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Work with local food businesses to increase the number that have food waste recycling. Public Protection team to provide information on food waste whilst they inspect premises. |
Improved recycling | Head of Environmental Services |
| Replace boxes with wheeled bins that do not need to be emptied as frequently and have more capacity. | Improved recycling | Head of Environmental Services |
| Encourage residents and groups to litter pick in their local area. Promoting and expanding our community litter pickers scheme across the borough that work with the Council to help keep their areas looking clean and tidy. |
Improve the environment Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Promote a new anti-littering campaign which asks local residents to pledge to pick up at least one piece of plastic litter a week from the borough's streets (#Do it for Bexley Campaign). | Improve the environment Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Provide local mini recycling sites to reduce travel distance for people wanting to recycle. | Improve air quality Improve recycling Carbon reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Encourage more reuse and recycling of textiles. | Carbon reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Reduce single use plastic bottles across the Borough and use external funding to install water fountains. | Waste reduction Carbon reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Promote the circular economy to local businesses where products are redesigned to be more durable, reusable, repairable, and recyclable, and kept in circulation for as long as possible. | Waste reduction Improved recycling Carbon reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
Commitment 3 – Send no waste to landfill
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Send zero municipal waste to landfill | Carbon reduction Waste reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
Commitment 4 - Enabling a greener economy
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Host business support events in partnership with external funders. | Carbon reduction in the business sector | Head of Economic Development and Skills |
| To allocate 125 Climate Essentials memberships to support SMEs to access a dynamic energy measurement platform, with 12 months’ free access to measure and track carbon and cost reductions. | Carbon reduction in the business sector | Head of Economic Development and Skills |
| Establish a training academy at the Engine House in partnership with LSEC to train young people with technical and carbon reduction skills in the construction industry. | Carbon reduction within construction processes Reduced waste |
Head of Economic Development and Skills |
| Leverage new external funding opportunities such as UKSPF to help residents acquire new skills and retrain into good jobs with strong green credentials. | Carbon reduction Improved environment |
Head of Economic Development and Skills |
| Leverage new external funding opportunities such as UKSPF to help local businesses optimise digital functionality and encourage adoption of carbon reducing measures in delivery of their business. | Carbon reduction in the business sector | Head of Economic Development and Skills |
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Encourage electric vehicle use amongst the public by rolling out an installation programme of public electric charging points in town centres, car parks and residential streets. Working closely with the taxi and private hire trade on the use and possible locations of hub-based rapid charging points. A programme to introduce slower, on-street charging points, located nearer to where people live is being developed. |
Carbon reduction Improved air quality |
Head of Highways, Traffic & Infrastructure |
| Apply policies in Bexley’s Development Plan including the Review and adoption of our new Local Plan (which sets out a vision and a framework for future development), including encouraging new developers to provide facilities for walking, cycling, public transport and shared mobility/car clubs (DP22). | Carbon reduction Improved air quality |
Head of Strategic Development |
| Apply the Development Plan to planning applications. | Carbon reduction | Head of Strategic Development |
| Monitor the Development Plan. The monitoring can gather evidence for future policy, and support development management decisions. | Carbon reduction | Head of Strategic Development |
|
As set out in our Local Implementation Plan (LIP) to:
|
Carbon reduction Improved air quality Healthier population |
Head of Strategic Development |
| Travel planning for new developments – see above. Offer support to schools to develop and update travel plans including a range of initiatives such as Walk on Wednesdays, walking week, scooter and cycle training and parking, park and walk/car free zone. |
Carbon reduction Reduction in traffic congestion |
Head of Strategic Development |
| Use the Local Authority Transport Decarbonisation Toolkit to reduce emissions and to learn approaches from best practice. | Carbon reduction | Head of Strategy, Performance and Complaints |
Commitment 5 - Empower our residents, businesses and partners to make positive changes
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
|
Offer energy cafes. At our new weekly energy café at the Central Library, trained advisors will:
|
Greater awareness Carbon reduction |
Head of Libraries and Communities |
| Work with Cory Riverside Energy to encourage the use of the heat produced at the Belvedere Riverside Resource Recovery Ltd in a local district heating initiative or by a local business. | Carbon reduction | Head of Strategic Planning Head of Planning and Regulation |
| To make best use of Government funding schemes for improving energy efficiency of existing buildings and addressing fuel poverty. | Reduction of fuel poverty Carbon reduction |
Director of Place |
| Increase awareness amongst residents and local businesses. | Greater awareness Carbon reduction Waste reduction |
Head of Communications and Marketing |
| Give local residents easy access to tips for ways to reduce waste and reuse materials by promoting FREEGLE, uploading an online 'Household waste minimisation A-Z guide', giving community talks and using the Council website to give advice. | Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Communications and Marketing Head of Environmental Services |
| Encourage children to recycle at home by providing free waste education to all schools in Bexley, new recycling bins, carrying out whole school assemblies and additional class activities | Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Reduce the amount of edible food and drink thrown away in the residual waste collection service. Encourage Council staff and residents to understand food waste and how to change buying habits to healthier alternatives. |
Waste reduction Food waste reduction |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Run school workshops to give confidence and opportunity to use up leftovers in a practical session. To promote food waste reduction by providing a measuring tool to help with portion sizes and leaflets and recipe cards at events. |
Food waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Participate in the Food Flagship Initiative showing how food waste can be reduced in London. | Food waste reduction | Head of Environmental Services |
| Promote textile recycling by producing leaflet and posters, providing information in new residents’ information pack and run workshops on recycling. | Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Head of Environmental Services |
| Promote Bexley Green Points, a scheme that rewards residents for reducing what they throw away to encourage more recycling. | Improved recycling | Head of Environmental Services |
| Reduce storm water run-off and pressure on surface water sewers by the use of permeable surfacing or by intercepting run off to resident’s driveways when highway cross-over requests are granted. Permeable surfacing allows water to drain into them reducing risk of flooding. | Raised awareness Reduce water run off Improved environment |
Head of Highways, Traffic & Infrastructure |
| Implement the three year South East London Green Plan 2022-2025 for the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS). | Carbon reduction Healthier population |
Director of Adult Social Care and Health |
| The Bexley Local Care Partnership is developing a programme to reduce health inequalities by encouraging more exercise and reduction of obesity, which will also help to tackle climate change. | Carbon reduction Improved air quality Healthier population |
Director of Adult Social Care and Health |
| Using Cory’s Community Fund to support activities and projects that: Protect the local environment and support the circular economy. Build knowledge and awareness of the circular economy, recycling and waste management. Enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics skills. Impacts local people in the community in other meaningful ways. | Protect the environment Waste reduction Improved recycling |
Director of Place |
Commitment 6 - To keep an open mind and to go further when we can
| Action | Purpose of action | Lead Officer |
|---|---|---|
| Review the commitments and action plan regularly. | Carbon reduction | Head of Strategy, Performance and Complaints |