Council agrees how it will spend recent £1m funding to improve sustainability

Plans have been released for how West Devon Council plans to spend the £1m funding announced recently to help support the economy and reduce carbon emissions in the Borough. 

The Council's Hub Committee met on 31 January 2023 and agreed how recent funding of over £1m would be used to support a wide range of ambitious programmes in support of its 'A Plan for West Devon' strategy for residents, communities and businesses across the Borough. 

The overall programme which will run for three years will see up to £176,568 spent in its first year with the remaining funding spent by the end of the 2024/2025 financial year. 

The Committee has agreed to a number of programmes and projects within three priority areas. 

Active and inclusive travel for all. The Council has agreed to the commissioning of a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) to improve both walking and cycling routes across West Devon and South Hams. The outcomes of the LCWIP will inform the Council's next steps in developing more inclusive and eco-friendly travel provisions and infrastructure. 

The Council's roll-out of its specialist advisors programme will see wider business support and consultancy across the West Devon business community. Advisors will work with organisations to set out pathways to decarbonise their activities and for local construction businesses, help ensure they are ahead of the curve in order to meet future planning and building regulations. Support will also be given to Community Energy Groups to enhance their important work in ensuring energy efficiency.

Partnerships will be developed across the local agriculture sector, knowledge organisations, businesses and tech companies to develop a community of research and development in order to ensure the culture of regenerative farming. Work will include the roll-out of programmes with organisations such as the Devon Agri-Tech Alliance to move farming into new sustainable ways of working. A new distribution project will also help increase opportunities for locally produced food and drink to reach local marketplaces, reducing the carbon footprint. 

Councillor Peter Crozier, Lead Member for Economy for West Devon Borough Council, said: "We are delighted to share more detailed plans of how this important funding will be used across West Devon over the next three years.

"The plans and projects we have agreed on will see West Devon working with a range of partners to deliver projects closely aligned with our overall ambitions for the Borough.

"This important programme will bring long lasting benefits to the area which will enhance our sustainability, productivity and growth."

These are only some of the range of projects currently planned with some activities set to begin in January, and others scheduled to run from April 2023 until the end of March 2025.

You can watch the full Hub Committee meeting online here:

www.youtube.com/@westdevonboroughcouncil23

The next scheduled Hub Committee meeting is Thursday 7 March at 2 p.m.

Details can be found here: www.westdevon.gov.uk/Hub