A SOLAR farm, transport hub and planting thousands of new trees are among plans being considered to combat climate change in Warwick district.
Earlier this year Warwick District Council bosses committed to working with businesses, organisations and residents to get carbon emissions to ‘as close to zero as possible’ by 2030.
And the council has published its initial action plan.
It is proposing to submit a bid to the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to develop Leamington train station as a transport hub complete with electric car charging points and a community bike scheme – despite original plans for a hub being scrapped by the LEP earlier this year.
It also plans to launch a campaign which would see a tree planted for each person in the district over the next five years.
Improving air quality in Leamington through a community bike hire scheme and improving cycle links between Warwick, Leamington and Kenilworth are also in the pipeline.
The council also says it is looking at the possibility of a solar farm in the district.
Work has already started on the council’s pledge to cut down on its carbon emissions through the successful pilot scheme of its ‘betterpoints’ programme – which saw people rewarded for walking and cycling instead of taking the car.
And bosses say while the council only makes up a small part of the district, it has a big role to play.
A spokesman said: “The district is also home to a number of other significant public agencies such as Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire College, University of Warwick, Warwick Hospital and Warwickshire Police. If these organisations also undertook the same step then carbon reduction could be achieved more rapidly. The same is true for other significant sized organisations based in the district.
“It is proposed the council approach these organisations to ask if they will declare their own climate change emergency and take similar steps to this council.
“Implicitly this suggests the district council taking the leadership role in enabling this course of action.”
The plans went before the council’s executive this week and is expected to be reported on early next year.
