Epsom & Ewell’s first Climate Change Action Plan achievements ratified by Committee

Last month, our Environment Committee officially noted progress made in the delivery of our first Climate Change Action Plan 2020-2024. The committee reviewed an annual update and a five-year overview that included figures for 2023/24 that showed we had reduced our own operational emissions by 16% since 2019/20 (Public Pack)Agenda Document for Environment Committee, 17/03/2025 19:30.

The UK Government declared a climate and ecological emergency in May 2019 and following this, in July 2019, we debated, and passed, a motion to adopt a climate change target for their operations to become carbon neutral by 2035. Our first Climate Change Action Plan was subsequently adopted for the 5-year period from January 2020 to December 2024.

We successfully bid for, and were able to leverage, £2m funding for some of its activities, from secured external grant, Community Infrastructure Levy and Capital funding.

Achievements during this time, including with partners:

• Installing solar panels at Bourne Hall, Epsom Playhouse and, earlier this year, at the Rainbow Leisure Centre, annually estimated to save £70k in electricity bills.
• Replacing 95% of all lighting in council-operated buildings and streetlighting with LEDs.
• Electricity supplied to all council buildings from a green tariff.
• Delivering 10 energy and cost saving retrofit schemes.
• Installing 14 electric vehicle charge points in council-owned car parks.
• Changing 4 fleet vehicles to electric/hybrid.
• Planting over 2,600 additional trees on council land as part of a Tree Management Plan.
• Installing 8 public water fountains around the borough.
• Placing 27 additional cycle racks in Epsom Marketplace.
• Adding 2,385 households to the food waste collection service.

Our second Climate Change Action Plan runs from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2029 and will continue to support our ambitious commitment to be carbon neutral by 2035.

Cllr Liz Frost, Chair of the Environment Committee said:

“Our achievements show how committed we are to tackling climate change, our Climate Change Action Plan is embedded across the council through key reports, policies and plans from the Corporate Plan through to the Capital Investment Programme.

Whether through our own council initiatives such as installing solar panels or replacing old diesel vehicles with electric ones, we have done our best to ensure that our community can benefit from climate change improvements for years to come.

Our team’s passion, determination and drive has seen them build key relationships and harness vital funding and resources to deliver our activities. I would like to thank the team for their tireless efforts and to our partners who have provided their invaluable support as we strive to meet our target to be carbon neutral by 2035.”

More information about the council’s Climate Change Action Plan can be found on our website: Climate Change | Epsom and Ewell Borough Council