This week Nottingham City Council is welcoming delegates from India to show them how Nottingham is leading the way in integrating sustainable transport and waste management.

The City Council has been working with the city of Chandigarh, in the Punjab region, since February 2014 and since 2016 has been instrumental in promoting Nottingham’s best practice approach to sustainable waste management, public transport and business growth to counterparts in Chandigarh.

The guests arrived on Wednesday 22 March and met representatives from the City Council prior to a tour of the city to see the Castle and Old Market Square and learn about the city’s offer to tourists, including internationally recognised Nottingham legend Robin Hood. The city’s leaders will also meet key people from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University as well as visiting the energy from waste facility at Nottingham’s Eastcroft Depot, Wastecycle in Colwick and BioCity.

Nottingham’s best practice approach to waste management is a major reason why the delegates chose to visit the city. It is expected that they will return to Chandigarh having learnt new strategies to help local people to minimise waste and recycle more as well as developing an understanding of how sustainable and economically viable waste collection, sorting and energy generation works in Nottingham.

Nottingham is also a city with a reputation as one of the most dynamic transport providers in the UK and the visit will encourage the city of Chandigarh how they too can improve their local economy and the quality of life for their citizens by making greater use of public transport and cycling.

Councillor Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Jobs, Growth and Transport, said: “Nottingham is once again proving that it’s a city with huge potential for Indian companies looking to invest in the local economy or for businesses looking to expand into the UK and Europe.

“This visit is a very strong sign that Nottingham is known internationally for having the skills and experience to make a Smart City approach work for industry and for the benefit of citizens who quite rightly demand high quality waste disposal and transport facilities.

“Nottingham is a city which has always forged international links with industry and we will continue to welcome and support investors who do so much to increase trade and export and allow local businesses to explore accelerating consumer markets overseas.”

As well as encouraging growth within local businesses in green sectors, the visit recognises the contribution which Nottingham’s Punjabi community make to the local economy and the council will be exploring the potential for the two cities to be joined in a twinning arrangement. The visit will conclude on Friday 24 March.