Nottingham City Council has been shortlisted for two prestigious national awards by the Association for Public Service Excellence.
The authority is shortlisted in the ‘Frontline Services Team of the Year: Parks, Grounds & Horticultural’ and ‘Best Climate Action or Decarbonisation initiative’ categories for their work which supports the city’s ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2028.
Highlights from the Greenspace and Natural Environment team’s submission in the ‘Frontline Team of the Year’ category include:
- Building the Nottingham Green Guardians volunteering programme which now has 421 active volunteers. Through Nottingham Green Guardians, 20,000 trees have been planted, and the scheme has clocked up more than 7,000 hours of volunteering time.
- Creating detailed maps of greenspaces and habitats in the city which will make sharing projects and progress with the public and frontline staff easier and more accessible.
- Enhancing greenspaces in Nottingham through the Woodland and Wetland Biodiversity Access Project, which was part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Elements included additional planting, creation of butterfly and insect glades, and improved access for the public.
- Allowing street plants to thrive through removing herbicide use in a partnership project with wild.NG. Due to the project’s success, it will be expanded to the entire ward of Sherwood.
- Successfully introducing the Nottingham crocus to three sites across Nottingham. This rare plant was historically seen widely throughout the city, so the team is working to reinstate it to its former glory.
These schemes have all been a huge success, and the Greenspaces and Natural Environment team will continue to work to deliver a greener, healthier, and happier Nottingham.
The City Council’s innovative vehicle-to-grid pilot was shortlisted for the ‘Best Climate Action or Decarbonisation Initiative’. Through the project, the Environment and Sustainability division installed solar panels, battery storage, 40 bi-directional electric vehicle chargers, and an intelligent energy management system at Eastcroft Depot.
The vehicle-to-grid pilot, which was funded by Interreg North-West Europe, aims to maximise the use of renewable energy that is generated locally on site by using the batteries and electric vehicles for short-term storage. Schemes that explore how energy can be managed efficiently as vital as the City Council transitions its fleet to electric vehicles.
These projects have captured the imagination of residents and gained considerable support as Nottingham works towards becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2028.
Councillor Corall Jenkins, Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment, Waste and Parks, said: “It is fantastic that Nottingham City Council is being recognised for our work to make Nottingham a more sustainable city. Our dedicated teams work hard to deliver brilliant services and projects that support our ambition for Nottingham to be the first carbon-neutral city in the UK by 2028. I have my fingers crossed for both of the shortlisted teams!” The APSE Service Award winners will be announced in September. For more information about the city’s sustainability journey, take a look at the recently launched Carbon Neutral Nottingham website.