Press Release

Mayor announces 10 low carbon neighbourhoods in the capital
3-9-2009   450

Energy 'doctors' and loans for solar panels are among the green projects which will be pioneered in 10 'low carbon zones' in the capital, the Mayor of London announced today.

Speaking at the London Congress, a meeting of the Mayor of London and the capital’s 33 boroughs at the Guildhall, Boris Johnson announced the 10 successful boroughs which have won funding to become 'low carbon zones'.

They are: Barking Town Centre (Barking and Dagenham), Muswell Hill (Haringey), Archway (Islington), Brixton (Lambeth), Lewisham Town Centre (Lewisham), Wandle Valley (Merton), Ham and Petersham (Richmond upon Thames), Peckham (Southwark), Hackbridge ( Sutton) Queen’s Park (Westminster).

Each of the winning boroughs will be awarded at least £200,000 to pioneer energy –busting measures in their low carbon zones.  The Mayor wants to make London a low carbon city, boosting ‘green collar’ jobs and helping to lower energy bills by becoming more energy efficient. These zones will showcase exactly how London can become a low carbon city by using a wide range of measures to help people cut carbon and by reducing the emissions of some of  London's older buildings, which have generally been more difficult to make energy efficient.

The zones have a target to deliver 20.12 per cent of carbon emissions savings by 2012 and are bringing together local authorities, community organisations, residents, businesses and utilities to work in partnership in a targeted geographic area.  The winning low carbon zones on average will save over 23 per cent by 2012. The zones will cover over 13,000 residential properties, around 1,000 shops and businesses, 20 schools as well as a hospital, places of worship and community centres.

Boris Johnson said: ‘ I am delighted to unveil the top carbon-busting neighbourhoods in London. There was a high calibre of bids from across the boroughs and it was a difficult choice, but the winning entries are championing the latest technologies, which will help us to become a leading low carbon city. ‘
London Councils Executive member for sustainability, Councillor Sean Brennan, said: ‘The low carbon zones show the joint commitment between the boroughs and the Mayor to make the capital more energy efficient. Not only will this have a huge positive impact on our environment but could also help Londoners save money.
‘London’s boroughs are committed to helping make the capital a greener place to live and work, and this is just one example of how the closer working between the boroughs and the Mayor through the City Charter is helping to improve the lives of every member of our community.’
London Development Agency Project Delivery Director Martin Powell said:  "We need major cuts in carbon dioxide emissions to tackle climate change.  With the LDA’s funding, Low Carbon Zones will help make significant carbon dioxide reductions in communities across London by changing behaviours and promoting energy efficiency in a specific area."

Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust said: “Congratulations to the 10 winners of the low carbon zone schemes. The initiative is a great way to champion new technologies and new ideas to pave the way for other communities to do their bit to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.”

The low carbon zones will be funded by the London Development Agency's budget for climate change activities. The Mayor has pledged to cut emissions in London by 60 per cent by 2025 and these zones will showcase how this can be achieved using existing and new technologies, helping to establish the capital as a leading low carbon city. The Mayor will be helping Londoners to become more energy efficient through a London- wide homes energy efficiency programme set to launch next year.

Some of the measures that each of the low carbon zones will be taking forward are:
Barking Town Centre (Barking and Dagenham)
· Offering low cost offers of insulation and heating to low income households
· Setting up charging points for electric vehicles
· Increasing the decentralised energy network in the area.

Muswell Hill (Haringey)
· Working with a major local retailer to use their roof space to install photovoltaic panels which can then be used to power local homes and save residents money.
· Installing measures to make community buildings, including the local library, more energy efficient.

Archway (Islington)
· Green ‘energy doctor’ programme – energy doctors will offer residents an audit of how they can make their homes more energy efficient, from small measures such as installing energy efficient lightbulbs and radiator panels, to support for households wanting to make bigger changes.
· Setting up apprenticeship schemes for local residents to train to become ‘energy doctors’.

Brixton (Lambeth)
· Low carbon heating will be supplied to residents from Kings College Hospital.
· Working to make existing community buildings more energy efficient.
 
Lewisham Town Centre (Lewisham)
· Working with designers to look at innovative ways to make period housing in a local conservation area more energy efficient. Looking at solid wall insulation and other measures to create carbon savings without spoiling the look of the housing.

Wandle Valley (Merton)
· Setting up an apprentice scheme for local residents to train to become ‘energy doctors’.
· Looking at opportunities to extract energy from waste to heat homes and community buildings.

Ham and Petersham (Richmond upon Thames)
· Working with Oxford University to help local residents to become more energy efficient with a smart metering scheme. This will involve monitoring how much energy is used in the home and then giving an analysis as to where savings can be made. Residents will then be supported to make changes through offers of grants and loans to make their homes more energy efficient.

Peckham (Southwark)
· Securing private investment to help upgrade heating systems in flats to communal heating systems and provide heat metering.
· Working with local SME businesses to train local residents to help provide an advice service for residents about how to make their homes more energy efficient.

Hackbridge(Sutton)
· Working with a local retailer to offer low cost insulation to local residents
· Working with local schools to install energy efficiency measures and solar panels and to educate the next generation. Running competitions between groups of households with rewards for those who save the most energy and offering Pay As You Save options to help manage the costs of installing energy efficiency measures and solar panels.
· Looking at new ways of supplying heat efficiently to older homes using decentralised energy, only used previously in the UK on larger buildings

Queen’s Park (Westminster)
· Working with energy suppliers to upgrade heating systems on local estates to Combined Heat and Power (CHP). Saving residents money and cutting carbon.
· Setting up electric vehicle charging points.

This was the second meeting of the London Congress, the body set up to oversee the workings of the City Charter signed by the Mayor and London’s 33 boroughs in April of this year.

As well as looking at ways to tackle climate change in the capital the Congress also discussed ongoing work to tackle youth violence, make the police more locally accountable and the impact of the economic downturn on boroughs in London.

Notes to Editors

1. In order to qualify for the scheme, boroughs had to submit applications by 31 July 2009. Zones were selected by an expert panel from the GLA group and partner organisations following shortlisting. The final decision on the winning low carbon zones was agreed by the Mayor. For more information on the low carbon zones go to www.london.gov.uk/lowcarbonzones
2. On 29th April 2009 the Mayor and London’s 33 boroughs agreed the first ever City Charter for London. The charter commits the Mayor and the capital’s councils to work together more closely in order to improve the capital’s public services and deliver better value for money for London taxpayers.
3. The City Charter is overseen by a body called the London Congress. The meeting at the Guildhall is the second meeting of the London Congress, the first was on 29th April 2009.
4. Papers from today’s meeting are available at http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/priorities/local-government.jsp

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Press information is available from Nicola Dillon and Leona Janson-Smith in the Mayor’s press office on 020 7983 4066 or 4713. Or Stewart Henderson from London Councils on 020 7934 9620

GENERAL PUBLIC/NON-MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Call the Public Liaison Unit at the Greater London Authority on 020 7983 4100

DUTY PRESS OFFICER: For out-of-hours media enquiries, please call 020 7983 4000

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