These are the actions in the current Torbay Climate Emergency Action Plan, under each category, at a glance.
Please make sure you also read the full Torbay Climate Emergency Action Plan draft document
1. Decarbonising Homes
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- By September 2023 ECOE to roll out 50 energy saving clinics, 10 community talks, Recruit and train 10 'Community Energy Champions' , 5 front line services training events and 200 home visits
- Continue to support Torbay homeowners taking part in the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO), a government energy efficiency scheme
- With Devon Community Energy groups, launch in 2023, Retrofit in Devon in Torbay (a full support service for anyone able to fund improving the energy efficiency of their home/rented properties)
- Across 2023 and 2024, Exeter Community Energy (ECOE) to support homes in Torbay to take up a range of grants to improve the energy efficiency of their homes including the Devon-wide Sustainable Warmth grant.
- Torbay Council to develop a new Housing Strategy and Action plan that aims to Improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty.
- Continue to support Torbay homeowners taking part in the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO), a government energy efficiency scheme
- In 2023, Torbay Council to support Devon County Council, to explore and launch a Devon-wide Energy Service (to provide simple advice on saving energy and retrofitting homes, and a referral service to local support through ECOE (and others).
- Torbay Council to explore finance options to retrofit properties that do not qualify for government energy efficiency / low carbon heat grants and to work with Registered Providers of housing to share best practice and opportunities to work together.
- Torbay Council to work with local forums to promote take-up of energy-efficiency measures, renewable energy and low-carbon heating technologies in domestic and non-domestic premises
- Building on the Government funded MEES trial in 2022, explore ways to enforce the MEES standards locally so as to ensure rented properties meet the national energy efficiency standards.
2. Decarbonising business premises
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- Subject to government funding, develop and roll out a resource efficiency (including energy) business support programme including 40 Businesses receiving grants, 96 receiving non-financial support and 96 businesses developing decarbonisation plans.
- The Torbay Climate Partnership to continue to deliver their own decarbonisations plans across their estate(s) and encourage others to do the same.
3. New houses – Net zero
Action:
We will refresh the Local Plan’s climate related policies and adopt where possible the highest net zero operational carbon standards for new and existing properties.
4. Power
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- Promote saving energy in homes through campaigns lead by Exeter Community Energy (see the built environment above for more support).
- Develop and roll out a resource efficiency (including saving energy) business support programme including 40 Businesses receiving grants, 96 receiving non-financial support and 96 businesses developing decarbonisation plans.
- Explore work with Western Power Distribution (WPD) and others to ensure electricity infrastructure is capable of meeting increased local energy generation and demand for electricity from the heating, industry and transport sectors and develop a Local Area Energy Plan (LEAP).
- Identify potential and suitable renewable energy sites in Torbay.
- Action to reduce electricity demand and promote renewable energy in new homes and buildings is covered in the built environment section. Action to support the transition to electric vehicles is covered in the Transport section above.
- Work with Devon on developing an energy strategy for Devon to deploy renewable energy generation.
5. Transport and mobility
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- Develop a road safety campaign to support active travel including shared spaces.
- Trial LCWIP routes between Windy Corner and Brixham.
- Develop a new Local Transport Plan to by Spring 2024.
- Audit of subsidised Bus Services.
- Establish a Local Bus Partnership to deliver network improvements.
- Develop a One Travel Ticket for Torbay.
- Develop an e- car/e-bike community rental scheme.
- Explore Mobility Hubs to reduce car use in town centres and other key sites across Torbay.
- Identify potential neighbourhood(s) for a low carbon transport project.
- Implement trial car free days on parts of the network, such as sea fronts or town centres.
- Implement trial car free days on parts of the network, such as sea fronts or town centres.
- Torbay on the Move to promote active travel across Torbay.
- Launch healthy Selfie Trial in Torbay.
- Continue to deliver Bikeability classes in primary, secondary.
- Deliver Edginswell Station, a new railway station in the Torquay Gateway.
- Deliver active travel projects as outlined in the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).
- Complete an audit of all neighbourhoods in Torbay to identify where there are and are not 20 min neighbourhoods.
- Explore a range of funding opportunities.
- Update Torbay Cycle Map.
- Engage with community to understand active travel routes and what improvements are needed.
- Audit of signage from train stations to buses routes to cycle routes and visa versa to be completed by Summer 2023.
- Complete an audit of current cycle parking.
- Re-consider potential for improved ferry services across Torbay.
- Work with partners to plan and develop charging infrastructure across Torbay.
- Finalise an electric charging infrastructure strategy for Torbay and scale up delivery of public charging points across Torbay.
- Phase out petrol and diesel taxis by 2030.
- Transition the Council and SWISCo fleets to zero emission vehicles.
6. Waste minimisation and food
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- Explore establishing a Community Action Group Torbay or similar in Torbay to accelerate action.
- Deliver a Torbay food strategy by end of 2023 and covering actions that support the minimisation of food waste locally.
- Through the Waste Management Strategy for Torbay, continue to reduce the amount of waste sent for energy recovery and disposal, including food waste.
- Continue to offer range of schemes including a garden waste kerbside collection service.
- Reduce waste by working in partnership, both locally with the Devon Authorities Strategy Waste Committee’s ‘Don’t Let Devon Go to Waste’ campaign and nationally, as part of the Waste and Resources Action Programme’s ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ Campaign.
- Promote reusable nappies through local Nappuccino events.
- Increase Torbay's recycling rate to 50% by End of March 2023 and continue to increase the recycling rate towards the national targets of 60% by 2030.
- Deliver the Waste Management Strategy and increase education, engagement and communication on recycling initiatives, including the Right Stuff, Right Box scheme.
- Continue to offer a range of services including assisted collections and support for the visually impaired, kerbside recycling and garden waste schemes, bulky waste collection service.
- Review a local bottle recycling scheme once the Government provides more details on the proposed Deposit Return Scheme.
- Develop support for small businesses to help them save money, through minimising waste and wider circular economy principles.
- Through the Waste Management Strategy for Torbay, SWISCo to continue to develop commercial waste and recycling customer base.
- Explore ways to support the Fishing Industry to reduce waste and work towards net zero.
- Review waste minimisation and recycling targets for the next Waste Management Strategy post 2023 and if possible aligns with the carbon Neutral 2030 target and proposed 65% target in Net Zero Torbay report.
- Gain better access to waste data (and wider data on climate change).
7. Nature based solutions
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- Develop a new Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy by January 2024.
- Develop 29 Green Roofed Bus Stop by 2024.
- SWISCo will continue to deliver effective tree planting schemes as part of the three-year funded i-tree 2 initiative, including planting over 3000 trees.
- SWISCo to develop a new Tree Planting Strategy for Torbay.
- SWISCo to refresh the Tree and Woodland Framework Strategy which aims to ensure the safety of Council-owned trees; increase levels of planting as part of a wider strategy to combat climate change; maintain and encourage biodiversity; maintain and improve landscape quality.
- SWISCo to develop an open spaces strategy.
- In order to better protect Tor Bay's sea grass population, and increase biodiversity, Torbay’s Marine Forum to explore the feasibility for piloting areas of Tor Bay that are protected from motorised marine users.
- Wild Planet Trust to run an advocacy campaign on how to protect Tor Bay.
- To protect and help restore Torbay's sea grasses, THA to increase the amount of sea grass markers out in Tor Bay from 5 to 50.
- Marine Protection Vision to be developed by the Harbour Committee.
- Partnership to be established to support the fishing industry reduce waste and net zero.
- Torbay Harbour Authority to continue to manage its environmental risks and to explore decarbonising its own fleet and harbours.
- Coast and Countryside Trust to continue to actively manage over 600ha of land ( including organic farmland).
- Coast and Countryside Trust to explore piloting a local carbon offset scheme on non-productive Trust land.
- Torbay partners to launch a new green business award.
- Groundwork South to continue to manage the implementation of an essential flood defence scheme and restoration of an important ecological haven at Westerland Valley Country Park, Paignton.
- Launch the River Warden Scheme.
- Groundwork South to continue to work with schools in Torbay on growing food and establish forest clubs and explore with partners ways to roll this out across more schools in Torbay.
- Develop in conjunction with Devon a Local Nature Recovery Strategy by 2026.
8. Clean growth and sustainable business
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- Subject to government funding, Torbay Council and the TA to develop and roll out a resource efficiency (including energy) business support programme including 40 Businesses receiving grants, 96 receiving non-financial support and 96 businesses developing decarbonisation plans.
- Develop a Green Tourism Award and to showcase exemplars of good practice and supporting the overall reputation of Torbay as a sustainable tourism destination.
- Creating sustainable tourism is one of the priorities of Torbay Destination Management Plan (DMP). Partners will align the DMP with the ambitions of this Action Plan to work towards achieving these aspirations.
- Partners will explore the unique opportunity to use the UNESCO Global Geopark designation as a focus for sustainable tourism and maximise engagement with businesses and visitors.
- Torbay Council, TDA and partners to explore the options to align Carbon Neutral Torbay with the UNESCO Glasgow Declaration on Climate Change as a commitment to a more sustainable visitor economy.
- Torbay Council to develop a sustainable events charter to make sure large council run events work towards meeting Torbay's carbon neutral 2030 target.
- As this Plan develops explore a clean growth skills programme with partners across Torbay to build a skilled workforce to support the transition to carbon neutral.
9. Communication
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- Torbay Community Development Trust will complete a review and recommendations on using the Torbay Together website as a platform for carbon neutral advice for local residents.
- Torbay Climate Action Group will continue to provide talks to community groups across Torbay on tackling climate change.
- Torbay Climate Action will hold carbon literacy training sessions for communities in Torbay from January 2023.
- Torbay Council and SWISCo will promote a range of practical campaigns covering waste minimisation and recycling, saving energy and carbon, walking, and cycling and electric vehicle charging points. The Council will also update the climate change pages of its website.
- Groundwork South will continue to work in Torbay schools promoting sustainable behaviour changes through local growing and waste minimisation classes, local field trips and practical projects across the school.
- Explore how to coordinate campaigns across the Partnership and deliver comprehensive awareness raising campaigns [1]across Torbay communities.
- Explore how to deliver comprehensive awareness raising campaigns across Torbay’s businesses, focussing on campaigns to support the fishing Industry and Tourism sectors.
- Through the Government's Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, teachers will be supported to deliver climate change education through a model science curriculum. The Partnership will explore how to get more support to schools and colleges.
10. Engagement
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- TCDT will start conversations and open up opportunities for the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector to collaborate on carbon reduction projects like repair cafes/similar.
- TCDT will look at the option of whether their Torbay Helpline could support more sign posting for local residents to community groups and organisations linked to circular economy and carbon reduction.
- Torbay Climate Action will continue to provide talks to community groups across Torbay.
- Torbay Climate Action will hold carbon literacy training sessions for communities in Torbay from January 2023.
- Torbay Climate Action will establish a community grow space in Paignton library by 2024.
- Groundwork South to continue to work with communities across Torbay on a range of environmental projects (as per the nature Based Solutions section).
11. Climate adaptation and community resilience
Over the next 2 years we will carry out the following actions:
Actions:
- Torbay Council and the TDA will continue to co-design with our communities a flood defence/alleviation solution for Paignton and Preston Sea fronts.
- Environment Agency will continue to provide funding to Torbay Council for coastal risk management projects.
- Torbay Council and the Environment Agency, through the Devon Flood, Coastal Risk Innovation Programme, will create two micro forest to reduce flood risk in Torbay.
- The Environment Agency will commence work creating the Southwest Resilience Hub which will be a portal for communities across Devon to access information relating to flooding and coastal change.
- Torbay Council will take part in the EU ARSINOE Project. This project will work with the University of Exeter to model flood risk and predicted future changes in climate to develop actions that will increase Torbay's resilience to a changing climate (including impacts on health and critical infrastructure).
We will use the results of the Met Office’s Torbay City Pack and forthcoming Adaptation Plan for Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Sicily to ensure Torbay understands current and future vulnerability to a changing climate and takes actions to strengthen its resilience
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