Tewkesbury Borough Council received high praise and recognition at this year’s Southwest Energy Efficiency Awards.
Held at Sandy Park Conference and Banqueting Centre in Exeter on Thursday, 18 May, the awards evening saw the council recognised across three award categories:
Council / local authority of the year – Winner
Awarded in recognition of the council’s commitment to energy efficiency, including the installation of its solar canopy and plans for an air source heating project at its Public Services Centre in Tewkesbury.
The award also recognised the wider participation of the council’s staff, including the completion of carbon literacy training, the forming of a Green Champion network to encourage environmentally-friendly behaviour, and the use of EV pool cars when officers are travelling on council business.
Landlord of the year – Highly commended
Awarded in recognition of the work undertaken to upgrade the seven domestic homes the council manages.
These upgrades included the addition of enhanced insulation, LED lighting, heating improvements, and new energy efficient windows and doors – all of which result in warmer homes and lower costs for tenants.
Large project of the year – Commended
Awarded in recognition of the solar canopy project constructed at the council’s staff car park which provides electricity to both the centre itself and Tewkesbury Leisure Centre.
The project is estimated to produce approximately two thirds of the council’s electricity and reduces its carbon footprint by around 76 tonnes of carbon each year.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Lead Member for Clean and Green Environment, Sarah Hands, said: “Tewkesbury Borough councillors recently voted unanimously to widen the scope of the climate emergency to include the whole borough, and we have committed to doing everything possible to make the district carbon neutral by 2030.
“The council’s tremendous achievements at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Awards are testament to this commitment and our dedication to combating greenhouse gas emissions.”
“I’d like to thank all of our officers who contributed to the recognition the council rightfully received during the awards.”
