District Dispatch - 28 May 2025

The consultation offered an important opportunity for everyone to come together to help tackle a crisis that affects us all. Over 1,300 people visited the online survey to have their say — almost seven times the number of the previous climate change consultation in 2020 — and the feedback we received was vital in helping us develop our new Climate Emergency Action Plan. We'd like to thank everyone who took part.

I'm pleased to say that the plan, which sets out the climate change projects that the council will take forward and deliver between 2025 and 2030, was approved by the council's Environment Panel last week. It will now be considered by Overview and Scrutiny Committee, before being presented to Cabinet and Full Council in July.

Generating renewable energy in our own homes and making them as energy efficient as possible are two of the biggest things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint and save money on energy bills. I'm pleased to say that a new Government grant, the 'Warm Homes: Local Grant', will soon be available in our area to help people access funding to install energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in their homes.

Eligible residents will be able to apply to this scheme for free insulation, solar panels or energy-efficient heating systems, regardless of the type of heating they use. There are several ways in which you could be eligible for this funding — for example, you may be eligible due to your income or your health circumstances.

As part of the scheme, private landlords will be able to access funding for improvements to their rental properties regardless of how many they own, which will help increase the number of private rental properties being improved. Tenants won't need to contribute to the cost of this work.

We'll be delivering the grant in partnership with Warmer Homes, and you can find out more and register your interest on the Warmer Homes website (opens new window). Residents who register their interest will be the first to be contacted to discuss eligibility when the scheme is launched.

For advice about making your home more energy efficient, including details about other available grants, visit our Home Energy Efficiency page. If you're unsure whether you're eligible for any of the grants, the Citizens' Advice Energy Team can help — call 0800 145 6879 or you can visit the Citizen's Advice energy page (opens new window).

You may also be interested to know that we are running several free climate change training sessions over the next couple of months. These Carbon Literacy courses consist of two half days, either in-person or online, and aim to provide you with the knowledge and skills to take action to address climate change in your area. They also give you the opportunity to be certified as 'Carbon Literate' through the Carbon Literacy Project.

Designed by the Carbon Literacy Project and delivered by the council's Environmental Strategy team, these sessions offer a great opportunity to connect with people who are passionate about sustainability. We look forward to hosting you at one of our upcoming training workshops, so please book now by visiting Eventbrite for sessions on Thursday 5 June and Friday 6 June 2025 (opens new window); and for sessions on Thursday 3 July and Friday 4 July 2025 (opens new window).

Delivering this free training is just one of many actions that the council is taking to help tackle the effects of climate change in our area. You can find more information about the work we're doing around this important issue on our Climate Change page.

You can also keep up-to-date on climate change projects and initiatives by signing up to our climate change email newsletter.

Best Wishes

Cllr Jonathan Brown

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environmental Strategy at Chichester District Council