OLDHAM COUNCIL is pledging to get green and save residents money through a new campaign.
At a meeting attended by councillors from Oldham’s three political parties, Youth Council members and officers, the local authority committed to the Local Government Association’s Climate Local campaign.
The campaign supports councils to take action to address climate change, support local businesses and residents to save on their energy bills and investigate opportunities for local renewable energy.
The council agreed five key pledges including supporting local community energy groups, where residents get together to generate power through locally-led schemes, and completing work on the St Mary’s estate to convert home energy use from fossil fuels to biomass boilers by 2015.
Oldham’s local plan also includes pledges to support local people to get out of fuel poverty, to save energy in council buildings and facilities, and raising awareness of ways to save energy and money.
The work builds on a number of successful green projects including the country’s first joint investment agreement with local health and housing services, which has supported 1,000 people to get out of fuel poverty over the last year.
Councillor Abdul Jabbar, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “A recent survey showed around 26 per cent of Oldham residents struggle to heat their homes in winter and we know rising energy bills are a real concern for residents.
“This work will support families as well as delivering long-term changes to how we create and use energy across the borough.
“This campaign is an important part of our co-operative approach – not only will our pledges make Oldham greener we will also be working to save people money on their energy bills.
“This initiative also forms the basis of the council’s aim to become self-sufficient by 2020, including through the production of renewable energy.”
More than 80 local authorities across the country have signed up to Climate Local – find out more on the LGA’s website: http://www.local.gov.uk/the-lga-and-climate-change
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