This report provides a quarterly update on Devon County Council’s (DCC’s) corporate Environmental Performance programme that implements the Environmental Policy. The report is split into topics and gives a short update on the individual projects we are running to improve environmental performance.
Period
Oct – Dec 2024
Project Colour Key
Each project is assigned a colour to indicate its current status. The key is as follows:
Green 🟢 – Project is performing well. There may be minor issues that do not affect project viability or timescales significantly.
Amber 🟠 – Issues have arisen that affect the time, cost or scope of the project. However, these can be dealt with by the Environmental Performance Management Group. The Environmental Performance Board should be notified.
Red 🔴 – Significant issues that cannot be handled solely by the Environmental Performance Management Group. The Environmental Performance Board must be engaged to assess the situation.
Energy
Energy Data and Management Service [Amber 🟠]
We are going to improve our data management, starting with the installation of more smart meters for electricity and gas.
Corporate Building Retrofit [Green 🟢]
Target: Carry out 3-4 energy assessments per year and complete 10 more building retrofits by 2030/31
We have won funding from the Low Carbon Skills Fund to carry out energy assessments of 8 corporate buildings. We have submitted a bid in November 2024 to the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme for the capital to carry out the works on four buildings. We’ll be notified by May 2025 as to whether our bid has been successful.
We have commissioned Norse to carry out a detailed energy audit of County Hall by the end of March 25.
Renewables [Amber 🟠]
Target: 800kWp new capacity installed by March 2025 on DCC assets. Current achievement is 303kWp.
Solar PV on salt barns – Honiton, Pathfields and Rydon have been completed. Tavistock is now progressing. Tiverton, Okehampton and Crediton depots could all take 25kW each and will be considered in 25/26.
Detailed feasibility work, including planning pre-applications, is being prepared using external funding for potential solar farms on three redundant landfill sites.
County Farmhouses Retrofit [Green 🟢]
42 of 66 dwellings completed. This leaves 24 remaining. Two more will be completed by March 2024. Further upgrades are dependent on budget, which is not committed.
Another 4 farmhouses to be done this financial year.
Street Lighting [Green 🟢]
At least 70,000 of the 79,000 lamps (89%) have been replaced with LED technology. The remaining non-LED’s are generally awkward ones e.g. ornate lanterns etc. so the process has slowed down but continuing.
A programme of installing a Central Management System (CMS) is almost complete. This allows much better control of lighting and identification of failed lamps without physical surveys. A trial of dimming the lamps to 40% brightness away from main roads for 12 months is commencing and is estimated to save 200 tonnes of carbon.
Schools Estate [Amber 🟠]
The maintenance programme is very stretched and work is focussed on ensuring basic structures, such as roofs, are kept sound. We are therefore using the Low Carbon Skills Fund Funding secured for retrofit to develop a prioritisation strategy and detailed audits of 5 schools. These will be completed by January 2025.
Transport
Electric Vehicles and Charging [Green 🟢]
Fleet vehicles
Target: 44 electric vehicles in the fleet by March 2025. Currently achieved 43.
Eighteen more vehicles were procured in 23/24 and 24/25 meaning a total of 43 now in the fleet, including EV people carrier for North Devon National Landscape.
With about 320 vehicles in the DCC-owned fleet, this means that 13% of the fleet is electric.
Charging posts [Red 🔴]
Two bays at County Hall for staff and visitors have been delayed due to the need for the correct heritage consents. Consents now obtained and the provider is happy to proceed. Installation date unknown due to delays with grid connection.
The installation of 16 further charging sockets has been procured by Norse and will be complete by March 2025.
There are significant issues with charging posts in terms of speed of charging or not working at all. Norse are working on a resolution.
Waste and Resources Amber 🟠
Establish a new Reuse Policy [Green 🟢]
Policy was adopted via delegated Cabinet member decision in December 2023. It is now online.
Establish a waste/recycling data management system [Green 🟢]
The waste audit, to look at the composition of the refuse from County Hall, Taw View and Great Moor House went ahead in early February 2024. An analysis of waste transfer notes has now been completed.
Update waste action and plastics strategy and action plans [Amber 🟠]
Following the waste audit to look at the composition of the refuse from County Hall, Taw View and Great Moor House, we are addressing the issues identified with an update to the Waste Action Plan and discussions with Facilities Managers. A review has been drafted and shared with the Environmental Performance Management Group. This includes an update to the actions to continue our excellent work on single-use plastics. Progress is slow due to a lack of dedicated staff time.
Procurement and Commissioning
Low Carbon Supply Chain Strategy [Amber 🟠]
The Strategy was approved by Cabinet in December 2024. A business case for the recruitment of dedicated resource will now be prepared.
Highways, Development and Infrastructure Activity [Green 🟢]
The second session of carbon literacy training is under way with 20 people attending.
Three carbon dashboards have now been published – job breakdown, monitoring of jobs, and baseline trends. These are being used to inform discussions with contractors on the data and carbon reduction road maps.
A382 (Including Jetty Marsh Link Road) – Carbon Negative Project
No update this quarter.
Environmental Risk
Service-Level Climate Adaptation Risk Assessments [Amber 🟠]
No further progress this quarter. Template is available to all service areas. Requires promotion and offer of support to encourage further uptake. The need for the project and cross-council approach has been recorded by the Climate Change, Infrastructure, Modernisation and Innovation Transformation Group. The project has been given a Tier 2 priority and will be considered again for resourcing in April 2025.
Water
Water Resource Management Surveys [Amber 🟠]
The Estates team will review how these could be resourced within existing maintenance resources as important to monitor to spot leaks. Reporting of leaks etc. covered in updated internal website pages.
Countryside, Coast and Heritage
The full list of actions within the new plan will be recorded in this highlight report next quarter. The updated plan is on DCC’s website.
Support the delivery of Tree-planting in Devon [Green 🟢]
DCC have continued to secure external funding to support county-wide tree planting, engaging volunteers and communities from a diverse range of demographics, including young people and hard to reach groups. About 70,000 trees will have been planted since 2021.
Carbon Offsetting
Review of Options [Green 🟢]
A procurement to purchase an offsetting solution for the 2023/24 commitment resulted in the purchase of offsets under the UK Carbon Code of Conduct for “regenerative” farming prescriptions. The Climate Emergency Officer visited Beech Estate, Sussex (one of the estates from which offsets have been purchased) in July to provide assurance. She was impressed by the work to create flower-rich meadows and restore hedgerows, as well as the whole estate approach. The Estate itself is already at net zero and can therefore sell excess credits. Very early discussions are taking place to consider replicating this model in Devon.
Brook Wood [Green 🟢]
Planting of the 10ha Brook Wood commenced in December 2024 and will be completed by end of March 2025.