Action and activity

Our actions and activity

This page highlights the work we are doing as a Council.

Organisation actions

So far we have;

  • Conducted a review of our fleet and produced a forward fleet plan to transition our vehicle fleet to EV. 
  • We are currently a registered EV installer and have been using in house resources to install EV charging points for our fleet conversion and at Follaton House.
  • Commissioned an organisational decarbonisation plan with Exeter University.
  • Carried out energy audits for Follaton House.
  • Secured £233,000 through the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund to produce a costed heat decarbonisation plan for our leisure centres
  • £500,000 was approved to facilitate solar panel installation across all four SHDC leisure centres, which will reduce organisational carbon emissions by 131 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is equivalent to the energy emissions of 38 homes. Leisure centre energy use is enormous, roughly 1,333,000 kWh, equivalent to the average energy use of nearly 300 homes.
  • Introduced an EV salary scheme for staff and increase the cycle to work threshold to £5000 to account for e-bike purchases
  • Reviewed Solar Canopy opportunities in Council owned car parks with a second review undertaken with the South West Energy Hub.
  • Saved through ‘agile’ working since January 2021 an estimated 300,000 miles of travel has been avoided, leading to a saving of 106tCO2e (Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent).
  • The Councils Offices at Follaton House are powered by solar PV and we use 100% renewable tariff's
  • Climate Change will be reflected on future role profiles across the organisation, depending on grade these are:
    • Grades 9 to 4 - Climate Change: Contribute to the Council’s corporate objectives in relation to climate change by considering the environmental impact of individual and collective actions, working to reduce resource and energy use, minimise waste, and anticipate and enhance the efficiency of services in response to a changing climate, wherever possible, to help the council reduce its own carbon footprint and that of the district.
    • Grade 4 and above - Climate Change: Promote and role model the Council’s corporate objectives in relation to climate change by considering the environmental impact of individual and collective actions, working to reduce resource and energy use, minimise waste, and anticipate and enhance the efficiency of services in response to a changing climate, wherever possible, to help the council reduce its own carbon footprint and that of the district.

Publications and reports

Grounds maintenance review

In March 2021, the Council launched a consultation to find out what the public thought about rewilding on 50 hectares (ha) of Council green spaces. The public responded overwhelmingly in favour of plans to increase biodiversity and wildlife value.

In response to this feedback, the changes to our grounds maintenance procedures has been agreed by the Council's Executive in February 2022.

£46,000 has been committed from the Council's Climate Change and Biodiversity Earmarked Reserve to fund new grounds maintenance equipment and wildflower seed to re-wild some of our own managed spaces. These changes will see around 2.5 ha of new wildflower areas of local provenance, all in aid of increasing biodiversity and supporting pollinators

Electric vehicle charging

In addition to EV chargers installed by the Council at its HQ at Follaton House and Glanvilles Mill car park in Ivybridge, The first new Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points planned for 9 public car parks across South Hams are now ready for public use in Dartmouth's Mayors Avenue Car Park, Creek Car Park in Salcombe, Quay Car Park in Kingsbridge and Pavilions Car Park and Victoria Car Park in Totnes

These charging points are part of the larger DELETTI programme, a £1.3 million project which is being largely funded by the European Regional Development Fund. 

Powered by renewable energy through a green tariff, the charge points are compatible with all makes of EVs and will fully charge a 50 kWh battery in two to four hours, providing a range of up to 200 miles depending on vehicle specification.

Additional funding for off street residential charging was secured in additional to this for the following car parks:

  • North Street, Totnes
  • Steamer Quay, Totnes
  • Lower Union Road, Kingsbridge
  • Duncombe Park, Kingsbridge

Where are EV charging points available?

The towns and villages with EVCs are:

  • Ivybridge
  • Kingsbridge
  • Dartmouth
  • Totnes
  • Salcombe
  • Modbury

Our car park directory can be searched to show which car parks have electric vehicle charging. Simply select the electric vehicle charging box on the menu on the left-hand side.

Car park directory

Carbon literacy

Carbon literacy is an awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.

Following carbon literacy training for our senior leaders, South Hams District Council has been awarded bronze level as a carbon literate organisation. Further training is now being offered internally to a wider range of staff levels.

A carbon literate organisation is an organisation that has been accredited by the carbon literacy Project as being 'culturally carbon literate'; maintaining a substantial proportion of its workforce as carbon literate and demonstrating its carbon literacy through its organisational behaviour.

District behaviour change

  • A Council led Climate and Biodiversity Community Forum was established in 2021, which the Local Government Association featured as a case study in 2021. It has since ended. The forum as helped the Council guide its work and focus such as refining grant scheme criteria and promote work such as a public survey into attitudes around car share and bike share schemes. 
  • In 2021, the Council Partnered with Carbon Savvy to run two engagement campaigns​​;
    • Lifestyle Spring Clean Week - from Friday 12 to Sunday 21 March 2021. This was a chance for individuals to measure their carbon footprint with the Carbon Savvy calculator and learn about steps they can take to reduce it. Carbon Savvy was chosen because of their unique approach to carbon footprints which shows that not only is carbon-saving easier than people think, but it can actually increase happiness and wellbeing at the same time, as many things which improve your quality of life also contributes to doing your bit for the climate, as well as saving money in the long run.
    • Shop4good - Saturday 30 October to Saturday 13 November 2021. the programme promoted ten ways to shop that reduce CO2 emissions and raise well-being.  The campaign followed new research that shows consumer interest in sustainability has increased significantly since the pandemic, and suggests consumer buying power may be doing more to help the climate than initially realised.