2024 has been all about making pushing ahead on our journey to make Derby a greener, better connected city. As ever, it’s been a busy year, so it’s easy to forget just how much that has been achieved and the progress we’ve made on our journey to reaching carbon net-zero.
Much of the work we’ve been doing this year has focused on giving residents greater choice when they decide how to travel around Derby. Earlier this year we launched our Car Club, in partnership with Enterprise Car Club. I’m really pleased that we’ve had some great feedback from residents about this and the team is already working with Enterprise to look at how we can bring this scheme to new areas of the city.
Mobility Hubs are another area where we’ve given residents tangible improvements to local travel. Mobility hubs offer a range of transport options in one place and give people more choice of how to get to local amenities, such as shops. The Six Streets mobility hub is now fully up and running, with four Car Club vehicles, new Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers, and cycle parking. Further hubs are due to launch in Chaddesden, Grove Street and the University of Derby’s Kedleston Road campus next year.
We’ve also installed new EV chargers at Darley Playing Fields, and created six Pocket Parks in the heart of communities across the city, which enhance biodiversity, make it easier to access local amenities and offer a lovely spot to catch up with friends – weather permitting!
Our commitment to creating better transport choices and enhancing the public transport offer remains as strong as ever. Over the course of 2024, we worked with trentbarton to increase bus services through Spondon, as well as Arriva to launch the 1B service through Alvaston to Boulton Moor. I’m proud of the progress that has been made but there is still work to be done, which is why we’re asking for feedback about bus services in the city.
By making it easier for people to use public and active transport – such as walking and cycling – we’re reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and improving the health of our residents.
The launch of our new Climate Change Action Plan was a significant milestone in our journey towards a sustainable future. The 2025-2027 plan builds on the successes of previous years and has a more strategic focus, addressing what we as a Council need to do to reduce not just our own emissions, but how as city leaders we can bring everyone else on the journey with us.
Through our home energy advice programme, we've helped countless residents reduce their energy consumption and save money on their bills this year. This has not only benefited individual households but contributed to significant carbon savings for the whole city.
In November we hosted the Festival of Ideas, part of the Derby Promise. The event coincided with COP29 and brought together pupils from Derby’s primary and secondary schools to explore activities centred on climate action, green careers and opportunities within STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Maths). This was a fantastic event and only the start of a conversation that will enable all our schools to create their own climate action plans and help children and young people develop their skills and knowledge for a greener future.
Another practical way that we’re bring about change is by using what we have and making it more sustainable. We recently switched from regular fuel to Hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) to run six of our waste collection vehicles for a period to monitor performance and explore whether this is a long-term way of reducing our carbon footprint. This trial is running alongside the introduction of EVs to our fleet.
As we move into 2025, my commitment to creating a greener, more connected city for our residents is as strong as ever and I’m looking forward to seeing all that we have planned come to life. By working together, we can create a greener, cleaner, and healthier city for future generations.