Council Plan Action Plan 2023 to 2025

Overview

We want to deliver greener neighbourhoods, cleaner air, and healthier lives for everyone who lives here. Parks and open spaces and well-maintained streets are valued by our residents and are important to everyone’s quality of life. That means preserving and enhancing the borough’s neighbourhoods, green spaces, and exceptionally clean streets.

Key actions to deliver this priority in the next two years include:

1. Working in partnership to support the delivery of Net-zero by 2030 and enhancing the bio-diversity in the Borough – including by investing £14million in schools and operational buildings to make them energy efficient and managing the sites of importance for nature conservancy in the borough.
2. Progressing in delivering new public spaces in Chelsea Riverside and enhancements in Portobello Road to provide more green space and enhance public squares for residents.  Agreement has been reached in principle with Thames Tideway in relation to the space at Cremorne Wharf. We will engage closely with residents as we develop the design for the space.
3. Investing in our parks by improving facilities at Kensington Memorial Park, Powis Square, Emslie Horniman's Pleasance. We will deliver five park improvements every year for the next four years.
4. Supporting low carbon neighbourhoods in Notting Dale with green and sustainable initiatives, like sustainable drainage systems, community gardening and food skills, warm spaces, retrofitting, solar schemes and green skills training being delivered in partnership with the community, local businesses and institutions.  In Notting Dale, we will open a community café and a Green Skills Academy.
5. Taking targeted action to deep clean our pavements and reduce graffiti over 2023 as part of our amazing spaces programme to deliver greener and cleaner neighbourhoods, this includes exceptionally clean streets and high-quality parks and public realm, making sure residents and visitors can enjoy the borough at its best. 

Transition to Net-zero

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.1 Delivery of Net-zero by 2030	Deliver the transition to Net-zero by making all Council-owned buildings such as schools and offices energy efficient. An investment of £14 million in schools and operational buildings will support delivery of net-zero.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities

Investment in parks and open spaces and improve public squares

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.2 Progress in delivering new public spaces at Chelsea Riverside and Cremorne Wharf and enhancements at Portobello Road.	Work in partnership with residents and local landowners to develop high quality new open spaces and public realm connecting up to Cremorne Gardens and the River Thames. An agreement has been reached with Thames Tideway for the space at Cremorne Wharf and we are engaging with residents to agree the design for the space. We will also work to improve public squares and spaces including the upcoming enhancements at Portobello Road.	Lead Member for Community Safety, Culture and Leisure and Lead Member Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities
1.3 Earl’s Court and Kensal Opportunity Areas.	Working with residents, communities and developers to ensure high quality public realm and open spaces – including developing a park in Earl’s Court.	Lead Member Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities
1.4 Deliver the parks capital works programme.	We are working to deliver five park improvements a year, including refurbishment of facilities at Avondale Park, Kensington Memorial Park, Powis Square and Emslie Horniman’s in addition to newly refurbished public toilets at Holland Park.	Lead Member for Community Safety, Culture and Leisure	Executive Director for Environment and Communities
1.5 Maintain ten Green Flag Awards for our parks and open spaces.	We will continue to invest and maintain our parks so that we maintain our Green Flags.	Lead Member for Community Safety, Culture and Leisure	Executive Director for Environment and Communities
1.6 Adoption of the New Local Plan.	The New Local Plan Review (NLPR) has been submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination by an appointed Planning Inspector. Public examination (hearings) of the New Local Plan begin on 20 June 2023. There will be a 6-week consultation on any modifications. The Council will adopt and publish the new Local Plan if it is found to be sound and legally compliant.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities

Maintain twice weekly bin collections and increase recycling rates

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.7 Provide high quality twice weekly collections for waste and recycling and increase recycling rates.	We will work to deliver increased recycling rates through improved waste management, minimising the amount of waste and contaminated waste rates, and expanding the food waste collection service, seeing our dry mixed recycling contamination rates reducing. We will continue to keep low levels of missed collections per year to fewer than 1% of the 9.7 million collections a year.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities

The cleanest, best maintained streets in London

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.8 Clean Streets and amazing spaces.	Maintaining streets to be clear of litter, debris, graffiti and fly tipping where possible and acting quickly to clear mess when it happens. Annual surveys to be conducted to check our progress so that we are meeting or exceeding our Keep Britain Tidy, waste management and assessment targets for litter, detritus, graffiti and fly posting.   We will also undertake area blitzes through our amazing spaces programme during 2023 - a targeted programme of activity for one year aimed at working towards reductions in graffiti and cleaner pavements by acting quickly to clear mess when it happens. New wash crews and graffiti crews will be in operation and monthly action will be taken to clean targeted areas of the borough.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities

Improve biodiversity

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.9 Deliver new Biodiversity Action Plan (2022-2027).	This will include measures such as the Bee Superhighway and wider nature recovery network, preparing for the introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain legislation - creating a network of pollinator hotspots that connect open spaces and green infrastructure across the borough. 46 projects to be completed by end of 2023. We will work towards completing a borough-wide habitat survey and establish a biodiversity partnership steering group. Alongside this, we will manage the current sites of importance for nature conservancy in the borough and we will explore funding opportunities for habitat works and increase opportunities for access to nature.	Lead Member for Community Safety, Culture and Leisure	Executive Director for Environment and Communities

Work in partnership to support the planting of new trees

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.10 Implement a tree planting programme.	Working in partnership to support the planting of trees across the borough in both public and private spaces working towards 400 new trees in the borough. We will support the planting, successful growth and maintenance of trees in Council-owned spaces for the benefit of the local community.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities

Low carbon and eco neighbourhoods

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.11 Notting Dale Eco Neighbourhood.	Decarbonisation and sustainability initiatives will be put in place in the local area through partnership working, increased learning, and best practice developed with major local businesses and institutions.  Codesigned and delivered locally these will bring improvements in areas such as Sustainable Drainage Systems, community gardening and food skills, sustainable travel and air quality improvements, warm spaces, retrofitting and solar schemes, waste minimisation and upcycling, green skills development, and new local facilities – including a new community café and green skills academy.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment, Deputy Leader, Grenfell, Housing and Social Investment and Lead Member for Community Safety, Culture and Leisure	Executive Director for Environment and Communities and Executive Director for Housing and Social Investment

Improve air quality

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.12 Reduce pupils’ exposure to air pollution.	We will carry out school audits to identify sources of pollution and implement measures to remedy.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities
1.13 Increase the number of public on-street Electric Vehicle charge points borough-wide.	We will increase the number of on-street charge points available to residents from 782 to 1000.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities
1.14 Developments to be air quality neutral or positive.	We will review planning applications to mitigate any potential impacts on air quality during demolition, construction and operation.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities

Make it easier for residents in the borough to make green changes

Activity	How we will get there	Lead Member	Lead Officer
1.15 Planning policy changes to supporting residents who wish to improve the energy efficiency/ sustainability of their homes.	A new Local Plan will contain policies that support sustainable development, including the use of renewable technologies to enable home improvements where appropriate that are not detrimental to heritage assets.	Lead Member for Planning, Place and Environment	Executive Director for Environment and Communities
1.16 Increase the number of Kitchen Gardens in the borough.	We will continue to install new community kitchen gardens and support over 60 existing community kitchen gardens, so residents and community groups can grow fresh fruit and vegetables.	Lead Member for Community Safety, Culture and Leisure	Executive Director for Environment and Communities