Sustainable Development FAQ
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions.
Do I need planning permission to put a wind turbine or solar panels on my house?
Wind turbines will almost always require planning permission. With solar panels the need for planning permission is less likely but individual circumstances may make it necessary to gain consent in some cases. Contact Development Control at the Environmental Services Department for advice.
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Does the council use renewable energy?
Yes. Overall, 60% of the electricity used by the Council comes from renewable sources. All of the borough's street lights are powered by an electricity supply from wind turbines (and new photocells inside each unit also cut energy consumption by 40% by responding to local lighting conditions). A solar powered water heating system has been installed at the Council’s Outdoor Activity centre at Hinning House in the Lake District and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems are in use at Howe Bridge Leisure Centre, Cansfield High School and Hindley Junior and Infants School. The Council has established a Carbon Management Programme of initiatives to save waste and energy across all of its operations. This aims to reduce the Council’s overall carbon emissions by 15% in the next 5 years.
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How do I find out about using public transport?
A journey-planner and additional information (about tickets, fares, passes and timetables) for buses, trams, trains and park and ride schemes in Greater Manchester can be obtained from the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive at www.gmpte.com. You can also call Traveline on 0870 608 2608 which is open 7 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 8 pm Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays.
The national Traveline website at www.traveline.org.uk also provides information and links to National Rail Enquiries (for longer distance rail journeys) and long distance coach operators.
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I run a local business. What is ISO 14001?
After the rapid acceptance of the ISO 9000 series of quality standards for organisations around the world, the International Standards Organisation (ISO) published a comprehensive set of standards for environmental management to ensure internationally accepted criteria to help organisations compete in the global marketplace. The ISO 14000 series of standards is designed to cover environmental management systems, environmental auditing and performance evaluation, environmental labelling, life-cycle assessment and product standards.
Local businesses can find out more about ISO14001 registration at www.quality.co.uk/iso14000.htm#intro.
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What is the council doing about greener transport?
For its own employees, the council is implementing a Staff Travel Plan to try to reduce its own transport impacts. This involves a range of measures including a car-sharing database, public transport information and incentives for cycle use.
The council is also promoting more sustainable travel more widely across the borough. A Walking Strategy and a Cycling Strategy have been adopted and, during the year to March 2006, work was undertaken on 25 School Travel Plans. 38% of schools now have a Travel Plan in place and there are currently 27 Workplace Travel Plans at various stages of development across the borough. These include a number in conjunction with planning applications such as Leigh Sports Village, Pemberton Colliery and the Primary Care Trust (covering several sites).
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What recycling facilities does the council provide?
The council encourages residents to recycle as many materials as possible.
Residents can take domestic refuse items to one of the borough's Household Waste Recycling Centres. You can also take your recyclables to a comprehensive network of kerbside sites (including bottle banks) throughout the borough. There's one within a mile of most homes. To find a site, please go to our Local Recycling Centres database or use the interactive local recycling maps.
The council collects waste paper from most properties in the borough. Collections are on the same day as regular bin collections, but fortnightly. Residents should place old newspapers, magazines, catalogues and papers in their recycling sack next to their wheelie bin for collection. For additional or replacement sacks please telephone the Streetcare Helpline on 01942 404364.
There are also collections of green waste from many households. Please use the green wheelie bin for grass cuttings, leaves and cut branches. You can also use it for clean brown cardboard - but not plastics or food of any kind.
Inkjet cartridge and mobile phone recycling and Christmas tree recycling are also possible. Visit the council’s web pages about recycling in Wigan Borough for more information about all aspects of recycling.
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Whatever happened to Local Agenda 21?
In 1992, the United Nations began a global drive towards more sustainable development called Agenda 21. As part of this worldwide initiative, a Local Agenda 21 Plan for Wigan Borough was published in 2000. This set the context for sustainable development in the borough, under 26 key sustainability themes. Then in 2001 the aims and objectives of the Local Agenda 21 Plan were incorporated into the borough’s first Community Plan, which continues to inform sustainability work in the borough, through the Local Strategic Partnership.
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Where can I find out about using less energy and releasing less carbon?
The council has a partnership with the Local Energy Advice Centre which can be contacted free of charge for help and information by telephoning 0800 512012. The Centre is supported by the Energy Saving Trust, whose web site at www.est.org.uk has lots of useful practical information and tips on energy saving for individual householders, housing professionals, schools and local community groups. Any local businesses wanting help to reduce waste and energy use can contact the Carbon Trust at www.carbontrust.co.uk.
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