David Smith

Lichfield District Council, the University of Birmingham and partners celebrate winning prestigious environmental award
 
Lichfield District Council and its partners are celebrating after winning a prestigious Bronze Green Apple Award at the House of Commons this week, in recognition of the partnership initiative ‘Chasewater Green Park Projects’.
 
The trophy was presented by The Green Organisation at the sixteenth annual international awards ceremony on Tuesday (17 November). The ceremony was hosted by The Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP, and the presentations were made by star of screen and stage, former Bond girl Alexandra Bastedo.
 
Cllr David S. Smith, Leader of Lichfield District Council, explained: “As a council we are passionate about our role as a community leader in tackling the causes and impacts of climate change, both locally and further afield. We helped to set up Chasewater Green Park Projects in late 2008, and the Green Apple award firmly cements the initiative’s role at the forefront of helping to cut carbon emissions and the amount of non-renewable energy sources we all use."
 
The award comes only days after the Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Birmingham, which will see students and staff from the university working as part of the initiative to research and develop greener technologies and approaches. 
 
Professor Nigel Weatherill, Head of the University of Birmingham’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, says, ‘The University of Birmingham is delighted to be involved in the Chasewater Green Park Projects.  Energy and climate change are key themes for our researchers and the expertise of our scientists and engineers is crucial in tackling the serious global challenges we face. This is an example of a project where our research can have a real and direct impact on the local community.’

Chasewater Green Park Projects includes projects ranging from researching greener ways to energy manage historic buildings, such as Lichfield Cathedral, to looking at ways to create carbon neutral business parks, through to demonstrating how to harness unused energy from coal fired power stations.
 
“The Council is also working to help fight climate change at a local level, by fostering and creating low carbon community action groups in parishes across the district, in partnership with Whittington & Fisherwick Environmental Group (WFEG) and Low Carbon Lichfield (LoCaL). We firmly believe that local businesses and public partners, as well as residents, need to come together to tackle climate change, and Chasewater Green Park Projects is helping us and our partners to achieve this, ” continued Cllr Smith.

Partners involved in Chasewater Green Park Projects also include Advantage West Midlands and Staffordshire County Council. A number of private partners including Lichfield Cathedral and Lingfield Developments are also involved and set to come on board.