Climate Change

In November 2019 we declared a climate emergency pledging to work to make the Borough carbon neutral by 2030 which we continue to work towards.

In order to tackle the Climate Change Emergency a Climate Change Strategy has been developed.

Read our Climate Change Strategy

Our Climate Change Programme is outlined by the following themes:

Nature and Biodiversity

The Council has set a target to plant a tree for every resident by 2025, that's a total of 116,875 trees! We are achieving this by planting trees on our own land, farmers' land and giving trees and hedges to residents to plant at home. We hold tree giveaways during the planting season regularly, keep an eye out for the next one.

Find out more about our Emergency Tree Plan, wildflower meadows and wildlife corridors on our Nature and Biodiversity page.

You can find out more about the November tree giveaway on Citizenspace here:

Tree giveaway event

As a Council we do not use peat within our own assets such as our parks and flowerbeds, we only use peat free compost. We also do not use pesticides on our grounds in an effort to conserve the natural biodiversity.

Chorley has 6 parks and open spaces which have been awarded green flag status. Discover our Green Flag parks.

Energy

The Council is taking measures to reduce our carbon footprint by improving the efficiency of our buildings and operations. Solar panels have been installed on Chorley Town Hall to supply energy to the building and all new construction follows the BREEAM construction standards for high energy efficiency. We are publishing our Carbon Footprint publicly to show our progress, check back here for updates:

Carbon Footprint Report Final 2019-2020 (Word doc) [526KB]

Here is some information regarding Home Energy Efficiency and tips for you to do at home to lower your energy and water usage Home energy and water saving tips (Word doc) [15KB] .

There may be more actions you can do at home to lower your energy and water usage through COSY HOMES Lancashire - who may be able to support increased insulation and boiler replacement for eligible residents.

Air Quality

Air Quality is important for our health, wellbeing and the environment.

Find out more about Chorley's Air Quality here.

Waste and Recycling

why recycle?
how to reduce your waste
what happens to your waste and recycling
reducing your plastic footprint
Reduce your food and garden waste by home composting. We work with a partner company to offer reduced-price compost bins to help.
View the waste section of our website

Sustainable transport

Sustainable travel choices are a great way to reduce our environmental impact. Cycling, wheeling and walking are also great for our health. We have a new page full of information to help, with tips and ideas on how to make the most of walking, wheeling, cycling, buses and trains across Chorley, follow this link to the Active and Sustainable Travel webpage.

Chorley Council have also invested in a network of Electric Vehicle Charging Points in Chorley and we are looking to expand the network to help residents and visitors.

Water

We are a member of the Douglas Catchment Partnership
Read about grid, drain and flooding problems

Community and Engagement

As a Council we work to engage with our local community at all stages of the Climate Change programme.

During the drafting of our Climate Change Strategy 2022-24, we consulted our residents to ensure their opinions and priorities are within the strategy. The outcome of the Climate Change Strategy Draft Consultation can be read here Climate Change Strategy Consultation Outcomes Report 2022 (Word doc) [534KB] .

Community Grants and Funding

If you are part of community group, local charity or environmentally focused collective there are schemes available which could provide financial assistance to help you to deliver projects in our communities. Here are some ideas to get you started, it is also worth doing your own searches as well to find other sources which could help. Bear in mind that eligibility criteria apply for some funding schemes.

Climate Action Fund - Energy and Climate - from the National Lottery Community Fund
Powering our Communities Fund - from Electricity Northwest
Depending on the project, you may also be able to apply for Chorley Council Community Group Grants and Funding.

Rural business grants now available in Chorley

Expressions of interest are now open for rural businesses across Chorley to apply for grant funding through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).

Chorley Council has been awarded funding from the Government's Rural England Prosperity Fund to help supercharge growth and create employment opportunities for the borough's rural areas. A total of £400,000 has been allocated to support new and existing rural enterprises and initiatives such as farm diversification, projects to boost rural tourism, and community infrastructure projects including renewable energy and net zero.

Rural businesses can apply for this grant funding through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), where eligible applicants can apply for up to 40% of their total project costs with a minimum spend of £50,000 (40% grant of £20,000) and a maximum grant of £100,000 (spend of £250,000).

The fund will be managed by Lancashire County Council on behalf of Chorley Council and expressions of interest are being taken now until October 6, 2023. Interested businesses should email ruralprosperityfund@lancashire.gov.uk

Useful support and resources for businesses