London,
01
November
2021
|
09:38
Europe/London

Council to receive funding to support a green recovery in Somers Town

It has been announced that Camden Council has been successful in a bid to the GLA for funding from the Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme.

To help support a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mayor of London launched the programme with an aim to tackle some of London’s defining environmental challenges, including the climate emergency and toxic air quality, whilst creating jobs, developing skills, and supporting a just transition to a low carbon circular economy.

It is targeted at the most climate-vulnerable neighbourhoods, and where residents are disproportionately affected by unemployment, poor health, fuel poverty and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet member for a Sustainable Camden
“I am delighted that our bid to the GLA for this funding has been successful.

“A green recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is central to our aim for a more sustainable future for all our residents​ and also supports the urgent need to make Camden a more sustainable place and respond to the climate emergency.”
Councillor Adam Harrison, Cabinet member for a Sustainable Camden

The council has been awarded funding of £1,415,000 to develop long-term Neighbourhood Strategy for the Somers Town neighbourhood and to implement a wide range of community-based projects that tackle the climate and ecological emergencies.

Councillor Harrison continued:

“Somers Town is a fantastic neighbourhood that has strong existing community energy combined with a real will to go further on the challenge of becoming more sustainable.

“Future Neighbourhoods will make a real difference here – as early as this winter, the new funding will allow us get going on projects that make a difference to Somers Town. We want the area to have cleaner and greener estates, low-emission transport, radically improved air quality, new energy efficiency measures, and low carbon energy sources and new ways of creating the ‘circular economy’.

“Our community vision is that all who live, work and learn in Somers Town will be genuine stakeholders in a sustainable future.

“I would like to thank council officers, residents, community groups and local organisations for their hard work to develop the bid and wider projects.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“Climate action is about building a greener, healthier, fairer and more resilient city and ensuring future generations can thrive. Making positive changes to our homes and streets will benefit everyone, particularly those Londoners who experience the worst effects of toxic air and climate change. We’ve already made great progress - from cleaning the air with the recently extended Ultra Low Emission Zone, to ensuring all new developments are net-zero carbon through the London Plan.

“Future Neighbourhoods is about communities and local government working together to accelerate ambitious climate action and to lower emissions, clean up their air and transform their homes, showing what a net zero carbon London will look and feel like now. I look forward to following the progress of Camden’s work in Somers Town which will deliver benefits to the entire community.”

The council’s proposal consists of ten projects that cover a wide range of sustainability priorities across the Somers Town Neighbourhood. The projects were developed in close collaboration with the Somers Town community for the community.

Ahead of the United Nations COP26 Climate Change Conference starting in Glasgow on Sunday, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and leader of Camden Council, Cllr Georgia Gould, welcomed London’s leaders, businesses and communities to the London Climate Summit, where the outcome of the Future Neighbourhoods funding was announced.

The Somers Town Future Neighbourhoods project and the inspiring work of Camden communities tackling climate change will be showcased at Camden’s COP Regional Roadshow hosted at Samsung KX on 3 November 2021 and online.

Further information

The photo shows Sarah Elie (Somers Town Community Association), Joned Khan (The Living Centre), Shirley Rodrigues (Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy), Sadiq Khan (The Mayor of London) and Carlos Queremel (Camden Council Sustainability Officer).

The Future Neighbourhoods proposed projects are:

Healthy and climate safe streets

  • A new segregated cycle lane and Healthy school streets for local schools.

Greening Somers Town estates

  • Satellite green spaces at Camden housing estates and other sites in Somers town as well as a Horticultural Hub at the Story Garden.

Freight Action Plan

  • Development of a local Freight Action Plan in partnership with the Knowledge Quarter to cut delivery congestion and pollution

Green Mobility Hubs

  • A series of mobility hubs across the area, comprising a mixture of cycle hire, general cycle parking and EV-car clubs, to give residents and visitors high quality shared, and electric, transport options.

Cleaner air

  • Air quality monitoring and Awareness raising, focus on indoor air quality and work with fuel-poor households to reduce indoor condensation and moulds and improve indoor air quality.

Retrofit housing estates and local skills

  • 50 properties retrofitted with internal wall insulation with delivery supported through skills and training to support local employment

Somers Town Energy

  • District energy serving 500 homes and local school expanded, with completion of a study to identify route to decarbonisation

Community energy

  • Camden-based community energy group Power Up North London to raise community investment for solar installations

A community connected by a circular economy

  • Creation of three market stalls in partnership with Central Saint Martins. Working with Think&Do, Global Generation and MAKEspace to host workshops and promote food growing.

Knowledge Quarter carbon offset scheme

  • To provide a long-term sustainable funding stream for projects in the future.
  • The council’s bid partners include: Central St Martins; Francis Crick Institute; Global Generation; Knowledge Quarter; LifeafterHummus; Little Village; Power Up North London; Somers Town Community Association; Somers Town Neighbourhood Forum; Think and Do; Tiptapp; and Vital Energi.

Camden’s COP Regional Roadshow – Camden Council and the Camden Climate Change Alliance (CCCA) are hosting a celebration event at SamsungKX to mark the 26th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP26). Join Camden in celebrating carbon reduction best practice from within the borough and across London. Register for the event online here.