This case is presented in its original format as provided by the European Academy of the Urban Environment, Berlin from their Good Practice in Urban Development database.
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Type: | Projects, Concepts |
| Area: | District |
| Actors: | Local Gov., National Gov., Private |
| Funding: | Local Gov., National Gov., Private |
| Topics: | Built environment |
| Ecological education | |
| Employment | |
| Industry and business | |
| Information | |
| Urban rehabilitation | |
| Objectives: | Improve intersectoral cooperation |
| Improve national and international cooperation | |
| Increase green areas | |
| Increase public awareness | |
| Instruments: | Eco audit |
| Integrated planning approach | |
Each local Groundwork aims to serve the community in a professional manner and to set high standards. The Groundwork activities have four basic themes:
1. bringing about physical environmental improvements:
With the agreement of its sponsors, Groundwork Blackburn has focused on three complementary streams of activities:
So far the most apparent achievements are that 145,000 trees have been planted and 6,500 metres of footpath improved. 125 hectares of land have been treated and work has taken place at 400 sites. More than 5,500 people have been involved in the projects and 'green gang' training and jobs have been provided. In 1994/95 Groundwork Blackburn allocated 42,5% of staff time to practical action projects.
Groundwork Blackburn has aimed to involve communities across the borough in four seasonal campaigns each year, often utilising national initiatives to achieve local objectives. The annual Spring into the Countryside Campaign enables young people to visit farm and countryside as well as the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. Tree Weeks are mainly used for the implementation of planting programmes in existing woodlands. At annual events like the Bulb Planting Bonanzas local people get the opportunity to plant more than 30,000 bulbs each autumn. The other regular occasions of transforming the environment are the dramatic one-day "Challenge" projects which aim to achieve environmental progress and to attract publicity within 24 hours. The measures are new planted seating areas, picnic sites, community gardens or the improvement of access to local woodlands.
An environmental education programme has been structured by a joint steering group with support from Lancashire County Council and extra funding from the national Urban Programme. It focuses on eight services designed to influence the behaviour and attitudes of the younger generation in an environmentally friendly manner. The areas of activities include:
In between 1990 and 1995 the Hearts & Minds programme achieved that 128 schools participated, 37 school grounds had been upgraded, and 8 community gardens had been created. 18 campaigns had been run, 4 target communities had been supported with over 50 individual projects, and 5 dramatic one-day "Challenge" projects took place. The activities involved approximately. 1,000 people and 20,000 pupils. On Groundwork Blackburn's part there had been 19,5% of staff time involved.
1. advice and expertise via the Environment Management Services, 2. organisational and technical support via the Business Environment Association, 3. communication links via the Company "Green" Groups, 4. regeneration of the landscape by an independent Landscape Design Consultancy, 5. upgrading the city's and the businesses'environment via the Brightsite Scheme.
The Environmental Review Service pioneered for Groundwork Network in Blackburn is offering companies in the United Kingdom an invaluable environmental baseline and the establishment of an action plan. The environmental services are giving access to environmental reviews, environmental standards BS 7750 and the European Eco-Management & Audit Scheme (EMAS). Other services developed deal with Total Quality Management and environmental as well as heath & safety training programmes. In short, the services cover all aspects of an economic undertaking: environmental policy, management systems, the environmental impact that businesses have on their environment, and the legislative requirements.
On top of that the concept of the Business Environment Association (BEA) has been established in order to have an institutional base with the credibility to succeed in convincing senior business management that environmental issues are relevant to the bottom line. The pilot initiative has been set up by Groundwork Blackburn with the funding from Shell UK Ltd., from the Department of the Environment, from the Department of Trade & Industry and the European Community's funds on regional development. With the local support of the Chamber of Commerce and the city's authority as well as regional help from the Conference of British Industry and the North West Business Leadership Team Groundwork Blackburn was asked to establish one of 11 pilot projects targeting small to medium-sized companies (SMEs).
Whereas large companies are often able to devote time and resource to satisfy legislative pressures and exploit the opportunities for developing money saving programmes for energy or waste minimisation, SMEs' first steps in the relatively demanding area of environmental protection can prove daunting. In addition to the Environmental Review Services the BEA has included on-site consultations, seminars and newsletters. Hitherto the growing demand for such environmental information and management training has been lacking in business schools. Further services are provided by the Environmental Resource & Information Centre which carries out technical support for members of the BEA (e.g. energy and waste surveys, advice on waste minimisation, waste disposal and discharge consents etc.). Based on market research from consultations locally and regionally the package of service available for BEA members consist of:
By 1994/95, 105 businesses had joined BEA, 130 Environmental Reviews had been carried out, 22 seminars had been held, 2,300 managers passed environmental training courses and 20 companies are working according to BS 7750 / EMAS regulations. More than £ 4 million on environmental works has been spent by Groundwork Blackburn clients. A client turnover of £ 850 million has been influenced.
However, Groundwork Blackburn is not only trying to encourage SMEs to switch to greener policies, it is also promoting and funding partnership concepts with 'green' groups outside the firms. These Greening and Sustainable Action Teams carry out environmental projects on the SME site - e.g. new planting or wildlife areas. Another field isEnvironmental Audits which are often supported by university students with a particular expertise. The linkage between local green groups, university and local business has proven beneficial to all parties and it is an example how environmental projects can bring about a change in attitudes and habits.
The Landscape Design Consultancy and the Brightsite Scheme are aiming to contribute to the regeneration of degraded public lands and those of local business. The projects ranged from small planting schemes to a £ 300,000 contract for the landscaping of the Blackburn Technology Centre in 1994. The five-strong team of the Landscape Design Consultancy has also been able to offer students and volunteers practical experience of project work, both at the drawing board and out on site. Clients are from the local areas as well as from outside the Blackburn Borough (e.g. Wales Tourist Council, British Coal, British Telecom or the Lancashire Wildlife Trust). The Brightsite Scheme, initially sponsored by Shell, now supported in Blackburn by the City Challenge Programme and Post Office funding, has prepared 80 sketch schemes so far. Work worth over £ 100,000 has been implemented at projects varying from small reception areas to major works with staff recreation facilities and sites for school or community involvement.
Groundwork Blackburn was established as the environmental arm of the Blackburn Partnership in 1990. The Partnership had itself been launched in 1989 as an economic regeneration project. It brought together a cross-section of groups - regional and local government, elected representatives, business and community leaders - with the goal of developing interrelated programmes for economic, social and environmental regeneration. Training and advice as well as information and consultancy is an essential part of the practical work. Nova Scotia Wharf is, therefore, not just the location of the Groundwork Blackburn headquarters but also a place with an environmental exhibition centre, a presentation theatre, seminar facilities, and an environmental library and database. Previously, the site was a warehouse on the Leeds/Liverpool Canal. The complex has been designated as one of the Lancashire Centres of Excellence under the Lancashire Environmental Action Plan, and has been given a Civic Award for its design.
At the same time the income was £ 23,809.243 of which 37% had come from central government, 30% from local authority, 22% from the private sector, 6% from the European Union and 5% from other sources.
Private sector contribution to Groundwork increased from 18% in 1993/94 to 22% in 1994/95.
EU funding grew from £ 0,4 million in 1993/94 to £ 1,3 million in 1994/95. This was partly due to the setting up of a European Working Group at the Groundwork National Office in Birmingham. A future project is the establishment of an Eco-Office at the Groundwork South Tyneside which will have reed-bed filtration of waste water, composting lavatories, a water-powered lift, photovoltaic cells, solar panels and recycled construction materials. The European Regional Development Fund has agreed to pay almost half the £ 1 million building costs as a clean technology priority.
Leverage is an important condition of success in finance. The national funds bring in complementary funding locally and also voluntary support. In 1994/95 the Environment Fund could finance environmental action worth £ 2,500,000 of which only £ 300,000 had been grant-aided by the Department of the Environment.
ICLEI 1994: Partnerships for Environmental and Economic Regeneration, Blackburn, United Kingdom, Toronto
Department of the Environment 1994: Partnership in Practice. International Conference in Manchester in September 1993, London
Groundwork National Office, (ed.) 1995: A national network for sustained regeneration. Groundwork annual report 1994/95, Birmingham
Groundwork National Office, (ed.) 1995: Small firms and the environment. A Groundwork status report. Research Report by the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Birmingham
Groundwork Blackburn 1995: Groundwork Blackburn review 1990/5, Blackburn
Name: Groundwork Business Environment Association Firstname: Telefon: ++49 / 1254 / 676747 Telefax: ++49 / 1254 / 682288 Address: The Environment Centre Bob Watts Building Nova Scotia Wharf Bolton Road GB - Blackburn BB2 3GE E-Mail: Blackburn@groundwork.org.uk Name: Groundwork National Office Firstname: Telefon: ++49 / 121 / 236 8565 Telefax: ++49 / 121 / 236 7356 Address: 85-87 Cornwall Street Birmingham B3 3BY E-mail: info@groundwork.org.uk URL: http://www.groundwork.org.uk/ Name: Wilmers Firstname: Peter Telefon: ++49 / 1254 / 265163 Telefax: ++49 / 1254 / 692835 Address: Groundwork Blackburn The Groundwork Environment Centre Bob Watts Building Nova Scotia Wharf Bolton Road GB - Blackburn BB2 3GE
