Rochdale drives forward green agenda as electric vehicle day marked

Councillor Billy Sheerin, Mayor of Rochdale, and Councillor Allen Brett, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, with the mayoral electric car, pictured in 2019

Rochdale Council hosted a special event on 9 September to mark World Electric Vehicle Day and promote the environmental benefits of electrical cars.

Scores of people engaged in the interactive webinar, which showcased the borough of Rochdale’s work to reduce carbon emission levels.

Organisations attending the inaugural event, organised in partnership with Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), included the Energy Saving Trust, Anthony K. Associates Ltd.and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).

Rochdale Borough Council is leading the way across the region in promoting green policies and last year became the first council in the north of England to permanently switch to a fully-electric mayoral car.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/128535/mayor%E2%80%99s-new-electric-car-is-a-first-for-greater-manchester

Other examples of the council's green credentials include the construction of a new solar farm, replacing all street lights with more energy efficient models and ensuring that when vehicles in the council’s fleet of vans and trucks come to the end of their life they are replaced with cleaner electrically powered versions.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/135918/plans-for-a-27acre-solar-farm-on-green-belt-between-rochdale-and-heywood-approved

Rochdale has also committed to be a carbon neutral borough by the year 2038.

Councillor Sara Rowbotham, the council's cabinet member for public health, said: “It was great to see so many people attending this important event and I’d like to thank everyone who played their part in an engaging and informative session. I was proud that we were the only council across Greater Manchester to mark World Electric Vehicle Day in this interactive way.

“We have a record to be proud of on green issues but there is still a lot more work to do and as a council we are committed to increase the usage of electrical vehicles and charging points as part of our drive to reduce carbon emissions. The aim of World Electric Vehicle Day is to promote the importance of sustainable transport and, by hosting this event, we ensured Rochdale’s pioneering work was showcased on the national and international stage.”

Councillor Neil Emmott, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Our response to this crisis will be judged by history and each and every one of us has a role to play in tackling climate change. If we don’t act quickly or decisively enough we will leave a terrible legacy for our young people who will face a challenge even greater than the one we face now.

“Many of our carbon-cutting successes such as replacing all of our street lights, doubling the borough’s recycling rates, swapping polluting vehicles with cleaner electric ones and planting wild flower borders have been spearheaded by our environment team who are really at the forefront of this work.

“I now want to push us even further by replacing more of our inefficient older vehicles with cleaner electric ones and by fighting for more funding for electric charging points to make it easier for our residents to make the switch too.”