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July news
Cash for green-minded employers
Grants of up to £5,000 are on offer to encourage workers to use their cars less.
The cash, from Portsmouth City Council, is aimed at boosting the number of people who get to work by walking, cycling or using public transport - cutting carbon emissions and congestion.
The money is available to any local company or organisation that has developed a travel plan - a strategy for greener travel - or is developing one. The money has to be for a specific project, and the applicant must match the grant with an equal amount.
The deadline for bids is 31 August. The cash can be used for projects such as:
- installing secure parking, changing facilities and lockers for cyclists
- improving on-site footpaths, security or lighting for people on foot
- helping public transport users - for example, with special kerbs or on-site bus stop facilities
- encouraging car-sharing - for example, with car-share parking bays
- building facilities for motorcyclists
- setting up a system of pool bikes
- training employees in safe cycling
Amanda Morris, the council's Travel Plan Officer, said: "We're trying to help employers who want to be greener and want to encourage their staff to do their bit.
"Having a properly thought-out travel plan is a great way of reducing emissions and adding benefits for employees.
"These grants will help organisations take the plunge and lessen their impact on the environment."
Travel plans aren't just good for the planet. They can:
- improve recruitment and retention improve efficiency - less is time wasted on late arrivals or deliveries
- improve a firm's environmental image and record
- improve a firm's relationship with the local community
- reduce business mileage
- reduce fleet management costs
- reduce sickness rates - walkers and cyclists are healthier
- reduce demand for on-site parking
The money comes from the government, as part of funding for the council's local transport plan. To apply for a grant, employers should contact Amanda on amanda.morris@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Lynne Stagg, the council's Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation, said: "This money will really help local companies tackle climate change and make it easier for their staff to travel without cars."
Employers who successfully bid for cash last time round were:
- Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), based locally at Portsdown Hill. It created 50 parking spaces for car-sharers and secure parking for 50 bikes, set up a scheme to reward employees who cycle to work, and installed a system to monitor changes in travel habits.
- Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust, which improved cycle facilities at St James's Hospital in Milton. It installed new cycle parking and upgraded existing cycle parking.
