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NEWS IN BRIEF
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Affordable housing deal National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has acted on a deal which will see a multimillion pound development of 152 affordable homes on the former site of Leeds City College in Horsforth. The plot was acquired by Vistry Partnerships Yorkshire and social housing provider Stonewater, from Luminate Education Group. The land has remained unoccupied since Leeds City College closed the site in 2017 and the £22.5m project will include 100% affordable homes, helping to ease local housing demand. The development will be gas-free, with each home fitted with an air source heat pump. Squire Patton Boggs acted for Vistry Partnerships Yorkshire and Eversheds Sutherland International LLP acted for Luminate Education Group. New name in affordable housing A new era for 18,000 social housing tenants got underway in November, as three landlords in Housing Plus Group — South Staffordshire Housing Association, Severnside Housing and Stafford and Rural Homes — joined together to become Homes Plus. The creation of a single landlord took place after consultation with customers, earlier this year. The launch of Homes Plus was celebrated with the unveiling of a new look for repairs and maintenance vehicles, including some limited edition versions featuring artwork specially created by Jon Stiff (pictured), who is Director of Maintenance and Commercial Services at Housing Plus Group and a successful artist.
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Global climate leaders Nottingham has been recognised by CDP as one of 95 cities around the globe that is taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency, despite the continued pressures of tackling the coronavirus pandemic on local and national economies and societies. Designed to encourage and support cities worldwide to ramp up their climate action and ambition, CDP’s Cities A List is based on environmental data disclosed by cities to the CDP-ICLEI Unified Reporting System. A clear momentum in city climate disclosure and action is building; over 1,000 cities worldwide are reporting their environmental impact through CDP in 2021. A List cities are demonstrating their climate leadership through concerted and effective action, taking twice as many mitigation and adaptation measures as non-A List cities, and identifying more than twice as many opportunities arising from the shift to a net zero world. Nottingham is one of 11 cities in the UK named on this year’s A List, alongside Edinburgh, London, and Manchester. These cities are celebrated for showing that urgent and impactful climate action — from ambitious emissions reduction targets to building resilience against climate change — is achievable at a global level and in cities with different climate realities and priorities. However, this action needs to go further and faster to meet the new targets agreed at COP26. Nottingham has an ambitious plan to become the UK’s first carbon neutral city by 2028. An Action Plan to deliver this
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commitment began in 2020 and focuses on four key areas for action: Carbon reduction measures (including transport, the built environment, energy generation, waste and water, and consumption) Carbon removal (including local carbon sequestration, carbon capture, and large-scale carbon offsetting) Resilience and adaptation Ecology and diversity.
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City Council Deputy Leader, Councillor Sally Longford, says: “I’m delighted that Nottingham has been recognised as an A List City by CDP, alongside 10 other cities in the UK. Not only does this acknowledge the city’s efforts to be a leader in tackling the climate emergency, but it also demonstrates our vision to improve the quality of life for those who live and work in the city. “Following on from COP26, we are keen to drive positive change within the city. Working alongside other A List cities — including Bristol, Manchester, and Newcastle — we can implement innovative technologies and share best practice. By measuring, disclosing, and understanding Nottingham’s environmental impact, with the help of organisations like CDP, we are able to take the urgent action needed to build a sustainable and thriving economy.”
