Going green in Knowsley

Knowsley Council is working hard to improve environmental performance in local government.

A new Environmental Policy, recently approved by the Council, aims to highlight the importance of the environment in its decision making, to increase public awareness and involvement and to set specific goals to improve the sustainability of the area.

Amongst the 21 policy statements set out in the document is the need to promote a greater understanding and sense of responsibility for the environment within the community. Action to improve standards of cleanliness in streets and open spaces and a recognition of the need to promote walking, cycling and public transport as an alternative to the car is also on the agenda.

Knowsley also aims to use measures, which discourage waste, to recover, reuse and recycle materials wherever possible and to promote energy conservation in homes and businesses.

Reducing pollution in the Borough is also a priority and the Council will use legal powers against those who damage the environment.

The Council has a good record of environmental improvement and innovation. For each of the past four years Knowsley has been rated as the top Metropolitan Borough Council for our work in the environment, under the prestigious national Green Apple awards, the only organisation, public, private or voluntary, ever to have done so.

Leader of Knowsley Council, Cllr Jim Keight said, “We are committed to improving the environmental performance of our services and to ensuring that a thriving community exists within a rich and healthy environment. Our Local Agenda 21 Action Plan sets sixteen priority areas for improvement and a recent audit of activity identified progress across all departments with over 1400 different initiatives and actions being taken to progress the plan”.