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Environment and Sustainability

SoWN is a leading partner in the South Bank and Waterloo Sustains Us initiative, launched in October 2024. This aims to bring everyone in our community together to meet the shared goal of achieving net zero - a neutral balance of greenhouse gas emissions - by 2030, to create a better environment for everyone who lives or works in, or visits, our neighbourhood. A partnership between Lambeth and Southwark Councils, the two local Business Improvement Districts (South Bank BID and We Are Waterloo), the South Bank Employers’ Group, the Lambeth Climate Partnership and SoWN, is working to transform the area into a thriving community with clean air, renewable energy and flourishing natural spaces for everyone.

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South Bank & Waterloo Sustains Us

A dedicated website www.sbwsustainsus.org has been created to provide ongoing news of the many initiatives being undertaken to create a fairer and greener neighbourhood and achieve the aims of:

  • Energy Efficiency - upgrading buildings to reduce heat loss and utilise renewable energy

  • Smarter Energy Systems - Local solar and sustainable heat initiatives

  • Improving air quality - Shifting to greener modes of travel and reducing pollution from deliveries and other sources, protecting the health of residents and visitors

  • Resilience to Climate Change - Marking our buildings and green spaces better at handling hot and dry weather, protecting residents and local wildlife

  • Waste reduction - Increasing the reuse and recycling of goods while reducing the amount of waste produced overall.

Green Spaces

Only a quarter of homes in the SOWN area have access to a private garden, which makes public space even more important. We would like to reach a position where no one lives or works more than 250 m from a well-maintained green space. We have a subgroup which aims to improve collaborative work in all our local parks, especially Jubilee Gardens, Bernie Spain Gardens, Archbishop's Park, St John’s Churchyard, Hatfields, Ufford Street and Millennium Green. 

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To see our input to Lambeth's Parks & Green Spaces Strategy 2020, click here.

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The Neighbourhood Plan

The Neighbourhood Plan protects open spaces. It says major developments should allow easy pedestrian access to open space. It encourages green roofs or other measures to help fight climate change, and where new trees are impracticable says planters, rain gardens or green walls should be considered. It also seeks to improve air quality and reduce pollution from vehicles. To see the Plan's environmental policies in full, click here...

For further information or to help with SOWN’s environmental work, get in touch!

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© 2023 South Bank & Waterloo Neighbours, registered charity 1189832

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