Hull Daily Mail

The amazing green plans putting Hull on the centre of country’s sustainabi­lity

AMBITIOUS SCHEMES IN CITY

- By ANGUS YOUNG angus.young@reachplc.com @angus_young61

HULL is a pioneering city that has never been short of forward-thinkers, ready to lead the fight against the world’s challenges.

From William Wilberforc­e to Lillian Bilocca, we live in a city always striving for change.

The ever-increasing threat posed by climate change now looms large on the horizon but, in truth, its effects are already being felt across the globe.

The Intergover­nmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) recent report laid bare the undeniable fact that our planet is facing up to irreversib­le damage, described as a “code red for humanity”.

And the UN’S COP26 climate change summit brought the world’s government­s, decisionma­kers and biggest businesses together to agree green commitment­s to provide us with tangible targets and, hopefully, a sense of hope.

But here in Hull and the East Riding, we’re already miles ahead. Here’s a glimpse into our green future and a look at the local projects leading the way:

1 Lagoon Hull

When it comes to radical plans to combat the effects of rising sea levels, Hull is in desperate need.

But it also has an amazing solution.

Two years ago, the public were introduced to an idea that has the potential to completely transform our city. After London, Hull is the most vulnerable UK city to coastal flooding so, armed with that knowledge, Lagoon Hull was born.

An infrastruc­ture, placemakin­g and sustainabl­e new concept has been designed for a six-mile-long causeway in the Humber as a physical barrier to the rising water level. But that’s not all.

The team behind Lagoon Hull want to build a road into the flood defence to reduce congestion in the city centre, and therefore cut carbon emissions caused by drivers being sat in queues.

The eastern end of the project, planned for the area around the Siemens Gamesa site, also includes more space for the growing green energy sector. It’s also projected to create a tourist haven, new waterfront living space and even wildlife considerat­ions.

2 Northern Forest

While Lagoon Hull focuses on addressing the consequenc­es of climate change, the Northern Forest looks at tackling the cause.

£14.8m from the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund is to be spent by the Woodland Trust on at least 50 million trees to be planted between Hull and Liverpool.

The project got under way in 2018

with the aim of absorbing carbon emissions and reducing flood risk – a cause particular­ly close to the hearts of Hull and the East Riding residents.

3 Hull hospitals’ Net Zero ambition

Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital are striving for a national first.

Earlier this year, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust declared its intention to hit Net Zero carbon emissions by the end of the decade.

Plans are in place to replace gas-fired boilers with air source heat pumps and insulate rooves, while bosses are also working on installing a solar panel field near Castle Hill, Cottingham.

4 The Green Corridor

Hull’s community groups have a long history of working hard for their patches and the Green Corridor project is another fine example.

Last year, the Stepney cycle path, between the former Stepney Lane Station and Duesbery Street, was transforme­d into an eco-friendly inner-city zone perfect for walkers and wildlife enthusiast­s.

Funded by Safer Hull Community Crime Reduction Fund and working with Avenues Action, Princes Avenue Community and Traders and Berkeley Street Neighbourh­ood Watch, the community hub regularly hosts conservati­on events and litter picking groups.

5 University students Getting on their bikes

Come September, the streets around the University of Hull’s Cottingham Road campus become more than a little congested as students return to campus and the increase in cars takes its toll on the road network.

But it doesn’t need to be that way. R-evolution, an East Yorkshire-based charity, has opened a new cycle hub on the University of Hull campus to offer affordable, green transport to learners.

The bright, reflective livery, supplied by Hull firm Brandfixx, means they’ll be hard to miss when making their way around the city. On top of their work at the uni, R-evolution also has bike hire and mending facilities in Trinity Market and Cottingham.

6 Albion Square’s urban park

At first glance, a new shopping centre with offices and apartments doesn’t scream “green”.

But in the centre of the Albion Square developmen­t, located in Hull’s city centre is a large, eco-friendly, urban park. A publicly-accessible urban woodland with solar panels and charging points for electric vehicles are all also planned.

7 Bio-d ‘cleans up’ the UK’S act

As businesses across the country become aware of the dangers of singleuse plastics to our environmen­t, one Hull business has taken a lead.

Bio-d, based in east Hull, specialise­s in ethical cleaning products and took the step last year to create a truly circular economy. The firm implemente­d a laundering system for its 20L containers, meaning they can now be returned to be cleaned before they are refilled and reused.

As a market leader, Bio-d is continuing to grow and fly the flag for Hull’s sustainabl­e innovation sector across the country, with its products stocked in national retailers all over the UK.

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