Grow Green
Grow Green is a campaign aiming to make a lasting positive impact on the physical environment and wellbeing of Exeter. They aim to make Exeter greener one business at a time.
Grow Green aims to get 1000 businesses in and around Exeter to commit to the following measures to make this vision a reality:
- Recycle waste where possible
- Limit plastic consumption
- Limit energy consumption and seek renewable energy alternatives
- Encourage or reward ‘green commuting’ for staff
- Allow remote working where appropriate
- Give local companies the opportunity to tender for business
- Reduce paper usage
- Reduce unnecessary water usage
Travel Devon: Benchmark sponsor for ‘Green Commuting’
Travel Devon, Devon County Council’s travel advice service, is the benchmark sponsor for ‘Encouraging and/or rewarding green commuting for staff. Not only does Travel Devon help other organisations travel more sustainably, County Hall itself is one of the positive examples in Exeter when it comes to travel planning practices.
Travel Devon business support
Travel Devon helps businesses in Barnstaple, Exeter and Newton Abbot to solve their car parking issues, boost staff health and wellbeing or reduce travel costs by providing free business support on travel planning. If you’re a business and would like to benefit from our offer, email traveltowork@devon.gov.uk or visit www.traveldevontoolkit.info.
This support is part of Devon County Council’s Access Fund Programme.
Travel planning at County Hall
Devon County Council has registered its County Hall site on the Travel Devon Toolkit. Both a Travel Audit and the Travel Survey (freely available on the toolkit) have been completed for this site. The results found in the automated reports that both tools provide, have informed the development of a Travel Plan which aims to reduce the number of single occupancy car trips and increase the use of more sustainable travel options.
As part of the Travel Plan the following measures have been implemented:
- Daily parking charges for staff
- Restricting the number of days that staff can park at County hall (currently 3 days a week)
To encourage staff to think about their travel and travel more sustainably, Devon County Council is also providing the following facilities and support:
- Cycle parking facilities are located across the County Hall site and include Sheffield stands, secure bike sheds (accessed by smart card) and individual lockers
- Shower and locker facilities are available for use by employees who walk, cycle or run to work
- A Cycle to work scheme gives employees the opportunity to purchase a new bike and accessories
- Free monthly Dr Bike sessions are available to all employees located at County Hall
- Pool bikes are available for employees to use for business or leisure purposes
- A dedicated Park and Ride service operates between Sowton Park and Ride and County Hall for use by DCC employees.
- Discounted tickets on Stagecoach bus services enable DCC employees to obtain approximately one third off a normal adult fare and a 10% discount on the price of annual bus tickets, for work journeys across the Devon network
- Car sharing is encouraged by allowing car sharers to spread their parking allowance for greater flexibility
- The emergency travel home scheme funds or part funds DCC formal car share teams a return journey home, should their lift fail in the event of an emergency or unforeseen circumstance.
More Green Commuting best practices
Devon County Council is putting together a Travel Planning guidance document to inspire businesses to make a change to how their employees travel. Next to giving practical tips on how to start travel planning, it showcases businesses that are considered best practices from across Exeter.