The Council has signed a Sustainable Growth Agreement with the agency, building on existing good practice and cementing a promise to explore additional, new and innovative ways to continue the upward trend in Stirling’s environmental performance.
So far the Council has reached landmarks with improvements in its electrical vehicle infrastructure, record figures in recycling and an increase in local air quality by reducing pollution.
Under the new agreement, SEPA and the Council will now create a Sustainable Development Plan, including a baseline measure of Stirling’s Ecological Footprint, and will work together to develop and deliver innovative ways of reducing resource use.
Councillor Jim Thomson, convenor of Stirling Council’s Environment and Housing committee said: “The signing of this landmark agreement pledges Stirling’s commitment to continue to protect and improve the environment for the area and Scotland as a whole.
“Recycling, reducing pollution and waste as well as increasing sustainable travel are all priorities for the Council and we are immensely proud to be the first local authority to join forces with SEPA with this type of agreement.
“We will use it to help shape and deliver the type of transformational vision we have for Stirling and build on the first class work that is already done here to protect the environment.”
Benefits being targeted within the first two years of the Agreement include:
• Managing waste arrangements and maximising recycling.
• Increasing collaborative working to support the delivery of actions to reduce flood risk.
• Increasing the scale and scope of work to tackle vacant and derelict land and buildings in our area.
• Promoting the most sustainable modes of travel.
• Reducing carbon emissions.
• Developing a public drinking water refill initiative.
SEPA is a key member of the Stirling City Commission, through which a strong and progressive partnership has developed.
Stirling Council holds a number of SEPA licences for waste management activities. This agreement will not change the way SEPA regulates those sites but will allow for a more robust programme of enforcement in areas where the Council and SEPA have overlapping legislative responsibilities, helping the two organisations provide a better service to the community.
Stirling’s Environment and Housing vice convenor, Councillor Danny Gibson said: “This type of agreement gives us the opportunity to do something different and lead the way in Scotland.
“We’ll be working hand in hand to ensure Stirling’s focus on recycling and renewables stays on track and we are delighted to be joining forces with SEPA.”
The agreement, which can be viewed online, provides a focus for priority areas for both Stirling Council and SEPA on the environmental and economic opportunities of a circular economy.
Terry A’Hearn, SEPA’s Chief Executive, added: “The scale of environmental challenge facing humanity is enormous, with a real urgency to act. Every day SEPA works to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment by helping communities and businesses thrive within the resources of our planet. We call this One Planet Prosperity.
“Cities are the world’s growth engines, generating more than 80% of global GDP and by 2050, circa 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. The successful cities of tomorrow will be those like Stirling that embrace the social, economic and environmental opportunities of designing in sustainability to city planning.
“The Sustainable Growth Agreement between Stirling Council and SEPA, the first with a Scottish local authority, is a recognition of the ambition and commitment of both organisations to support the sustainable growth of Stirling.”
SGAs are voluntary, formal agreements with SEPA, which focus on exploring new and innovative ways to improve environmental performance and focus on practical actions that deliver environmental, social and economic success.
They are a core component of the delivery of SEPA’s Regulatory Strategy, One Planet Prosperity.