PLANTING over 55,000 trees, one for every primary school pupil in Bradford, is one part of a multi million pound scheme to help tackle climate change in the District.

A raft of environmental measures are included in Bradford Council’s 2020/21 budget, from boosting the authority’s electric vehicle fleet to expanding 20mph zones to introducing more solar or wind power schemes in Bradford.

The draft budget is currently out to public consultation having been approved by the Council’s Executive last week.

It includes several projects designed to tackle what the Council leader calls “the biggest issue of our time.”

Last year the Council declared a “climate emergency” - but has since been criticised by the local Green Party for planning road expansion schemes, such as a planned South Bradford link road.

Calls to halt major road plans in region after climate emergency declarations

In the Council’s recently revealed 2020/21 budget, over £25 million was announced for climate plans - £24 million in capital plans and £1 million of “one off immediate investment.”

The capital investments include

- £14.3 million for the District Heat Network, a scheme that will heat major public buildings in the city centre using low carbon energy

- a £5 million project looking into how renewable energy could be used throughout the district

- £2.5 million investment to make Council properties more environmentally friendly

- £1.8 to support the transition of the Council’s vehicle fleet to electric vehicles. Many of the vehicles currently run on diesel

- An extra £200,000 to carry out flood alleviation works on the District’s moorland

A previously announced project to replace 59,000 street lights across the District with LED lighting will also reduce energy consumption - the Council says.

The “Tree For Every Child” project will see £250,000 invested in a project that would, as the name suggests, see a tree planted for each of the 55,342 primary school pupils in the Bradford District.

And £250,000 will be invested in the waste services to improve recycling rates.

Community groups will be able to access a £360,000 fund that will allow them to “create positive change” for their local areas by taking part in projects to cut carbon, increase biodiversity and switch to renewable energy.

The Council is also planning to further roll out 20 mph zones in the District.

Much of the city centre was made a 20mph zone last year, and in the new budget the Council will spend £140,000 to create more zones across the district.

Most of the new zones will be focused around schools - with the hope being more families feel safe and switch to walking or cycling to school.

At the Executive meeting where the budget was discussed, Council Leader Susan Hinchliffe said: “The climate emergency is the biggest issue of our time. We need to see change.

“It is no longer acceptable that we throw away so much waste and still use single use plastic.

“As a Council we need to lead by example.”