The Best Guide for the Neston Area

CH64 Low Carbon Initiative - Connected Communities

This is the second case study in a series being published by the CH64 Low Carbon initiative, to highlight what is possible.

Let's look at transport....

A huge problem throughout the UK is in how rural communities stay connected and how people without access to cars manage to get about the place. Train services are prohibitive and bus services only run if there is enough demand to keep routes running.

Creating a bus service that also runs sustainably is the next challenge for the CH64 Low Carbon Initiative, and a company in Brighton have gone some way to proving what's possible.

The Big Lemon is a community-owned, sustainable bus operator. In 2006 a group of people got together in a pub in Brighton to discuss public transport and decided to set up a local bus service which would be affordable, environmentally sustainable and a pleasure for passengers to use.

The Big Lemon now operates local bus services and bus & coach hire for a wide variety of private parties, weddings, sports clubs, schools, colleges, universities, business and conferences. They also run festival coaches to a range of music festivals and outdoor events such as Glastonbury.

At The Big Lemon, everything is focussed on sustainability. From the aims of the business to everything they do on a daily basis, they aim to reduce both impact on the environment and that of the community at large. All the vehicles, including support vans, run on recycled waste cooking oil from local restaurants. The waste oil is collected from chip shops, restaurants and hotels in Brighton & Hove and across Sussex. It is then processed in a factory near Eastbourne to make biodiesel, a plant-based alternative to regular mineral diesel.

In 2016 they set their sights on electric bus technology and raised £250,000 to fund the conversion of two buses from diesel to electric. They also raised £25,000 through a crowdfunding campaign and funding from the M&S Energy Awards for solar panels on the roof of their bus depot.

In total they have won nine local and national awards, including awards for recycling, innovation and Best Workplace; Brighton & Hove Business of the Year and UK Environmental Social Enterprise of the Year.

Get involved

CH64 Low Carbon initiative wants know if a local bus service, similar to this, would be of interest to local residents. The aim would be to fill in the gaps left by other bus companies and maybe connecting Parkgate, Neston, Little Neston and Willaston with Hooton Station.

Please let us know if you are interested in partnering with us on this or any of our initiatives. Join our Facebook group where we will post more exciting ideas of whats possible...start to post your own ideas, or concerns, then come and visit us face to face - we will be setting up an open day event once we know we have enough interest. Request to join our Facebook group here.

We've got a small active group of people so far made up of residents of CH64. The next step is to build our community and start to understand how we can work together to achieve what you want.

If you aren't on Facebook, please text your name and email address to 07542 072857 so you can be kept informed that way. If you don't have access to email, please leave a phone number and we will be in touch.

See also:

Introducing CH64 Low Carbon initiative

Food Glorious Food

Transition

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