• 21 October
• 10.30am – 2pm – includes a buffet lunch

Chasewater Green Park Projects is an award-winning initiative developed in partnership between Lichfield District Council, Staffordshire County Council and the University of Birmingham. It seeks to identify and implement locally-based solutions to the problems and issues facing our communities to reduce the demands for energy, while meeting legitimate energy requirements in an environmentally and economically friendly manner.

To showcase the project and highlight the various schemes that have emerged as a result, we are holding a half-day event on 21 October at Chasewater Innovation Centre. Please find your invitation attached with this letter.   

A range of speakers from business, education and the climate change/carbon reduction sectors have been lined up to explain what is being carried out  under the banner of Chasewater Green Park Projects and in wider fields, making a real difference to the way people live and work now and in the future.

In addition to the presentations, there will be a question and answer session allowing the opportunity for debate, and exhibition materials detailing individual projects. The event will end with a buffet lunch.

Get Switched On should be an illuminating and interesting event, and one that makes everyone think about how they and their respective organisations are responding to what are significant issues for all of society. I do hope you can join us. By doing so you will learn more about the Chasewater Green Park Projects and help shape the way it goes forward and the benefits it can deliver.

Please sign up today!

Kind regards,
Cllr David S. Smith, Lichfield District Council

Chairman of the Chasewater Green Park Projects Steering Group

Lichfield District Council and its partners are celebrating after winning a prestigious Bronze Green Apple Award at the House of Commons this week, in recognition of the partnership initiative ‘Chasewater Green Park Projects’.

The trophy was presented by The Green Organisation at the sixteenth annual international awards ceremony on Tuesday (17 November). The ceremony was hosted by The Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP, and the presentations were made by star of screen and stage, former Bond girl Alexandra Bastedo.

Cllr David S. Smith, Leader of Lichfield District Council, explained: “As a council we are passionate about our role as a community leader in tackling the causes and impacts of climate change, both locally and further afield. We helped to set up Chasewater Green Park Projects in late 2008, and the Green Apple award firmly cements the initiative’s role at the forefront of helping to cut carbon emissions and the amount of non-renewable energy sources we all use.”

The award comes only days after the Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Birmingham, which will see students and staff from the university working as part of the initiative to research and develop greener technologies and approaches.

Professor Nigel Weatherill, Head of the University of Birmingham’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, said: ‘The University of Birmingham is delighted to be involved in the Chasewater Green Park Projects.  Energy and climate change are key themes for our researchers and the expertise of our scientists and engineers is crucial in tackling the serious global challenges we face. This is an example of a project where our research can have a real and direct impact on the local community.’

Chasewater Green Park Projects includes projects ranging from researching greener ways to energy manage historic buildings, such as Lichfield Cathedral, and looking at ways to create carbon neutral business parks, through to demonstrating how to harness unused energy from coal fired power stations.

“The Council is also working to help fight climate change at a local level, by fostering and creating low carbon community action groups in parishes across the district, in partnership with Whittington & Fisherwick Environmental Group (WFEG) and Low Carbon Lichfield (LoCaL). We firmly believe that local businesses and public partners, as well as residents, need to come together to tackle climate change, and Chasewater Green Park Projects is helping us and our partners to achieve this, ” continued Cllr Smith.

Partners involved in Chasewater Green Park Projects also include Advantage West Midlands and Staffordshire County Council. A number of private partners including Lichfield Cathedral and Lingfield Developments are also involved and set to come on board.