June saw the publication of Derby City Council’s first Climate Change Action Plan without fanfare or media scrutiny. Following the declaration of a Climate Emergency in May 2019, it’s a first step to ensuring Derby City Council meets its target of becoming a net zero carbon authority by 2035. The plan highlights over 100 specific projects that officers will work on over the next two years (2022 – 2024) to reduce emissions produced by the Council. Derby City Council estimates that it contributes only 2% of the city’s emissions and correspondingly the actions have a narrow focus on the authority’s core responsibilities such as buildings, transport and streetlighting.

However, there are a range of actions that will make Derby a better place for wildlife, in addition to the work we are already doing with the Council at Allestree Park. The plan includes simple changes such as cutting out glyphosates, to longer term projects such as updating the Local Plan with revised policies on climate change and biodiversity net gain.

The plan heralds an exciting period of positive change for the city but there are caveats. The actions and benefits associated with each commitment are described alongside the resources available to deliver them. Concerningly, of the 25 actions concerned with the natural environment or planning policy, 64% are at best only partially resourced, meaning that there is not enough funding in place to deliver them properly.

This is a concerning development and we hope to support the Council in finding extra resource to plug the gaps. Only by working together will we be able to deliver a Wilder Derby that is resilient in the face of climate change.

One of the most tangible and impactful measures in the plan concerns the development of sustainable urban drainage systems. Traditional urban drainage systems are designed to transport water as quickly as possible through a series of drains into larger watercourses. As weather patterns become more unpredictable and periods of extreme rainfall increase, traditional systems accentuate the risk of flash flooding and can deteriorate water quality, which calls for a blended mix of hard and soft engineering solutions. Nature can provide part of the answer by slowing the flow of water via a range of interventions. The Council has identified Sunnydale Park Local Nature Reserve, Dale Road Park (and others) as locations where changes can be made to slow the flow of water and reduce the impact of flooding downstream. Possible interventions could range from wetland creation and expansion of existing ponds in parks to the reopening of culverts like Markeaton Brook.

If you’re resident and have an idea for how Derby’s public spaces could be made wilder then take a read of the climate change action plan, and let us know where you think the gaps are!