Enhancing the environment

The County Council is committed to sustainable development, which recognises that there is a delicate balance to be struck between growth, development and protecting our unique natural environment  We must also respond to the challenges presented by energy security and climate change.  This priority is about:

• ‘Future proofing’ roads so that they can cope with more extreme weather and carry more traffic.
• Developing our country parks, making them better places for residents to visit.
• Reducing the County Council’s energy consumption and carbon footprint.
• Improving recycling of waste from businesses.

In 2011/12:

We continued to be the top county in England for sustainable waste management, with only 8.07% of household rubbish sent to landfill.

We launched phase one of the Eclipse Bus Rapid Transit bus-way connecting Fareham and Gosport, making bus journeys more reliable.

Over 90 miles of road was resurfaced on time and within budget as part of Operation Resilience.

Over 1,700 households benefitted from the Insulate Hampshire scheme, providing low cost or few cavity wall and loft insulation.

We retained the top position for public satisfaction with highways and transport for county councils in the South East of England, in the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey 2011.

Prestigious ‘Green Flag Awards’ were received by three of Hampshire’s country parks. Lepe County Park, Royal Victoria Country Park and Queen Elizabeth Country Park each received an award for being well maintained and managed, with excellent facilities. In addition, Queen Elizabeth Country Park came fifth in a poll of the UK’s favourite parks; and Lepe Point was designated as a Local Nature Reserve.

You can find out more about our performance in the Cabinet report: Open for Business: 2011/12 annual performance report