A bid has been submitted to Prime Minister Boris Johnson by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, for funding of £230 million to go towards a 'Green City Deal'.
The planned 'Green City Deal' aims to both tackle climate change whilst still growing the economy, estimating that it will inject £5 billion in just five years. During this same time period, the city will become carbon neutral, creating jobs and helping to deliver clean air, smart travel, and energy efficient homes. Provided to support the Government's Clean Growth Strategy, and address issues that were highlighted by the Independent Committee on Climate Change just earlier this year - it also aims to build on Liverpool's declaration of a climate change emergency in July.
Planned as one of the country's greenest new developments - and an exemplar for air quality, coupled with state-of-the-art carbon-neutral infrastructure and transport (including the possible use of driverless vehicles as a link to the city centre) - the proposal includes the creation of Paddington Village, costing near to £1 billion. Paddington Village will be a dedicated area for communal living and learning, centred around the idea of working and socialising - inhabited by the university and focused on life sciences, and healthcare. Under the deal, Liverpool also seeks to build, or retrofit nearly 6,000 homes equipped with:
Around 3,000 of these houses would be delivered to the best low-carbon standards, with the remainder of them retrofitted to standards we see in modern low-carbon homes; a further 2,000 of these homes are to be new and refurbished council houses. Liverpool is looking to provide incentives for any companies that are beginning to develop energy-efficient houses, as an attempt to match the efforts of the private sector to that of their own house building programs. Ideally, they would have local businesses and workforces work to design, install and maintain any and all new low-carbon technology used in these carbon neutral homes.
The council is working with various unions to set up a innovative clean growth vocational training hub - to provide people with the skills required by employers in the key sectors - and also to promote fair employment practices.
Anderson has said, "There are huge opportunities for us to improve the lives of all residents across the city, whatever their age or background, with better and more energy-efficient housing, the use of smart technology and by making sure our young people have the right skills to take advantage of the jobs in these growth sectors."
