We are really pleased to be able to tell you more about this exciting project! Sustainable Swanage is working with IDDEA Energy Systems to enable residents in Swanage and surrounding villages to find out more about the Solar Streets scheme, which provides affordable residential solar panel installations.

The scheme was launched at a Zoom event on Wednesday 17th March at 7.00pm where there was a presentation on Solar Streets followed by Q&A. See the recording on this website https://solarstreets.co.uk/swanage

Read our article on the project here

Town Mayor Mike Bonfield has this to say about the scheme:

“Since Swanage Town Council declared a climate crisis in 2019 it has been working with Sustainable Swanage and other environmental groups to reduce carbon emissions.
Solar Streets is a great way for local residents to learn more about the installation of solar panels and I would encourage everyone to investigate this opportunity to increase the use of clean energy in our community.”

The Downs to become a new Local Nature Reserve for Swanage – Thank you for completing our survey

March 2021

The area known locally as the Downs in Swanage is being put forward as a new Local Nature Reserve for Swanage and the process to achieve this got underway last summer in 2020. This will be an exciting opportunity to enhance a local facility for nature, residents, and visitors.  This project is being undertaken by Swanage Town Council in partnership with Sustainable Swanage including a growing number of local volunteers.

A public survey was recently undertaken regarding the above, we had a fantastic response. Following some queries and concerns that were raised, we hosted an information evening with Swanage Town Council, to present survey findings, provide background to the project and general information on what Local Nature Reserves are, why it is being considered and what it means. This also was an opportunity to ask further questions. It was an online meeting on Tuesday 23^rd March at 7pm and was attended by over 55 people. The overall response was a positive meeting with issues and questions raised. The notes and survey results will be published in due course, after Easter.

20 New Oak Trees for Swanage on High Street Verge

December 2020

Dorset Council planted 20 young oak trees along the northern verge of the High Street on the way into Swanage at the end of November.

The Sustainable Swanage group worked with Dorset Council on developing this project and have raised funds to pay towards the planting of ten trees while the other ten are being provided under Dorset Council’s policy of replacing previously felled trees.

Members of the public generously donated to sponsor the project and we have been overwhelmed with support, thank you to everyone who contributed and got in touch. We are looking to develop more projects next year. We had hoped that volunteers would be able to help with the planting but unfortunately covid-19 restrictions at the time prevented this.

See full press release here

Tree Planting 2019/2020 – Target Reached!

Spring 2020

Last year we launched a campaign to promote the planting of trees in suitable sites throughout the town to help improve biodiversity, mitigate climate change and boost wellbeing. We set a target to help plant 1500 trees in the town, approximately one for every child who lives here. The campaign was launched at our environment day on the 12th October, with this beautiful native crab apple tree, chosen by the hosts All Saints Church. This was quickly followed by 5 others in schools and private gardens and we began discussions with groups and schools who all wanted to green up their space and the local area. By March 2020 over 1600 new trees had been planted across 3 local schools, Victoria Avenue, a local farm, and private gardens!

This would not have been achieved without working together with the different local groups and was a team effort: Trees for Dorset, Purbeck National Trust, Swanage School, St Marys Primary, Swanage Primary and the volunteers from our newly formed sub-group, Greening Swanage.

Well done to all involved. We are all still busy ensuring the trees are watered as necessary in this warm dry spring of their first year, and planning new projects for next year! What will be our target for next year?..

Swanage Becomes 4th ‘Plastic Free Town’ in Dorset

August 2019

In May 2019 Swanage Town Council decided to ditch all avoidable single use plastic across its operations and support the town in reducing its single use plastic. The new steering group was formed and after several months of bringing together the fantastic work already being done in the town to reduce single use plastic and promoting the issue more widely we became an official Plastic Free Town in July 2019. For full press release see…