Below is a summary of activity from 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026, which contributed to the objectives of the Climate Strategy.

The Climate Strategy aims to reduce emissions from buildings, transport, and resource consumption and waste, whilst enhancing biodiversity and promoting clean energy generation to provide opportunities for nature recovery, carbon sequestration and avoiding emissions.

The current Climate Strategy and Action Plan were adopted in December 2023. This is therefore the second full annual round-up of the Council’s progress in meeting the objectives of the Climate Strategy.

Buildings and Energy Efficiency

Objective 1: The built environment will be low carbon and climate resilient.

• We promoted building retrofit and low-carbon housing

In June 2025, Homewise was launched in Rother, an online tool from the Energy Savings Trust providing bespoke, impartial, fact-checked home energy action plans, tailored to a household’s needs and budget. Through social media and newsletters, the Council also promoted grants to retrofit homes and local events, such as Sussex Energise Coast’s Energy and Water Efficiency Advice drop-ins. Plus, a new webpage was created, “What you can do – Buildings and Energy Efficiency”, signposting to local home energy and retrofit advice services, grants, and energy saving tips.

Officers and members visited the partially completed Bexhill Gateway, an example of a residential development applying Rother’s existing local planning policies that seek to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Gateway features a Community Heat Hub, using large air-source heat pumps and thermal stores to deliver heating and hot water to the homes. This reduces carbon emissions by 75-80% compared to gas heating and complies with the tougher regulations of the Future Homes Standard that are due to come into force in 2027.

• We accessed government funding to decarbonise private housing

Over £350,000 of improvements were made to 18 homes in Rother through the Warm Homes Grant. This joint project with other local Councils will continue for the next 2-4 years, funding energy performance upgrades and low-carbon heating in the worst quality, low income, privately rented homes.

• We supported the development of a regional Housing Retrofit Strategy

The Council is a stakeholder in the development of a Housing Retrofit Strategy for East Sussex, led by East Sussex County Council’s Public Health team. A draft strategy is expected in June 2026, though working groups have already been established to support the key aims, with officers sitting on both the Retrofit Skills group and the Communications, Collaboration and Co-benefits group.

• We reviewed and improved our own buildings

Our operational buildings were reviewed, confirming all those with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) are rated C or above, with the refurbished Camber Welcome Centre, which opened in October 2025, achieving an impressive rating of 3A. 100% of the Temporary Accommodation provided by the Council achieves an EPC of at least C before occupancy, with 10 of the current 72 dwellings being EPC B.

Transport

Objective 2: The need to travel will be reduced, those that do will be on foot, bike, public transport, or in a low/zero carbon vehicle.

• We worked with partners on transport and air quality

The council works in partnership with key stakeholders to deliver and promote sustainable travel options in Rother, including through groups such as the Bus Services Enhanced Partnership Forum, Sussex Air (Air Quality Partnership), Healthy Weight Partnership and Active Rother.

In the past year, both the Bexhill Neighbourhood Board and the Age-Friendly Rother baseline work have identified low use of public transport and low levels of active travel in the district. Their plans will seek to address the identified challenges with connectivity and infrastructure in the district, such as narrow pavements and poor pedestrianisation.

• We shared events and information to promote sustainable travel

In April 2025, Active Rother launched a video promoting Health Walks, and the Council has shared events like Walking Month and Cycle to Work Day in online newsletters. The “What you can do – Transport” webpage has been updated with sustainable travel information and advice, such as local cycle routes, the on-demand Flexibus service, Stagecoach and community transport bus timetables, Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Liftsharing.

• We are supporting the switch to EVs

The Council was unable to resolve the technical and legal issues within its funding deadline to install EV chargepoints in its off-street car parks last year, as hoped. Alternative options are being explored to provide chargepoints in suitable, viable locations as soon as possible.

Through the Levelling Up Fund, the Council supported Sussex Outreach Support to launch a mobile hub by funding a hybrid bus, which will provide health and advice services in communities.

Since October 2024, the Council’s Taxi Policy has enabled full-hybrid/EV hackney carriage and private hire vehicles to benefit from an increase in the maximum age limit for a license from 10 to 15 years. In 2025/26, 12 full-hybrid/EV vehicles were added to the taxi fleet, ending the year with a total of 55 full-hybrid/EV vehicles out of 154 vehicles licensed in Rother.

• We reduced our staff’s travel emissions

The council adopted a new staff benefit scheme in August 2025, offering staff discounts on rail travel and other sustainable transport options, and our annual staff commuter survey showed the number of miles commuted by active travel was up 50% compared to the previous year. This follows a sustained programme of Carbon Literacy training throughout the organisation, achieving silver-level Carbon Literate Organisation status in Sept 2025, with 30% of staff certified as Carbon Literate.

Resource Consumption and Waste

Objective 3: The district will produce less waste and support a thriving circular economy.

• We encouraged and enabled the sustainable use of resources

The council communicated how to improve both the volume and quality of recycling through social media and newsletters, and promoted local and national events, such as Great Big Green Week and Plastic Free July. A new webpage was created, “What you can do – Resource Consumption and Waste“, offering advice including reusing and avoiding waste, recycling, composting and repair cafes. Additionally, all households were prepared for the new food waste collections as part of the government’s Simpler Recycling scheme rollout at the end of March 2026, which saw a positive take-up by resident in the first few weeks.

A water refill point was installed at the Camber Welcome Centre, adding to the existing points at Camber Western car park and at the Colonnade in Bexhill, funded by Sea-Changers to help avoid single-use plastic water bottles. Through the Rural Grants Scheme, the council funded a wool machine for a local farm, enabling them to begin creating products from wool as a waste product.

Planning permission was granted for a new GP surgery, to be constructed to BREEAM Excellent standard by the Council, in another example of applying local planning policies that protect the environment. This will ensure that the building has an environmental performance within the top 10% of new non-domestic buildings, incorporating water-saving features and sustainable materials.

• We promoted sustainable food practices

Rother joined the Sussex Six campaign in September 2025, encouraging shops, pubs, restaurants and cafés to pledge to take on at least six more locally sourced products on their shelves and menus in the coming year.

Sustainable produce and events were funded through the Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural Grants Scheme, including the launch of the Rother Wine Triangle in June 2025, the zero-waste Rye Harvest Festival in September 2025, and £35,000 to an organic farm to extend their range of local produce and create a farm shop to sell this locally.

• We improved our organisational waste practices

An office waste audit in December 2025 found volumes of general and recycling waste produced in our offices have decreased by 30% compared to the previous waste audit in 2023, after which a range of recommendations had been implemented. Recycling points for glass and batteries were also introduced this year, and a book swap shelf was created. The Green Team also arranged a clothes swap and a Christmas gift swap event for our staff, encouraging reuse and reducing waste.

Biodiversity and Land Use

Objective 4: Nature will be in recovery across the district.

• We strengthened our support for nature

Two motions, one for the rights of rivers and one for the rights of trees, were carried in September 2025, strengthening the council’s response to protecting wildlife. The motions support the growing global movement for rights of nature, rethinking the relationship between human beings and the natural world. In December 2025, the council also declared a Nature Emergency, noting this is intrinsically linked to the Climate Emergency, and committed to tackling both by investing in nature-based solutions to climate change.

By the end of March 2026, the Council was required to report on actions taken and planned to discharge our statutory biodiversity duty. The full report covering progress over the period 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2025 can be found on the webpage Our Biodiversity Duty.

• We worked with partners to improve water and land management practices

The Council is a formal partner of a range of projects and partnerships working to improve water environments and land management, including the River Catchment Partnerships, Ashdown Forest Working Group, the Environment Agency’s coastal management scheme, and Combe Valley Countryside Park groups. The Council sat on the Working Group and Supporting Authorities Group for the Sussex Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which is expected to be adopted in Spring 2026.

In Bexhill, repairs were made to the Egerton Park lake, reducing the risk of dropping to a ‘poor’ water quality rating. Bexhill Neighbourhood Board’s Regeneration Plan was also published, including a priority for greening projects in the town centre, aiming to slow drainage to reduce flood risks. Additionally, the Council worked with Bexhill Environment Group to plant wildflower meadows at Bexhill Down and Galley Hill.

• We promoted and funded action for nature

We promoted national and local nature events, such as Dark Sky Week and No Mow May, through our newsletters. Plus, advice on climate-friendly gardening and composting at home was brought together on the new “What you can do – Biodiversity and Land Use” webpage.

Through the Coronation Living Heritage Fund, three new community orchards were planted across the district, plus a micro wood of 1,000 trees at Bulverhythe Rec, Bexhill, created in partnership with Groundwork South. 

Energy Generation

Objective 5: Renewable energy will be produced locally.

• We funded renewable projects for community buildings

The first round of the Council’s refreshed Community Grants Scheme in Dec 2025 funded energy efficiency improvements, including solar panels, at The Pelham in Sidley and Brightling Village Hall, plus improvements involving replacing the gas boilers with air source heat pumps at Battle Memorial Halls.

Planning permission was granted for the refurbishment and extension of the Grade I listed De La Warr Pavillion, including an extensive package of works that will include air source heat pumps and solar panels, partly funded from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Climate Emergency Bonus Fund. CIL funding was also awarded for air source heat pumps for the new Sidley community hub, and solar panels for Bexhill Leisure Centre and Pool.

• We are boosting the take-up of domestic renewables

Following the success of previous schemes, the Council has been working in partnership to develop a new solar group purchase scheme for residents and SMEs. The project is being led by WSCC in partnership with all Sussex authorities, with the scheme expected to launch in the summer of 2026.

Links to advice on solar PV, heat pumps and battery storage have been added to the “What you can do – Energy Generation” webpage, with bespoke advice on the suitability of your home for renewables available through the Homewise online survey tool.

• We have supported local community energy opportunities

We have continued to work with our local Community Energy Cooperative, Energise South, to identify and support local opportunities. Over the past year, this included proposals for a solar microgrid at Egerton Park Indoor Bowls Club, plans to fund solar PV and design a community battery system on a new housing development, and exploring how communities could benefit from solar carports. Planning permission was also granted in August 2025 for a 5 Megawatt community solar farm in Crowhurst.