Your report on Bury Council's plan to move hundreds of staff to a new office development on Townside Fields (Bury Times December 28) did not mention an opportunity for the council to confirm its "green" credentials.
When the plan first appeared in the press earlier this year, the council leader made it clear that the council would have control over the design of the buildings.
On behalf of the Resource Issues Group of Bury Environment Forum I wrote to suggest that the buildings should be designed to minimise energy and resource use, setting a positive example to local developers and maintaining the council's leading role in promoting greenhouse gas reduction.
We asked an architect to prepare some ideas for the design of the buildings, and submitted to the council a draft specification based on established national criteria and examples of good practice.
It is becoming increasingly common for local councils to intervene to try to raise the quality of new buildings, for example in terms of energy efficiency, beyond the minimum required by building regulations.
The Government has set the very challenging target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by the year 2050.
We hope that through the Townside Fields development, Bury Council will demonstrate how that target is achievable.
DAVID ARCHER
Chair of Resource Issues Group
Bury Environment Forum
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article