CAMPBELL SPEAKS OUT ON ENVIRONMENT IN VISIT TO SUTTON

5.43.29pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 26th Oct 2006

From Left to Right: Cllr Colin Hall, Paul Burstow MP, Sir Menzies Campbell, & Tom Brake MP

Sir Menzies Campbell MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, today visited BedZED in Hackbridge in the London Borough of Sutton. BedZED is the UK's largest carbon-neutral community.

He arrived at Hackbridge Station by train accompanied by Paul Burstow MP and was met by Tom Brake MP, Sue Riddlestone a Director of Bioregional and Cllr Colin Hall, Deputy Leader of Sutton Council who briefed him on Sutton's 'Smarter Travel Sutton' project.

At the end of his visit, Sir Menzies Campbell said:

"Liberal Democrat Councils are making a real difference on the environment. First Sutton Council made BedZED possible and now - through the 'Smarter Travel Sutton' initiative - it is encouraging businesses, schools and individuals to develop travel plans and reduce their car dependency."

Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington remarked, "Sutton has a green track record second to none. When others were rubbishing the science of climate change years ago we backed BedZED. We are now trail-blazing again with 'Smarter Travel Sutton'. And just as the lessons learnt at Bed Zed have helped improve low or zero energy building projects around the world, the lessons learnt from 'Smarter Travel Sutton' will be picked up by every urban and suburban community seeking to cut its reliance on the car.

Councillor Colin Hall, Sutton Council's Deputy Leader, commented, "The BedZED development, a world class example of sustainable living, was made possible by the forward thinking and the environmental commitment of Sutton's Lib Dem Council. This project and others like the Killick House solar panel scheme and our excellent recycling record have led to the borough being picked to host 'Smarter Travel Sutton', a £5M sustainable transport project designed to help local residents make informed decisions about alternatives to using their own car.

Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton & Cheam finished by saying, "Climate change is a problem that requires both national leadership, local action and personal responsibility. We all have a part to play in reducing our own individual contributions to greenhouse gases. Sutton Council has been in the vanguard of this movement for green action for over two decades. Sutton was green when it was neither trendy nor cool."

Residents who want to cut their CO2 emissions can do so by signing up to Sutton's Planet Pledge at www.sutton.gov.uk/environment/planetpage/ or visiting Tom Brake's 'go green' page at http://www.tombrake.co.uk/pages/GoGreen.html