Plymouth businesses! Do you want to reduce your carbon footprint and help achieve net zero? Do you want to positively influence the way your colleagues travel by providing sustainable transport facilities? Our Workplace Travel Grants might be able to help.
Businesses are being offered the opportunity to bid for match-funded grants of up to £25,000 to pay for measures that help staff travel more sustainably to, from and at work.
Councillor Jonathan Drean, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Our Workplace Travel Grants help all businesses, regardless of size, develop practical solutions to make essential business journeys more sustainable. They also help keep companies moving as we all continue to grapple with the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year we’ve supported 26 companies, including Rame Riders, Hindhead Property Ltd, Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, YMCA Plymouth and Womble Bond Dickinson and I’d encourage all local businesses to get in touch to see how the Council can help with their particular transport needs.”
Launched in October 2020, the programme has already benefitted 36 companies, with more than £430,000 in grants and business contributions being invested in schemes that encourage more trips to be made by sustainable transport. Improved shower facilities, cycle parking, electric vehicle charge points and staff pool bikes are just some of the measures funded so far.
Councillor Maddi Bridgeman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene said: “These grants are a fantastic opportunity for businesses across Plymouth and the wider city region to provide the kind of workplace facilities that can help employees switch to more sustainable modes of transport.
“We are all more aware of the impact of climate change and Workplace Travel Grants are one way the Council can help make sustainable, low carbon, transport a practical option for people’s commutes as well as essential business trips.”
Tom Lavis, CEO of YMCA Plymouth, said: "We are delighted to receive this support from Plymouth City Council towards developing our new staff showers and changing facilities. Our workforce overwhelmingly expressed that they would make the change to their usual commute if these facilities were improved.
“As a charity that promotes good health and wellbeing, we know the benefits this will bring to our staff; from better health to improved mental wellbeing, and as a result better productivity for us as a business. We're grateful to the Plymotion at Your Workplace scheme for helping to make this possible."
The Workplace Travel Grants scheme is part of the our Productive Plymouth programme, funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to boost productivity through investing in sustainable travel infrastructure, improving air quality and supporting healthier lifestyles.
Applications for the 2022/23 grants will be accepted until Friday 30 September and schemes need to be delivered by March 2023.