If you were going to name the “greenest town” in the UK you’d be forgiven for not necessarily thinking to look inside the M25.
But Swanley, which straddles both the Greater London Commuter belt and the Kent countryside, has achieved that very feat. So just how did it propel itself to such heights? Senior reporter Charlotte Phillips talks to those behind its eco revolution.
Until the advent of the National Health Service and the closure of its hospitals by the 1960s, the leafy town was seen as highly attractive to London doctors seeking clean air for sick patients, escaping the smog.
Flash forward to the present day and the town, with a growing population just shy of 20,000, is still largely renowned for its green connections in the form of both its popular 60-acre park and its swift travel links.
In 2020, Swanley Town Council set its 10-year strategic plan, which included the aim of being carbon neutral by 2030.
And on July 16, it declared a significant half-time victory after being crowned the “best town in the UK” for its green agenda at the VISA Let’s Celebrate Towns Awards, an annual event recognising towns that are “leading the way in environmental innovation, resilience, and inclusivity”.
With 149 towns across the UK entering, Swanley fended off stiff competition from far larger and more heavily resourced county towns such as Reading and Shrewsbury.
Ryan Hayman, the town’s chief executive officer, says a “significant amount” has been done so far to achieve this accolade.
But it’s not just about becoming carbon neutral.
“That’s obviously very important, but it’s also about dealing with the effects of climate change,” Ryan explained.
Within the past five years, almost 5,000 trees have been planted across the town’s public spaces, in an effort to create carbon sinks, boost biodiversity, and improve air quality.
Solar panels have also been installed across some of the town’s busiest buildings in recent years.
Last July, PV panels were installed on the roof of the soft play centre and café at Swanley Park.
The council also partnered with Sunpower Services, based in Strood, which is the only company in the UK that offers free solar panel installation to businesses.
They have also been added to White Oak Leisure Centre, as well as Swanley Link, The Olympic, The Alexandra Suite, and the Civic Centre.
Ryan explained: “These are some of our more high-consuming sites, you can imagine how busy the park gets.
“One of the biggest constraints to reducing carbon emissions is cost, so we were looking at innovative ways of implementing carbon reduction schemes.
“We managed to secure the free solar panels in an agreement which reduced our electric costs by nearly half, whilst also not having the capital costs.
“So we retained the solar panels at the end of the agreement, and free of charge.”
The town is transitioning to a fully electric council fleet and has rolled out public EV charging points across several locations.
Ryan said: “We have had diesel-enabled vehicles until recently, and now we’ve got our electric vehicle fleet growing.”
As part of winning the award, the council was awarded £20,000, which was used to purchase an additional single-panelled van.
“The emissions in creating vehicles are quite high, so what we don’t want to do is get rid of perfectly good vehicles for an EV just for the sake of it,” he added.
“A lot of our vehicles are coming to the end of their natural life anyway, so when that happens, we will replace them”.
Swanley Wildlife and Nature Group (SWAN) was set up in 2001 in partnership with the council.
A group of volunteers created an environmental area in Swanley Park which features wildflower meadows, native trees and hedging, and other habitats for insects and bugs.
Secretary Wendy Daly, who has been volunteering for six years, says the group meets once a month to nurture the space.
She explained: “We keep it as wild as possible, but tidy for people to walk in.
“There are foxes in there, and we also have bird boxes, bird feeder tables, and bug hotels.
“The idea is to encourage the wildlife, but have it so that people can walk through and enjoy. It’s a place where nature can really be left to thrive”.
The town is also part of the Bee Motorway scheme, a UK-wide initiative helping to connect populations of bees and other pollinators.
Ryan explained: “Due to all the urbanisation of areas, bees have been getting somewhat confused and unable to transport from A to B because there’s nowhere for them to join in between.
“The scheme is all about creating a bee highway, and Swanley wanted to ensure it was included in that motorway and through those projects.”
West View nature park and a new wildflower flood prevention bund in Pinks Hill have both joined the scheme, connecting the area to a national biodiversity network.
However, proposals to build huge house developments across and near the town could potentially threaten any significant progress it has made with its green initiatives.
The biggest is plans for a new garden village of 2,500 homes at Pedham Place, which have received a mixed response from residents.
At the start of last year, plans were approved to build 47 homes in London Road, as well as a Lidl supermarket.
There are also potential plans to build 275 homes off Maidstone Road in the town, on green belt land.
This is something the town will ultimately have to adapt to and manage.
“A lot of the new builds legally now do have to have solar panels, EV chargers, and have to be highly energy efficient,” adds Ryan.
“It doesn’t mean that they don’t have a negative impact, it certainly doesn’t mean that they won’t cause stress on infrastructure.
“So what is important is that any project that brings in new development has a net positive gain on infrastructure improvements to the town – like doctor surgeries and schools.
“In terms of additional vehicles on the road, again, there will be more pollution.
“We’ve already got high levels of pollution and high levels of poor air quality, which is why we’ve created these additional parks and pocket forests across the town.
“Nature would have to try and reduce that, but any more vehicles, unless they’re electric, will have a negative effect on the town’s overall carbon footprint.
“We continue to look at additional areas for more EV charging stations and try to help people towards the journey of having only electric vehicles by 2030.”
The town holds three Green Flag Awards and four South and South East in Bloom awards, including Gold for Swanley Park.
In terms of future plans to make Swanley greener, Ryan says the council will be continuing to focus on becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
He explained: “What we’ve done well in the past in the last five years is creating new tangible improvements to the town like new skate parks and new rugby facilities.
“What we are doubling down and focusing on now is our general five-year maintenance, getting ahead of the curve for our facilities, and that also helps with our emissions and our efficiencies in our buildings.”
He says that winning the award is a “phenomenal honour”, adding that the recognition has “put Swanley on the map”.
“It is made greater still when you consider all the boroughs and districts that Swanley Town Council was pitted against,” he added.
“This award will help us go even further. I would personally like to thank all whom helped us to achieve this award.”
Mayor Cllr Keith Michell called it a “landmark moment” for Swanley.
“To be named best town in the UK for our environmental progress speaks volumes about the dedication of our community and staff,” he added.
“From biodiversity to clean energy and resilience planning, we are proud to lead by example.”
