Town gets green light to create a ‘hot office’

Dec 26 2008 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

RESIDENTS of an East Perthshire town are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and become leaders in the battle against global warming.

As part of the Alyth Climate Action Town (ACAT) project, a major study is to be undertaken into actively encouraging the town’s residents to use their cars less frequently.

Transport planners JMP Consultants have been drafted in to carry out the research, designed to spark discussion between the community and prominent local employers.

Clive Bowman, chair of the Alyth Environmental Group – a team of local volunteers responsible for ACAT – said that he hoped the research would provide the platform to create, what has been dubbed, a “hot office”.

This is a shared office building, fitted-out with a host of modern equipment, that would enable employees to stay and work for their respective companies in Alyth itself, removing the need to travel into work every day.

He went on to say that he hoped the facility would encourage increased economic investment in the area.

He said: “I would encourage all of Alyth’s residents to take part in the travel survey so we can demonstrate the need for this type of facility in the town.”

The survey has received funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) and will be available to the town’s residents in February.

Similar schemes in Comrie and the Letham of Perth have also received CCF money this year.