Breckland

124,000 people live in Breckland. Breckland is home to five market towns, Attleborough, Dereham, Swaffham, Thetford and Watton. All have their own personality and distinct character, with varied attractions on offer to visitors of all ages. Over 90% of the businesses in Breckland are small to medium sized, and therefore play an important role in the economic development of the district.

Thetford is the industrial engine of the district and home to some of our key employers such as Baxter Healthcare and Jeyes. The town has a higher than average amount of manufacturing employment and also exhibits strengths and growth in clusters surrounding the Advanced Engineering sector. Thetford town has attracted over £10 million in regeneration funds. 

Breckland Council, with their Partners Shaping Norfolks Future and Norfolk County Council, are leading REV ACTIVE, a major project which will support regeneration and economic growth predominantly along the A11 as part of the REV Programme (www.reveast.com). The aim is to help businesses cut their costs through resource efficiency and low carbon initiatives. Businesses will be able to save money whilst acting in a greener way - a real win win. Through this project we will create an environment where the local business community can share ideas, best practice and benefit from working together.

New REV ACTIVE team now in post

The REV ACTIVE project team is now up to full strength. Simon Best has taken on the Project Management role and Jo Mysko is providing technical support. Simon joined the project from Envirowise where he was Regional Manager and has a background in consultancy. Jo has extensive experience in providing marketing and administrative support to local authority projects.

Three full time Resource Efficiency Facilitators are also in post – providing expert support and ‘hands on’ assistance with environmental and resource efficiency issues. In the first instance, this support will focus on ‘quick wins’ for business, for example maximising companies’ efficient use of light and heat, how they manage and dispose of raw materials and waste and how they consume water.

REV ACTIVE seeks to identify small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) that have the greatest potential to improve their resource efficiency and reduce energy consumption, working with them to proactively realise this potential and the associated business benefits in doing so, for example reduced costs, enhanced reputations and competitive advantage. The project focuses upon Norwich, Thetford and the A11 corridor that links them. Each participating company is assigned a dedicated Resource Efficiency Facilitator.

The new Resource Efficiency Facilitators are Alder Tye, Chris Handley and Laura Dopping-Hepenstal and each brings a wealth of expertise in areas such as low-energy technologies, environmental management, staff behavioural change, water conservation and wastes management. The team have a strong track record in identifying and delivering real cost savings in real companies through systematic on-site reviews.

The team produce tailored, fully-costed business cases for change. Financial packages – including grant assistance where eligible – will then be put together, providing the means for companies to move forward through implementation and reap the financial benefits. A smaller number of companies will also be offered more intensive feasibility studies and support to help implement bigger cost saving opportunities, such as the installation of efficient technologies, improvements to the fabric of buildings and process optimisation.
 
The focus throughout is on providing expert, tailored support to enable businesses to quickly deliver financial and environmental benefits and use this to their commercial and competitive advantage.

For more information about the project, please contact Simon Best on simon.best@breckland.gov.uk