AMION recently completed an evaluation of the North Northamptonshire to Net Zero (NN2NZ) project which was funded through the Community Renewal Fund.
NN2NZ developed a holistic strategic options programme that will lead to the provision of innovative energy, housing and transport responses to community challenges and local needs to achieve net zero carbon ahead of 2050 targets. The project comprised a number of activities, including: the identification of problems and solutions on the road to net zero; feasibility studies of potential initiatives; analysis of complementarities and possible conflicts between initiatives; and the establishment of a framework to assess, filter and collate future projects. The project also produced an electric vehicle strategy for North Northamptonshire Council. The project also identified three ‘big ideas’. These were: community e-mobility hubs; a local fund for providing renewable energy; and local energy communities.
AMION were commissioned to carry out an evaluation covering issues such as: strategic relevance of the project; continuing rationale; extent to which outputs had been achieved; management and delivery; levels of support for the ‘big ideas’, value for money; reasons for success; and identification of strengths and areas for improvement.
The evaluation included surveys of residents and businesses (carried out by Spirul) and consultations with project staff from Electric Corby and with external consultants who worked on the project.
The evaluation found that there was significant support among residents and businesses for the proposed activities and that the project had been well managed and delivered.