Central Swindon North Parish Council - Decarbonisation Feasibility and Funding (PSDS)

Planning estate-wide decarbonisation through tested, fundable and evidence-led strategies.

Client: Central Swindon North Parish Council

Scope: Estate-wide decarbonisation strategy, feasibility testing, RIBA Stage 4 design, and Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) funding application support.

£300,000 funding secured

PSDS-approved investment now delivering works on site

3,700,000 kg CO₂e reduction potential

Identified through estate-wide feasibility testing and modelling

Public sector estate decarbonised

Creating real community impact

The Inspiration

As expectations around public-sector decarbonisation accelerate, local authorities are challenged not only to define ambitious carbon targets, but to demonstrate how those ambitions can be delivered, affordably, compliantly, and at pace.

For Swindon’s public sector estate, the priority was to establish a credible, evidence-based pathway to carbon reduction that aligned with the Council’s sustainability policies while remaining grounded in operational reality. Success depended on robust feasibility testing, clear investment logic, and a funding strategy capable of unlocking delivery.

Our Approach

Our approach placed feasibility and fundability at the centre of the programme. Appointed to lead both the decarbonisation strategy and the PSDS funding application, we worked closely with the Council to ensure strategic ambition, technical viability, and financial deliverability were aligned from the outset.

A collaborative governance structure was established through regular engagement with council clerks, elected members, and operational managers. This ensured decision-making was informed not only by carbon objectives, but by building use, service continuity, and programme constraints.

We undertook in-depth estate-wide surveys, assessing building fabric performance, existing M&E systems, energy use, site constraints, environmental risk and occupancy behaviours to establish a robust baseline. This data informed detailed energy modelling and performance analysis, allowing our engineers and scientists to test multiple decarbonisation scenarios across the estate.

Each pathway was rigorously assessed for technical feasibility, carbon impact, capital cost, and deliverability, enabling clear comparison between options. This evidence-led testing moved the strategy beyond aspiration, giving the Council confidence in which interventions were viable now, and which should be phased over time.

The preferred solutions were developed into practical, deliverable designs, supported by comprehensive technical and feasibility reports and RIBA Stage 4 design drawings aligned with PSDS requirements. Findings were presented and refined through structured stakeholder workshops, ensuring collective agreement before progressing to funding submission.

The Outcome

The programme delivered a clear, investable decarbonisation strategy that translated policy ambition into practical, deliverable action across the public sector estate. Through rigorous feasibility testing, coordinated design development, and transparent cost–carbon analysis, Mondes provided the Council with a robust evidence base on which to make confident, informed decisions.

Building on this foundation, Mondes successfully prepared and submitted the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) funding application, securing in excess of £300,000 in capital funding. As a direct result of this work, funded decarbonisation measures are now being delivered on site across the estate, translating strategy and feasibility into tangible upgrades to public buildings.

Crucially, the programme delivered more than a single funding outcome. It established a clear, phased roadmap for implementation, allowing interventions to be prioritised, sequenced, and scaled over time as opportunities and funding evolve. The estate has moved decisively from aspiration to action, supported by a coherent, evidence-led framework that continues to guide delivery and long-term investment decisions.

Our Lasting Impact

This programme reshaped how Swindon Borough Council plans, invests in, and delivers decarbonisation across its public estate. By embedding feasibility testing, option appraisal, and funding strategy into the heart of decision-making, the work moved the estate away from isolated upgrades toward a coherent, long-term transformation framework. Buildings are no longer assessed in isolation, but as part of a connected system with clear priorities, sequencing, and deliverable pathways.

The impact is already visible in the physical fabric of the estate, with low-carbon interventions now being delivered on site. Over time, these changes will reduce operational emissions, improve building performance, and create healthier, more resilient environments for staff, service users, and the communities these buildings support. Importantly, the programme has also strengthened internal capability, giving the Council a repeatable model for future phases of decarbonisation, funding bids, and estate investment.

Beyond technical outcomes, the work supports a broader civic legacy. By accelerating the transition to lower-carbon public buildings, the programme contributes to reduced environmental impact at a local level while demonstrating leadership in responsible estate stewardship. The lasting impact is not only measured in carbon reduction, but in confidence, capability, and the creation of public spaces that are fit for a more sustainable future for Swindon’s communities.