Lawrence Weston’s journey to social fairness & net zero: A case study of a community
By Harriet Sansom, Centre for Sustainable Energy
Commissioned by Local Trust
September 2023

Lawrence Weston is a post-war housing estate of 7,000 people five miles from the centre of Bristol. Deprivation levels here are amongst the highest in the UK, especially for skills, employment, health, income and crime.

But thanks to the efforts of many dynamic members of the community, Lawrence Weston has achieved extraordinary things: their own community climate action plan; an income stream from a nearby solar farm; a Neighbourhood Plan which includes sustainable design policies for new-build; a resident-led co-housing project.

And in June 2023 their 100% community-led and community-owned wind turbine – the biggest onshore wind turbine in England – begin turning. It now generates enough clean electricity to power every home on the estate.

This is the story of Lawrence Weston’s incredible journey …