West Ham MP Lyn Brown has been impressed with plans to make East London Bus Group’s (ELBG) new depot as environmentally friendly as possible, following a visit to the site.

The depot, which is being built on seven acres of the old Parcelforce site in Manor Road by Transport for London for ELBG, will be a state-of-the-art facility. 

Plans for the depot include the latest environmental technology, including a wind turbine, a biomass generator and a grass roof to capture and recycle rainwater.  Overall the garage will produce 20% of energy needs from renewable sources.

Staff at the depot are also being encouraged to go green by taking a dedicated shuttle bus from WestHam tube station or cycle to the depot. These innovations will make the depot the greenest in the country, and one of the most carbon-friendly in Europe.

Employment and training opportunities are also being offered by the East London Bus Group as they move their headquarters and training centre to the depot.  Such opportunities include new four-year apprenticeships available to young people in the area.

Lyn Brown MP said: “Everybody needs to play their part in tackling climate change, so I’m very pleased to see that this new bus depot will be so environmentally-friendly.

“It’s also good news for local young people that ELBG are offering a number of apprenticeships at the new depot, giving them the opportunity to earn money and gain important skills at the same time.”

“This new depot is another exciting development in the regeneration of our borough.”

Nigel Barrett, ELBG Chief Executive Officer added: “We welcome the support and interest of Lyn Brown as the local MP in our new depot.  She has had some useful ideas about how we can work with the community which we have been very happy to take on board.

“ELBG strives to be a good employer and neighbour to the local community in its other 9 depots. Building a new bus depot can be disruptive, but we will work with Lyn Brown and local people to keep the upheaval to a minimum.”