The group believe that this will drive the low carbon agenda, continue to develop green technologies and establish the Midlands as one of its main focal points.

It has been stressed that their main aim is to reduce lighting bills and have a positive impact on carbon footprint commitment. Operating at Aston Science Park will prove to be another boost as the location is perfect and will further enhance and establish the business to make it more recognisable.

Eventually it will lead to a high growth of business meaning more wealth and more job opportunities for people; this will help the growth of the Midlands making its mark as one of the leaders in developing sustainable technologies.

Ultimately working together they can help companies such as eco specialist to further show their intent on green credentials which will be good news for them and the Midlands as they are leading the way to green innovation.

Manager Director Dr David J Hardman was unavailable for further comment.

The Midlands’ Microcab and Modec are companies that supports electric vehicles and at the moment, 100 low emission vehicles are being tested within the Midlands.

The Microcab project also explores the inspection of hydrogen as a clean source of energy and at the current moment the project is mainly focusing on two key areas which are transport and energy technologies.

The Midlands region is also lead to have become one of six European regions in a new association which will also be looking at how they can stimulate the growth if low-carbon economies.

Even though still at the testing stage of hydrogen vehicles, they are meant to be very good for the environment in the same sense as electric cars as both of the schemes will cut back CO2 emissions.

Rob Clapham of the University of Birmingham said:

‘There are many projects at the moment taking place in the region, there has recently been £30million project announced in the West Midlands which will trial a 110 electric and hydrogen vehicles on the streets of the Midlands, overall it is paving the way for low carbon and electric vehicles in the future

Hopefully the research the University are carrying out can lead to companies moving into the area and wanting to engage with that, it’s all about developing an industry at the moment.

The Microcab project started all the way back in 2007; it will only be a matter of time before people will be driving low carbon electric cars and a couple of people have already started to drive electrical vehicles as part of a project, I reckon that in the next five to ten years there will be a significant of electric and hydrogen cars rolling out.’

The scheme ends later this month and it gives car drivers £2000 off a new vehicle, which will have lower carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), if they trade in a car that is over ten years old.

The scheme launched in May and was funded by the government with 38 different car manufactures around the U.K taking part.

Car dealers in the Midlands claim that the scheme was popular with the vast amount of motorist and the BBC state that the initiative was responsible for about a fifth of all new car registrations since its introduction.

Generally local car dealers state that they understand why the government are axing it, but  they feel that it is a scheme which should keep being funded for reasons ranging from the environment to increased trade.

Solihull Audi marketing manager Steve Thorpe said:

‘Here at Audi we backed the scrappage scheme and we sold a lot of cars, so we will be disappointed to see the scheme come to an end and most defiantly we would very much like the government to continue it.

To scrap a car was something I most urged to customers as it was an opportunity people should have defiantly grasped, there is not many products where the government will put hands in their own pocket and help me buy a car.

Older cars do start to burn more oil and co2 emission is higher so from an ecological position its kind to the environment.’

Tyseley Fiat car dealer Damien Yates said:

‘To get £2,000 for your old car is a good offer as the customer gets the privilege of walking away with the money to put towards gaining something fresher, with no dealt at all this scheme had a very positive impact.

Hopefully one day the opportunity to continue the scheme will come back as it was a good positive feature to have, furthermore to this it won’t help the environment either as they will lose out too.’

On February the 13^th local City Councillors refused the plans of 42 solar panels to go up on the historic church rooftop.

The Moseley Forum and church have been talking to other churches following there permission for solar panels refused.

The people at St Mary’s church are said to be very unhappy that a good green idea had been rejected after the City Council committee voted against the idea.

Church warden John Dowell said:

“We gained an award from British Gas as being 1 of 14 people in the whole of the U.K. Midland region to promote energy awareness. The solar panels on the roof are a symbol of energy awareness in Moseley.

They said no to us because it is a conservation building, grade 2 listed building which there are rules for what you can and can’t do, any change made has to be approved because it is a grade 2 building.

They plan to put the solar panels on the very top of the building and feel that it would not affect the appearance of the building.

We are generally disappointed, we got so far, but at the last hurdle we got turned down by the city authorities.”

The decision made by the City Councillors is something which has also angered the locals in the Moseley area, which has lead to a few online petitions and forums to get the solar panels which the church desperately wants.