Croydon's residents will be able to shape local efforts to tackle the impending climate emergency through a citizens' assembly.

Building on the the Croydon sustainable summit, the new assembly will give locals the chance to share their concerns and ideas.

The Council officially declared a climate emergency in June, pledging to make the borough carbon neutral by 2030.

Councillor Tony Newman, the leader of the council, said: “We are committed to tackling the climate emergency and doing all we can to help our residents and do our bit to tackle this global challenge.

“It’s the next generation who will be most impacted by climate change so I want to make sure their voices are heard in how we look to tackle it.

“We’ve committed to improving air quality and trying to save lives in Croydon while the new Green Croydon Fund will help our communities lead from the front.”

Next month the Council will introduce emissions based parking permits, offering substantial discounts for residents will the least polluting cars, with some paying as little as £6.50 for an annual parking permit.

Critics say the plans will unfairly penalise the majority people, particularly owners of diesel vehicles built before 2001, who would see the cost of their yearly permit rise from £80 to £300.

Croydon’s third Local Implementation Plan, which looks to deliver the Mayor of London’s transport priorities, sets out details of how the £2.471m bid is set to transform transport in Croydon, including plans to deliver 400 public charging points for electric vehicles by 2022.