About 90 representatives of companies and green agencies from Peterborough agreed a series of new measures to speed up progress to secure the title.

During a three-hour brain-storming session at the Broadway Suite, in Peterborough, delegates shared ideas and agreed a change of attitude was vital if the city was ever to be recognised as the UK's environment capital.

Opening the event, called Environmental Capital – how do we make it happen?, chairman of the Environment Capital Group Kevin McKay, said: "When the idea of Peterborough being the Environment Capital was first proposed, we were told it could never be done.

"But enough things have happened to put us well up the table to make us think if we do just a bit more, we could meet our objective.

"But how do we make that happen? We have to be audacious."

Proposals put forward included closing Bourges Boulevard, creating a park-and-ride centre to double as a bus park at nights, and a supermarket-sponsored red card scheme that would enable shoppers to protest at over-packaged products.