Exploring small community based eco initiatives as important community projects in their own right, but also as contributions to wider environmental issues.
Presentations from:
· East Grimstead Nature Group – Rosie Wilkinson
· Coombe Bissett Down Butterfly Bank – Melanie Evans
· Lover Repair Café – Paul Bromage
· Winterslow Warriors – Eleanor Hambly
· Salisbury Area Greenspace Partnership – Nicola Lipscombe
Minutes:
The Chairman noted that all of the modest projects taking place locally really did make a contribution to the wider programme to address climate change and in their own right were really worthwhile community projects.
The Board then received the following presentations:
Cllr Richard Clewer, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Heritage, Arts, Tourism, Housing, Climate Change and Military-Civilian Integration presented on Wiltshire Council’s Carbon Neutral Pledge. The key points from the presentation were:
In February 2019 Wiltshire Council resolved to:
Wiltshire Council Cabinet committed to make Wiltshire Council carbon neutral by 2030. A Global Warming and Climate Emergency task group had been established to consider:
Renewable energy generation, energy use and efficiency in the following areas: -
Residents were asked to consider a Green Pledge and act on some of the
following:
The Council approved £5.2 million to carry out work to improve carbon emissions and generate income from the 138 buildings it operates from. There would also be the introduction of solar canopies on the Park & Ride sites, with the inclusion of some electric charging points.
Housing was more tricky, new build was easier, but existing buildings harder to deal with emissions from housing. The Council’s Task Group was looking at this in detail, and Cllr Clewer would be working with them to develop the Carbon Reduction Strategy for next year.
Waste routes – Following the implementation of the changes to the recycling service early next year, there would be one route instead of 2, reducing the carbon footprint, cutting back from 3 to 2.
Friends of the Earth stated that Wiltshire was the most climate friendly County in England and Wales. Please sign up to the Green Pledge!
Questions
Answer: The LED programme was approved a year ago, I will see if that can be added in.
Answer: We have a new version of the My Wilts app so we are looking at adding in a function to show where people can recycle different items.
Answer: We do not want to put expensive infrastructure in for charging points of electric vehicles, if that was not going to be the way forward. We are planning before we go down those routes.
Answer: Central Government would set safety standards, I will make sure that whatever we are doing is in line with that.
Answer: As we develop the Strategy we will look at this
Answer: Yes, we may need a different model for public transport. We have not started to discuss this yet.
Answer: Yes if that is possible.
Local Group presentations:
Downton Green Group – Jane Morgan
We have been going for over ten years and have signed up to the transition movement. Recent environmental issues have received more prominence recently. Our group has organised events on a variety of subjects. Some of our work includes:
· Encouraging the use of local food markets and shops, to lessen our carbon footprint.
· Encouraging the use of our local green spaces and to grow insect friendly flowers.
· To set up a small recycling centre for items that are not yet included in the kerbside collection service.
· Supporting the local schools eco council.
· Write an article each month for the parish news.
We meet once a month in the pub and welcome any new members.
East Grimstead Nature Group – Rosie Wilkinson
We set up a nature group this year to focus on increased biodiversity in the village. We are currently cultivating wildlife strips on the village green, which are paid for by the Parish Council.
We have sown seeds in these designated areas, and the remainder of the green was left to allow ample space for parking. After a few weeks of not mowing we saw over 12 species of native plants growing there.
We have had lots of willing volunteers to help sow seeds, and it is hoped that next summer these will be buzzing with life.
Our next project is to create an insect hotel on the green, as the long grass and flowers are incredibly beneficial to insects.
In October we looked to our pond and worked with the friends of Bentley Wood and Hazel Hill Wood. Wildlife will move in if you give it a chance.
We have also set up a crisp packet recycling site in our parish phone box. The parish council hopes to increase this provision to include other items.
Coombe Bissett Down Butterfly Bank – Melanie Evans
This is a three-year long project funded by National Lottery fund. We purchased an area of land, converting from arable to a butterfly bank planted with wildflowers.
Some of the species are rare and numbers had been decreasing over time. Next year there will be many events and voluntary opportunities to be involved in. Packets of wildflower seed were available at the meeting to encourage people to sow at home.
Lover Repair Café – Paul Bromage
We are part of the make do and mend brigade, and much about doing your bit. We are a community group that opens on Wednesdays. We repair small domestic items and promote the re-use of them.
Operating since March 2019, there have been 400 items processed by a range of 21 volunteers. Some work is done at home or in homes and some items are repaired whilst people wait. We only charge for materials and donations are accepted.
We strip items down for a nominal £1 fee, allowing separation of the items for reuse or recycling. One of the smallest items I dismantle is an inhaler. There are 12 individual plastic parts, if dismantled, you can recycle it.
The biggest item is a timber framed house, built in the 1930’s, my intention is to dismantle it, restore it and reassemble it, as an open-air museum.
We meet in Redlynch 10.00am to 2.00pm, for more info email us at:
Salisbury Area Greenspace Partnership – Nicola Lipscombe
We are a community led group launched 9 years ago. We have backgrounds in many areas and we focus on the main areas of Salisbury, Laverstock and Wilton.
Why is Green Infrastructure so important - GI regulates our environment & delivers vital ecosystem services, supports sustainable movement & active travel, is important for our health & wellbeing, and creates attractive & distinctive places to live & work.
We look at all of our natural and semi natural environment, as these spaces are vital for our health & wellbeing.
Plants and vegetation help to improve the quality of the air we breathe, especially in poor areas of air quality, and can enhance our quality of life.
Our green and blue spaces are under threat from development and infrastructure.
Collecting baseline information –
We currently input into the work of the Air Quality working Group
Not against development, just think it needs to be in the right place.
The Chairman concluded by thanking presenters on sharing information on an interesting array of projects and activities across the patch. The idea of considering how there could be more joined up working with these initiatives could been looked at further.
A list of eco awareness days was circulated at the meeting.
6 January – Big Schools Bird Watch
20 January – Big Energy Saving Week
2 February – World Wetland Day
14 February – National Nest Box Week
20 March – Great British Spring Clean
23 March – World Meteorological Day
22 April – Earth Day
30 April – National Gardening Week
4 June – Butterfly Education and Awareness Day
5 June – World Environment Day
8 June – World Oceans Day
11 June – Bike Week
26 June – National Insects Week
23 July - National Marine Week
Organic September (month event)
16 Sept – Great British Beach Clean
22 September – World Car Free Day
23 September – Seed Gathering Month
25 September – Recycle Week
October – international walk to school month
24 November – National Tree Week
1 December – Tree Dressing Week
5 December – World Soil Day