Litton Cheney Parish Council
Climate and Ecological Emergency Action Plan
CONTEXT
Dorset Council has joined with other regional and local councils to declare a climate and ecological emergency. Litton Cheney Parish Council has voted to support this as far as possible, albeit its small size will limit the scope of the changes that can be achieved.
There are two aspects to our approach to the problems that the country and the wider planet faces:-
1. Mitigate the worst effects of the emergency, by reducing our impact on the environment and the climate, either at an individual level or as a council
2. Build a resilient community to face future problems.
Follow this link to find out what Dorset Council are doing about Climate and Ecological Emergency.
What the parish council can do
As a parish council we can influence behaviour locally and regionally, and lobby central government through our MP.
As a member of BLAP, the Parish Council can work to bring about change at Dorset Council in their policy and practices on public transport, energy efficiency, pollution, verge management and use of chemical pesticides etc.
The decision at Heathrow which found that the application for a third runway had not taken sufficient account of the climate commitments proves that climate issues can legitimately be part of the planning decision process.
The Parish Council will support appropriate local planning applications that satisfy the current planning restraints which minimise carbon emissions and other impacts and ensure that new applications are carbon neutral.
The Parish Council will also support applications for new renewable energy schemes, provided that they are suitable for our sensitive and special landscape in Dorset.
The Parish Council can provide a lead for the local community by ‘signposting’ initiatives to encourage residents to reduce their impact on climate and the environment.
Examples of helpful websites are:-
Additional ways to recycle your waste
How to tackle the Ecological Emergency
The Parish Council will look at possibilities for:-
Provision of an electric car charging point
Using the churchyard/village hall area to encourage wildlife by the use of planting and improving the habitat for wildlife.
Encouraging parents at the school to reduce journeys by car where possible
WHAT VILLAGE RESIDENTS CAN DO
Top Options for reducing your carbon footprint (average reduction per person per year in tonnes of CO2 equivalent):
· Live car free 2.04
· Battery electric car 1.95
· One less long-haul flight per year 1.68
· Renewable energy 1.6
· Public transport 0.98
· Refurbishment/renovation 0.895
· Vegan diet 0.8
· Heat pump 0.795
· Improved cooking equipment 0.65
· Renewable based heating 0.64
Any future initiatives will need to take into account the changed world that we now inhabit. Car sharing schemes are not an option at present and recycling projects have inherent risks attached. The table above shows the most effective ways to reduce our carbon footprint. More locally it is estimated that the biggest contributors to household carbon emissions are food, housing and transport. Taking each of these in turn, below are suggestions for actions that individual households can take to make a difference:-
Food
· Eat more locally grown food and try growing our own
· Reduce the food you throw away and only buy what you need.
· Avoid palm oil in processed food
· Eat less meat
Housing
The government Green Homes Grant helps to reduce the carbon emissions from heating and lighting our homes. The grant will pay 2/3rds of the cost up to £5000 for the following:-
Loft insulation, Wall insulation, Underfloor insulation, Double and triple glazing, Eco-friendly boilers, heat pumps, low-energy lighting and energy-efficient doors
Install solar panels – if there is sufficient demand the Parish Council can coordinate a multi-property installation scheme such as that set up by Frome Town Council in their Solar Streets project.
Switch to renewable energy - https://bigcleanswitch.org/ gives a list of suppliers and how green they really are.
Use renewable light bulbs
If you have just moved home, have a look at the EPC for suggestions on what is most effective for your house.
Transport
· If possible switch to an electric car
· Walk or cycle where possible
· Avoid unnecessary journeys – we have all become used to going out less, so why not continue?
And generally - Reduce waste, reuse, recycle, repair, repurpose.
We are a small village but we can all make a difference by using resources as efficiently as possible.