People in the Chichester District are being reminded to give their views on Chichester District Council’s action plan to help tackle climate change in the area before the consultation ends on 6 November.
The council has developed a draft Climate Change Emergency Detailed Action Plan, which outlines ways in which the council can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its own work, as well as how it can help individuals and other organisations across the district to reduce their emissions too.
Some of the actions included in the council’s plan, are to:
- Deliver measurable carbon reduction in new developments and through the council’s own operations
- Source funding for reduced carbon initiatives
- Promote lifestyle changes, such as energy reduction and using renewable energy sources
- Develop local plans for reducing food waste
- Identify opportunities for increased tree planting, and
- Promote sustainable transport.
The consultation asks people for their thoughts on suggestions included within the plan, including different ways in which the council proposes to engage with residents around combatting climate change over the coming months. This includes a Citizens’ Jury, which will be asked to make recommendations to the council; working groups made up of different organisations to help develop greenhouse gas mitigation projects; and a public behaviour change campaign.
Councillor Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for Environment at Chichester District Council said, “We all have a very important part to play in helping to combat the climate emergency, and this consultation is a chance for people to get involved and have their say on our plan to address this,”
“As a council, we are already doing significant amounts of work to reduce our carbon footprint and make our buildings a lot greener. For example we are using solar panels on the roof of our offices at East Pallant House to generate hot water and electricity, and we are also investigating installing more electricity-generating panels on our other buildings. We are developing new policies through the Local Plan Review to set standards for sustainable construction, energy efficiency and water usage in new developments across the district. Part of this work includes policies for sustainable drainage, flooding and wildlife corridors.
“Our plan looks to develop this work, to ensure that we are doing all we can to do our bit in the fight against climate change. However, the council’s emissions are just a small part of the district's emissions as a whole, and this is where the crucial second section of our plan comes in, setting out ways in which we can bring people and organisations together to help them reduce emissions in their homes, their workplaces, and in other aspects of their lives.
“It takes 5-10 minutes to complete our survey and we’re keen to hear a wide range of views from as many people as possible. The deadline for responding is midnight on 6 November 2020, so don’t forget to have your say at www.chichester.gov.uk/letstalkclimatechange before the consultation closes. You can also view the plan and its suggestions on this web page too.”
There is also a list of frequently asked questions to help put the survey into context and a glossary to explain some of the terms used. People can request a paper copy of the questionnaire by emailing [email protected]
Once all the results have been analysed, the updated action plan will be heard by the council’s Environment Panel on Tuesday 17 November 2020.
People who would like to get involved with more consultations and surveys in the future can also join Chichester District Council’s Let’s Talk Panel. By signing up, they will be automatically notified of any consultations by email, and can decide whether or not they want to take part. People can join by visiting www.chichester.gov.uk/letstalkpanel
