An introduction to our “Sustainability Action Plan” Engaging Kington to improve Local Resilience.
Mitigating the effects of Climate Change on humanity’s most vulnerable societies is vital. Despite the lack of real international agreement on tackling climate change there are at least some people locally who are working hard to make a difference on this critical issue which has potentially enormous implications not just for us but for people across the world.
Herefordshire Environment Partnership (formed by a number of statutory and voluntary organisations), is funding a project called New Leaf to do something positive. Parish Councils and Environment Groups in Herefordshire were approached to take part in a Pilot Scheme to produce an Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP), Kington is one of only three communities selected to take part, working through KLEEN and Kington Town Council.
We aim to produce an initial “ Sustainability Action Plan” for Kington. We need to put our heads together to come up with creative solutions to Energy Saving for a more resilient future in this beautiful part of the world. We need to look at our town as a whole and come up with a Plan. We need to find practical ideas for fossil fuel energy reductions all around the Town. Then, for this plan to be anything more than a paper exercise, we will need to write aspects of it into the “Parish Plan”, which could then receive funding from Herefordshire County Council.
The initial plan has to be submitted to the various funding groups by 31st March. This is far too short a timescale to do anything other than to start a programme but we must begin work immediately if we are to make the best of this opportunity to really get our community involved! We know that Kington people are capable of great things – when we all pull together as a community, when there’s a job to be done; such as the Fireworks, the Christmas Lights, Kington Festival & Show, the new Allotments etc.
To do this, even half – well, we are going to need to work together; and FAST! Over the next few weeks Richard Fishbourne, Sustainable Communities Development Officer for Community First will be contacting many community groups in Kington about this Plan; from the Brownies to the Schools, Age Concern to the Lions.
A Public Meeting will be held on Thursday Feb 25th from 7.30pm at the Oxford Arms, Duke St., Kington for all clubs, community groups and residents of Kington, with a panel including Cllr Jarvis and other invited key players in this project and it’s implementation. We hope you will come.
