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We're delighted that Bruton Town Council has adopted recommendations made by the Climate and Ecological Core Working Group. Its latest allotment renewal notice states:

"Please note that the Council prohibits the use of Glyphosate and similar herbicides / pesticides on its land including the raised beds; encourages  allotment holders to follow organic principles; bans use of peat-based compost; supports sharing of excess produce and supports events / workshops to promote food-growing".

The Pesticide Action Network has a Pesticide-Free Towns Campaign. By committing to  go pesticide-free, the Town Council can join the network which includes lots of other places.

There's information for Council's and land managers on alternatives to pesticides here.

There's a useful guide to gardening without pesticides focusing on specific pests here.

 

 

Read more…

Today, Jane Durney submitted a response on behalf of One Planet Bruon CIC about the Brewham Road North Planning Application 19/03103/OUT.

We previously submitted pre-application comments to Claremont Planning on 9 September 2019. At this stage, we object to the application. It does not adequately respond to the Climate and Ecological Emergency declared by both South Somerset District Council and Bruton Town Council.

See the linked file below for the full response:

One Planet Bruton CIC response

Read more…

One Planet Bruton is at Castle Cary Green Fair. Hear Jane Durney speak at 4pm. Her presentation will be attached here afterwards.

190914 Cary Green Fair - One Planet Bruton v1.0 JD.pdf

The top five things you can do that will have the biggest impact:

  • Stay on the ground (Avoid flying, and offsetyour emissions if you do)
  • Switch to a green energy supplier
  • Follow the plant-based trend
  • Use your voice (Contact your MP or businesses to raise issues)

Some useful links mentioned in the presentation:

One Planet Living

Calculate your ecological footprint

Tips for action

Read more…

Sent to development@claremontplanning.com on 9 September 2019

Dear Sir or Madam
 
Bruton Town Council declared a climate emergency on 26 March 2019, as has South Somerset District Council and Somerset County Council. The Town Council pledged to do everything within the Town Council's power to make Bruton carbon neutral by 2030 and to work with Bruton's residents, businesses and other organisations to meet the 2030 target.
 
One Planet Bruton (www.oneplanetbruton.org) is a local community response to Bruton Town Council's declaration of a climate emergency. We are working with Bioregional's One Planet Living framework which consists of ten principles and has been used by organisations large and small, developers, London 2012, cities and local authorities in the UK and around the world. Environmental charity, Bioregional (https://www.bioregional.com/) came up with the concept of One Planet Living (https://www.bioregional.com/one-planet-living i.e. leading happy lives within a fair share of the earth’s resources, leaving space for nature and wildlife) in response to the fact that if everyone in the world lived as we do in the UK, we’d need 3 planets to support us.
 
The ten principles are:
  • Health and happiness - Encouraging active, social, meaningful lives to promote good health and wellbeing
  • Equity and local economy - Creating safe, equitable places to live and work which support local prosperity and international fair trade
  • Culture and community - Nurturing local identity and heritage, empowering communities and promoting a culture of sustainable living
  • Land and nature - Protecting and restoring land for the benefit of people and wildlife
  • Sustainable water - Using water efficiently, protecting local water resources and reducing flooding and drought
  • Local and sustainable food - Promoting sustainable humane farming and healthy diets high in local, seasonal organic food and vegetable protein
  • Travel and transport - Reducing the need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and low carbon transport
  • Materials and products - Using materials from sustainable sources and promoting products which help people reduce consumption
  • Zero waste - Reducing consumption, reusing and recycling to achieve zero waste and zero pollution
  • Zero carbon energy - Making buildings and manufacturing energy efficient and supplying all energy with renewables
The One Planet Living Framework has been used by development projects all over the world and by companies large and small. One notable development that has used it is Elmsbrook, the first phase of the Bicester Eco Town. See the Bicester Eco Town: NW Bicester, for examples of exemplary development and the targets that were set. This is the only one of the Eco Towns to be built to the original standards.  https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/downloads/download/281/north-west-bicester-spd-february-2016 
 
We have set up One Planet Bruton CIC. It is a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee. Its objects are to carry on activities which benefit the community and, in particular, to work with Bruton's residents, businesses and other organisations to enable current and future residents to live happy, healthy lives within the limits of the planet, using Bioregional's One Planet Living framework. Our specific objects are to support, develop, initiate and manage community projects and interactions in line with the ten One Planet Living principles.
 
We would like to see all new development in Bruton adopt and deliver against the goals and principles of the One Planet Living framework. 
 
Housing that is built now will still be standing when the target comes into force, so to avoid expensive and wasteful retrofitting between now and then, any new homes should be designed to be zero carbon. Examples of projects that have used the One Planet Living Framework can be found at www.bioregional.com and www.oneplanet.com
 
All new development should be exemplary in terms of construction materials (reducing embodied carbon) and waste, energy efficiency and water consumption, future-proofed and designed to cope with increased summer temperatures without overheating, and reduce risk of surface water flooding through incorporation of SUDS and water attenuation ponds. 
 
Alternative methods of construction, particularly those that sequester carbon, should be considered, to minimise the lifecycle carbon emissions of any development. 
 
The development should be future-proofed for a changing climate, e.g. avoiding overheating through orientation of buildings, location of windows, and shade through tree planting; SUDS and increased size of guttering for increased rainfall; fittings attaching roofs and facades should be able to withstand higher winds. (https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/uk-housing-fit-for-the-future/)
 
The development should be designed to foster a sense of community and have good connections to the rest of Bruton. 
 
In terms of biodiversity and wildlife, any priority habitats should be protected, restored and enhanced, and connected to nearby habitats through wildlife corridors. The development should achieve a minimum 25% net biodiversity gain using the Defra biodiversity metric (or other locally approved metric) and incorporate biodiversity features (see: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/files/2018-05/homes_for_people_and_wildlife_lr_-_spreads.pdf).
 
Opportunities for food-growing and edible landscaping should be included in all new developments.
 
In terms of transport and travel, the development should have high-speed broadband to enable people to work from home. It should be easy and attractive for people to walk and cycle. Low and zero carbon vehicles should be promoted and electric vehicle charging infrastructure included as standard.
 
Please include us in any future consultations for this site and please confirm receipt of this response.

 

Read more…

SSDC Local Plan Review (2016-2036)

What can you do?
 
Look at the comments and discussion notes below and, based on what's important to you:
What is the Local Plan Review?
 
South Somerset District Council (SSDC) is reviewing the Local Plan (2006-2028) that was adopted for the area in 2015. It is consulting on its Local Plan Review (2016-2036) Options document (LPR). (http://consult.southsomerset.gov.uk/consult.ti/PreferredOptionsConsultation/consultationHome)
 
A Local Plan supports the Council’s long-term vision for managing and accommodating residential and economic growth across South Somerset. The LPR sets out for consultation SSDC's proposed strategy for delivering new homes and employment over the period 2016 to 2036, including site allocations and policies against which planning applications will be assessed. Bruton is designated in the LPR as a rural centre with challenges regarding loss of employment land and providing a range of opportunities to live and work locally. One challenge with Local Plans is that the focus is on new housing and new economic growth rather than setting out a vision for the area as a whole and identifying positive changes that could be made within an area.
 
There is a lot of information in the LPR Options document so what follows is a summary.
 
For Bruton, the LPR includes the following:
  • 152 new homes (net) required
    • of which 87 are completed or committed (as at 31 March 2018)
    • 65 to be delivered
  • Sites identified (see p41 Figure 5.5 of South Somerset Local Plan Review accessed via http://consult.southsomerset.gov.uk/consult.ti/PreferredOptionsConsultation/consultationHome)
    • Land north of Brewham Road
      • 60 homes, including 29% 'affordable housing' (Within any affordable housing provision, 80% should be Social Rent or Affordable Rent and 20% should be starter homes, discounted market sales and other routes to affordable home ownership)
      • Play space and public open spaces
      • Access from Brue Avenue
    • Land west of Frome Road
      • 5 homes
  • 1 hectare of employment land is required
[Note that the South of Brewham Road proposed development is additional to this]
 
The Infrastructure Delivery Plan:
  • States no need for any 'critical' infrastructure as a result of proposed new development.
  • Identifies 'necessary' infrastructure such as open space and sports facilities.
  • Notes capacity issues in medical facilities around Bruton, a priority area to review but, no solution identified yet.
  • States that risk of flooding locally means that the Environment Agency will prepare a surface water management scheme.
  • States that flood defences at Bruton may need to be raised in the future to provide an increased standard of protection, funded through development.
 
The LPR includes a range of policies covering housing (mix, type, affordable), employment, tourism, retail, transport and accessibility, health and wellbeing, environmental quality (climate change, renewable & low carbon energy, sustainable construction, flood risk, biodiversity, design, historic environment, landscape, woodlands & forest, pollution control).
 
What would we like to see?
 
In most of these areas, the LPR could go further, for example:
  • Climate Change / Carbon emissions:
    • The LPR commits the Climate Change Acts 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This doesn't go far enough given that SSDC and Bruton Town Council, along with many others, have declared a climate and ecological emergency and committed to a 2030 carbon neutral target. The Local Plan needs to reflect the changes that will be required within our district in order to achieve this target.
    • The goal should be that all buildings and processes are energy-efficient compared to a stated local or national benchmark and energy demands should be met by renewables by 2030.
    • Somerset Climate Action Network has produced a report 'The Somerset 2030 Carbon Neutral Target - Local Authority Actions' which identifies actions that are needed to reach the carbon neutral target. Those that are relevant for planning should be reflected in the Local Plan.
  • New development:
    • The built environment is responsible for around 40% of carbon emissions.
    • The goals for the Built environment should include:
      • Requiring all new development to be exemplary in terms of construction materials and waste, water consumption, zero carbon, future-proofed and designed to cope with increased summer temperatures without overheating.
      • Upgrading the existing housing stock.
      • New developments designed to foster a sense of community and have good connections to existing communities
    • Require a target of zero carbon and BREEAM Outstanding or equivalent Home Quality Mark. (https://www.breeam.com/ and https://www.homequalitymark.com/)
    • Support use of alternative methods of construction, especially those that 'lock up' or sequester carbon, e.g. straw bale, hempcrete, to minimise the lifecycle carbon emissions of any new development.
    • Support Community Land Trust approaches (https://wessexca.co.uk/) and self- or custom-build
    • Require futureproofing for a changing climate, e.g. avoid overheating through orientation of buildings, location of windows and shade through tree planting; SUDS and increased size of guttering for increased rainfall; fittings attaching roofs and facades able to withstand higher winds.
    • Opportunities for food-growing and edible landscaping should be included in all new developments.
    • See the Bicester Eco Town: NW Bicester, for examples of exemplary development and the targets that were set. This is the only one of the Eco Towns to be built to the original standards.  https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/downloads/download/281/north-west-bicester-spd-february-2016
    • SSDC should use the Local Plan and the planning process to push the boundaries as far as you are legally allowed. Local authorities can require standards higher than building regulations (https://www.ukgbc.org/news/government-confirms-local-authorities-can-set-energy-standards-beyond-part-l-in-nppf/)
  • Transport
    • The LPR has some good measures required of major developments but these should be provided across the district, not just pockets of good practice where there has been new development.
    • The goals for travel and transport should be:
      • Reduce car dependence and the need for daily travel
      • Make it easy and attractive for people to walk and cycle
      • Promote car-sharing (https://liftshare.com/uk/community/carshare-somerset) and public tranpsort
      • Promote low / zero carbon vehicles including electric cars, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure
      • Raise awareness of the impacts of, and promote alternatives to, air travel (www.seat61.com)
  • Biodiversity:
  • Woodland and forest: 
    • The LPR states that SSDC has 5% coverage vs Somerset's 9% overall coverage. The Woodland Trust sets out a recommended target for towns and cities to achieve 20% tree canopy cover in an agreed, achievable timescale. (https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2018/03/tree-canopy-cover-results/)
    • Need to identify where trees can be planted in the district without impacting on valuable grassland habitats; perhaps field and park edges.
 
One Planet Bruton (www.oneplanetbruton.org) is a local community response to Bruton Town Council's declaration of a climate emergency. We are working with Bioregional's One Planet Living framework which consists of ten principles and has been used by organisations large and small, developers, London 2012, cities and local authorities in the UK and around the world. Bioregional (https://www.bioregional.com/) came up with the concept of One Planet Living (https://www.bioregional.com/one-planet-living i.e. leading happy lives within a fair share of the earth’s resources) in response to the fact that if everyone in the world lived as we do in the UK, we’d need 3 planets to support us!
 
The ten principles are:
  • Health and happiness - Encouraging active, social, meaningful lives to promote good health and wellbeing
  • Equity and local economy - Creating safe, equitable places to live and work which support local prosperity and international fair trade
  • Culture and community - Nurturing local identity and heritage, empowering communities and promoting a culture of sustainable living
  • Land and nature - Protecting and restoring land for the benefit of people and wildlife
  • Sustainable water - Using water efficiently, protecting local water resources and reducing flooding and drought
  • Local and sustainable food - Promoting sustainable humane farming and healthy diets high in local, seasonal organic food and vegetable protein
  • Travel and transport - Reducing the need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and low carbon transport
  • Materials and products - Using materials from sustainable sources and promoting products which help people reduce consumption
  • Zero waste - Reducing consumption, reusing and recycling to achieve zero waste and zero pollution
  • Zero carbon energy - Making buildings and manufacturing energy efficient and supplying all energy with renewables
 
We have set up One Planet Bruton CIC. It is a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee. Its objects are to carry on activities which benefit the community and, in particular, to work with Bruton's residents, businesses and other organisations to enable current and future residents to live happy, healthy lives within the limits of the planet, using Bioregional's One Planet Living framework. Our specific objects are to support, develop, initiate and manage community projects and interactions in line with the ten One Planet Living principles. 
 
South Somerset District Council could follow other local authorities lead, such as Brighton & Hove District Council and the London Borough of Sutton, in adopting One Planet Living and using the framework to structure its approach to the environment and sustainability and resilience. Oxfordshire Council is also using it as part of a global initiative linking with other cities (see www.bioregional.com and www.oneplanet.com for more examples).
 
 
Discussion notes from One Planet Bruton meeting on 29 July 2019
  • Housing
    • Is the weight of regulation strong enough? e.g. materials, zero carbon
    • Alternative methods of building: hemp, straw, cork
    • Need truly 'affordable' housing
    • Self-build
    • Buy land & do something innovative
    • Biodiversity in buildings
    • Greywater recycling
    • Rainwater harvesting
    • Solar hot water
    • Transport connections
    • Link to One Planet Living principles
    • Opportunities for food growing in housing
    • Community spaces
  • Transport
    • Still need to have cars in Bruton
    • Switch to electric cars
    • Install electric vehicle charging points
    • Intelligent carsharing - need to make it socially acceptable
    • Need to reverse priority:
      • pedestrians first
      • then cycling
      • finally cars
    • Opportunity for biodiesel business
    • Existing traffic situation needs to be taken into account when planning new development
    • Better coordination of roadworks
    • Bus - need smaller buses & more intelligent routing / access to users (along the lines of uber, i.e. when & where needed)
  • Biodiversity
    • Need an impactful and visible project
    • Rewilding by bigger landowners & smaller landowners
    • Ash dieback - need a tree planting plan, tree nursery
    • Identify space for tree planting
    • Pesticides / glyphosate should be restricted / banned
  • Health & wellbeing
    • Make more use of existing facilities, e.g. Unionist Club Hall & garden, Bruton Community Hall
    • Food growing - need land allocated for this / community garden
    • Other initiatives, e.g. spiral of light, how long can you go buying stuff only in Bruton?
    • Borrow not buy
    • Gardening club as part of food growing
    • Copy Sturminster Newton's volunteer corps - Stur Stars - with our own Brue Stars?
Read more…

Bruton Town Council forwarded a request from South Somerset District Council for issues and opportunities for SSDC's new Environment Strategy.

We sent the following response on 9 July 2019:

 
Ewan Jones, Mayor of Bruton forwarded me your request for issues and opportunities for South Somerset District Council's (SSDC) new Environment Strategy.
 
Bruton Town Council declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency on 26 March 2019 and committed to a target for the town to be carbon neutral by 2030. They committed to work with the town's residents, businesses and other organisations to achieve the target and to set up a working group.
 
One Planet Bruton (www.oneplanetbruton.org) is a local community response to the declaration of a climate emergency. We are working with Bioregional's One Planet Living framework which consists of ten principles and has been used by organisations large and small, developers, London 2012, cities and local authorities in the UK and around the world. Bioregional (https://www.bioregional.com/) came up with the concept of One Planet Living (https://www.bioregional.com/one-planet-living i.e. leading happy lives within a fair share of the earth’s resources) in response to the fact that if everyone in the world lived as we do in the UK, we’d need 3 planets to support us!
 
The ten principles are:
  • Health and happiness - Encouraging active, social, meaningful lives to promote good health and wellbeing
  • Equity and local economy - Creating safe, equitable places to live and work which support local prosperity and international fair trade
  • Culture and community - Nurturing local identity and heritage, empowering communities and promoting a culture of sustainable living
  • Land and nature - Protecting and restoring land for the benefit of people and wildlife
  • Sustainable water - Using water efficiently, protecting local water resources and reducing flooding and drought
  • Local and sustainable food - Promoting sustainable humane farming and healthy diets high in local, seasonal organic food and vegetable protein
  • Travel and transport - Reducing the need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and low carbon transport
  • Materials and products - Using materials from sustainable sources and promoting products which help people reduce consumption
  • Zero waste - Reducing consumption, reusing and recycling to achieve zero waste and zero pollution
  • Zero carbon energy - Making buildings and manufacturing energy efficient and supplying all energy with renewables
 
We have set up One Planet Bruton CIC. It is a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee. Its objects are to carry on activities which benefit the community and, in particular, to work with Bruton's residents, businesses and other organisations to enable current and future residents to live happy, healthy lives within the limits of the planet, using Bioregional's One Planet Living framework. Our specific objects are to support, develop, initiate and manage community projects and interactions in line with the ten One Planet Living principles. We are still working through the governance of working with the Town Council and the Town Council Working Group has met once so far [as at 9 July 2019]. One Planet Bruton has monthly public meetings.
 
I would suggest that South Somerset District Council follow other local authorities lead, such as Brighton & Hove District Council and the London Borough of Sutton, in adopting One Planet Living and using the framework to structure its approach to the environment and sustainability and resilience. Oxfordshire Council is also using it as part of a global initiative linking with other cities (see www.bioregional.com and www.oneplanet.com for more examples).
 
Turning to your specific questions and themes, we have some specific points...
 
Waste, recycling and resource management
  • This should be about reducing consumption, reusing and recycling to achieve zero waste and zero pollution, and using materials from sustainable sources and promoting products which help people reduce consumption.
  • The goals for waste, recycling and resource management should be:
    • Reduce wasteful consumption
    • Maximise upcycling, reuse and recycling
    • Zero waste to landfill by 2030
    • Aim for zero pollutants to enter air, water or soil
    • Promote the waste hierarchy:
    • Reduce consumption (Refuse)
    • Prevent waste
    • Reuse materials and products
    • Recycle and compost
    • Recover energy from waste
    • Dispose to landfill (aim to get this to zero)
    • ... and encourage closed loop consumption promoting products with recycled content and products chosen for positive social and environmental benefit or for reducing negative impact. Support a circular economy prioritising upcycling, reuse and recycling (cradle to cradle)
  • Business waste is neglected and operates inefficiently with businesses having to make their own arrangements with the result that there are multiple vehicle movements within a small town like Bruton which could be simplified via a coordinated collection round for business waste and recycling of key materials. Bruton has many small streets and there are examples of businesses in Bruton being told that their recycling will no longer be collected, we think, because the waste provider doesn't have small enough vehicles to reach where they need to collect from whereas Somerset Waste Partnership operates with smaller vehicles which can.
  • Terracyle will recycle a wide range of products not collected in kerbside recycling: from crisp packets, pet and babyfood pouches to toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes. This is done in an ad hoc way with collections points where individuals are willing to have one. Far more could be recycled if SSDC were to support central collection points in each parish or town, perhaps within town council offices, libraries or schools. This would need to be within a building that is regularly staffed to avoid waste being mixed incorrectly and 'fly-tipping'. A similar scheme could be set up for plastic plant pots.
  • A quarterly collection on a specific date of larger waste, e.g. furniture, linked to a charity that can sell it on could mean that more of this sort of waste is re-used rather than dumped. I lived in Japan in the early 1990s and this was done there. Each neighbourhood had a collection point and waste was put out the night before. Anyone could take what was there before it was collected and many people furnished their homes this way.
  • Support easy and accessible sharing of resources to reduce consumption of materials.
 
Natural environment
  • This should be about protecting and restoring land for the benefit of people and wildlife.
  • The goals for the Natural environment should include:
    • Making a positive contribution to local biodiversity and wildlife corridors, in particular, requiring all development to achieve a minimum 25% net gain for biodiversity using the Defra or other locally approved metric.
    • Enhancing 'ecosystem services' such as clean water and air.
    • Maximising carbon sequestration in soils and biomass.
    • Maximising synergies between agriculture, forestry, biodiversity and carbon storage.
    • Engaging people in recognising the value of nature, including its value to human mental and physical health.
  • Actions should include
    • Protection and enhancement of existing habitats and sites important for nature.
    • Using uptodate data from Somerset Environmental Records Centre and supporting ongoing collection of data.
    • Creating a Nature Recovery Network for South Somerset with maps which identify how places for nature area connected at a strategic level and locally. This would identify where habitats can be connected and targets for habitat creation and green infrastructure.
    • Creating a Natural Capital inventory for South Somerset.
    • Ensuring that the land-take for the creation of new wildlife habitat is at least as much as the land-take for new development.
    • Requiring nature to be built into all developments, all new developments to include exemplary features for biodiversity and achieve 25% net gain in biodiversity. ( https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/files/2018-05/homes_for_people_and_wildlife_lr_-_spreads.pdf)
    • Identifying areas for reforestation and community tree planting. Protection of existing trees.
    • Identifying areas for natural flood management.
 
Built environment
  • The built environment is responsible for around 40% of carbon emissions.
  • The goals for the Built environment should include:
    • Requiring all new development to be exemplary in terms of construction materials and waste, water consumption, zero carbon, future-proofed and designed to cope with increased summer temperatures without overheating.
    • Upgrading the existing housing stock.
    • New developments designed to foster a sense of community and have good connections to existing communities
  • See the Bicester Eco Town: NW Bicester, for examples of exemplary development and the targets that were set. This is the only one of the Eco Towns to be built to the original standards.  https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/downloads/download/281/north-west-bicester-spd-february-2016
  • SSDC should use the Local Plan and the planning process to push the boundaries as far as you are legally allowed. Local authorities can require standards higher than building regulations (https://www.ukgbc.org/news/government-confirms-local-authorities-can-set-energy-standards-beyond-part-l-in-nppf/)
 
Energy (efficiency and renewable)
  • The goal should be that all buildings and processes are energy-efficient compared to a stated local or national benchmark and energy demands should be met by renewables by 2030.
  • There should be a district-wide programme to retrofit homes and buildings so that they use less energy, reducing fuel costs and adverse impacts on health from poorly heated or ventilated buildings.
  • Energy demand (power / heat: electricity / gas) should be determined by parish / town, to provide data to support carbon footprint calculations.
  • The extent of installed renewable energy (PV, solar thermal, ground and air source heat pumps, wind, etc...) should be mapped by parish.
  • Areas should be identified where local and community renewable energy could be installed. This includes flat roofs (above a certain area, say), and opportunities for micro-hydro.
  • There could be an energy roadshow around the district providing information to residents and business owners about how to save energy through LED lighting, energy efficient appliances, insulating buildings and dealing with draughts, as well options for installing renewable energy and switching to renewable energy tariffs.
 
Travel and transport
  • This should be about reducing the need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and low carbon transport.
  • The goals for travel and transport should be:
    • Reduce car dependence and the need for daily travel
    • Make it easy and attractive for people to walk and cycle
    • Promote car-sharing (https://liftshare.com/uk/community/carshare-somerset) and public tranpsort
    • Promote low / zero carbon vehicles including electric cars, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure
    • Raise awareness of the impacts of, and promote alternatives to, air travel (www.seat61.com)
  • It's important to understand the journeys that people need and want to make and see whether there are opportunities to reduce these, for example, people in Bruton often drive to Castle Cary station to print out advance train tickets which are cheaper than buying tickets on the train, because Bruton station doesn't have a ticket machine. A ticket machine at Bruton station that could print out pre-paid tickets would eliminate these journeys.
  • A bus loop serving Cuckoo Hill, Hauser and Wirth, the Newt and Bruton High Street could also eliminate some short car journeys.
  • A daily or several times weekly bus service to a local supermarket would help some residents who are unable to easily get to the High Street.
  • Map where electric vehicle charging points are required and facilitate installations, including putting in EV points into all SSDC carparks.
Read more…

Woo hoo!

One Planet Bruton is now registered as a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee. Its objects are to carry on activities which benefit the community and, in particular, to work with Bruton's residents, businesses and other organisations to enable current and future residents to live happy, healthy lives within the limits of the planet, using Bioregional's One Planet Living framework. Our specific objects are to support, develop, initiate and manage community projects and interactions in line with the ten One Planet Living principles.

Details:

One Planet Bruton CIC, a company limited by guarantee.

Registered company no: 12070076 (in England and Wales)

Registration date: 26 June 2019

Registered address: Bruton Community Office, 26 High Street, Bruton, BA10 0AA

The founding directors are Sarah Davies and Jane Durney

From the Articles of Association:

The objects of the Company are to carry on activities which benefit the community and in particular (without limitation) to work with Bruton’s residents, businesses and other organisations to enable current and future citizens to live happy, healthy lives within the limits of the planet, using the One Planet Living framework.

Specific objects are to support, develop, initiate and manage community projects and interactions that will:

  • Encourage active, social, meaningful lives to promote good health and wellbeing (Health & Happiness)
  • Create safe, equitable places to live and work which support local prosperity and international fair trade (Equity & Local Economy)
  • Nurture local identity and heritage, empowering communities and promoting a culture of sustainable living (Culture & Community)
  • Protect and restore land for the benefit of people and wildlife (Land & Nature) 
  • Use water efficiently, protecting local water resources and reducing flooding and drought (Sustainable Water)
  • Promote sustainable, humane farming and healthy diets which are high in local, seasonal, organic food and vegetable protein. (Local & Sustainable
    Food)
  • Reduce the need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and low-carbon transport (Travel & Transport) 
  • Use materials from sustainable sources and promoting products which help people reduce consumption (Materials & Products) 
  • Reduce consumption, re-using and recycling with the am of achieving zero waste and zero pollution (Zero Waste) 
  • Make buildings and manufacturing energy efficient and aim to supply all energy with renewables (Zero Carbon Energy)

And to promote sustainable development for the benefit of the public by:
a) the preservation, conservation and the protection of the environment and the prudent use of resources;
b) the relief of poverty and the improvement of the conditions of life in socially and economically disadvantaged communities;
c) the promotion of sustainable means of achieving economic growth and regeneration.

To advance the education of the public in subjects relating to sustainable development and the protection, enhancement and rehabilitation of the environment and to promote
study and research in such subjects provided that the useful results of such study are disseminated to the public at large.
Sustainable development means “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The sustainable development objective is taken from the Charity Commission example model objectives.

Read more…

Globally we are living as if we had several planets to meet our needs. One Planet Living is Bioregional's vision for happier, healthier lives within the limits of our one planet, leaving space for wildlife and wilderness.

Bioregional's guide shares actions that we can all take to make a difference. There are tips for each of the One Planet Principles.

The top four things we can do are:

  • Stay on the ground: One long-haul flight can amount to half a UK person’s yearly carbon footprint - so opt for more local holidays and travel by train where you can.
  • Follow the plant-based trend: Cutting down on meat and dairy will slash your environmental impact – from carbon emissions to water consumption and deforestation.
  • Use your voice: Write to your local MP (David Warburton MP) and ask what they’re doing about climate change, or tweet businesses that aren’t meeting your expectations.
  • Consume less and better: Research shows that buying more stuff doesn’t make us happy. The planet will thank you for buying less, and investing in better quality products.

 

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Pre-loved pop-up shop

So we made it through and YOU MADE IT work!
Thank you so much to the many (over 90) local people who brought in their wonderful pre-loved clothes for us to sell!
In the 7 days and 1 evening we were open we sold over 200 garments!
Those were perfectly good garments that had been sitting in people’s homes, not getting worn as often as they deserved. And now they’re back on the backs of equally lovely people, proving that sustainable fashion is not only possible but also FUN!
Many bargains were had, some local pockets and purses have been replenished (if you were a seller and weren’t paid in cash, your BACS payment was processed yesterday) and One Planet Bruton now has some funds to spend on making Bruton more sustainable.
We’ll also be able to send some remaining donated clothes on to Refugee Action in Somerset East.
Thank you so much to everyone who came and joined in, and especially to our wonderful team of volunteers & @flagsandmoss who gave so generously and made this event such a success.
We're attaching a list of continuing local resources to help you in your quests for #sustainablefashion

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Bruton Town Council has resolved to adopt the Climate EmergencyWorking (Advisory) Group Terms of Reference (ToR) on the 30th April 2019

Download pdf: Bruton TC Climate Emergency WG ToR.pdf

Climate Emergency Working Group
(Advisory Group)

Number of Members:

  • A Core Group of 6-12 appointed Advisors, including 1-3 Councillors
  • Full Working Group open to all people who live, work, or attend school in the Parish of Bruton, or its adjoining Parishes

Frequency of Meetings: At least every two months; frequency and timing to be determined by the Working Group.

Open to the Press and Public: Yes (unless a Resolution is made to exclude the press and public for a specific item / specific reason)

Quorum: 5

Overall Purpose / Scope: 

  • To advise the Town Council on implementing the ‘Climate Emergency’ declared on 26 March 2019;
  • To assist the Town Council with practical work to deliver the nine ‘Climate Emergency’ resolutions (pasted at the bottom of these Terms of Reference), with particular reference to resolutions 3, 4, 5 and 8;
  • Scope as defined by resolution 3: “To do everything within the Town Council’s power to make Bruton carbon neutral by 2030”.

Specific Responsibilities:

  1. To engage the whole community in addressing Bruton’s ‘Climate Emergency’ – including, but not restricted to, our residents, school children, businesses, employers, faith groups, community organisations, and visitors.
  2. To source data and other information in support of these objectives – in particular seeking Bruton and South Somerset specific data, where possible.
  3. To make recommendations to Full Town Council on how its policies and activities might be modified to reduce emissions – including, but not restricted to, Town & Neighbourhood Plans, Planning, Transport, Land & Property, Services & Amenities, Communications, Grants.
  4. To make recommendations to Full Town Council on how the Town and Parish of Bruton could contribute to the 2030 target – developing initiatives and project as appropriate.
  5. To develop a rolling plan to “to make Bruton carbon neutral by 2030” – first draft and proposals for adoption to be presented to Full Council by September 2019, and thereafter to be reviewed annually.
  6. To make recommendations to Full Town Council on any calls that should be made of South Somerset District Council, Somerset County Council, Westminster, and any other external bodies for the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible.

Resolution passed unanimously by Full Council on 26 March 2019

  1. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’
  2. Write to Bruton’s schools thanking our schoolchildren for demonstrating their ecological concerns, and pledging support for addressing this as a Council;
  3. Pledge to do everything within the Town Council’s power to make Bruton carbon neutral by 2030;
  4. Set up a Working Group to review all Town Council policies and activities to assess how they might be modified to reduce emissions. This Working Group to report back to Full Council within 6 months with a Proposal for adoption by the TC. Said Proposals to be reviewed annually.
  5. In the absence of Bruton specific emissions data, to work to make our contribution to South Somerset achieving our regional target by 2030.
  6. Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible;
  7. Sign up to the Covenant of Mayors;
  8. Work with Bruton’s residents, businesses and other organisations to meet the 2030 target.
  9. Call on All Local Principal Authority Councils to take similar actions.

 

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There are several ways to measaure your environmental footprint.

Ecological footprinting measures the impact of a person or community on the planet, in terms of the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources. See www.footprintnetwork.org.

Carbon footprinting measures the total amount of greenhouse gases (Carbon dioxide, methane, etc...) produced, directly and indirectly, by human activities. It is usually expressed in equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2e)

WWF's footprint calculator presents your footprint as a % of the UK's 2020 carbon target. 

or you can calculate your ecological footprint using http://www.footprintcalculator.org/.

Have a go!

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One Planet Living

If everyone in the world lived as we do in the UK, we’d need three planets to support us

 

Image credit: www.bioregional.com

 

We only have one Planet.

We are seeing the efffects of this:

  • land degradation, deforestation, pollution.
  • climate change with drought, flooding and extreme weather events
  • migration due to environmental challenges, scarce water and food

One Planet Living

One Planet Living is a vision of the world where everyone, everywhere enjoys happy, healthy lives within the limits of the planet.

One Planet Living is an initiative of Bioregional (www.bioregional.com) and its partners to make truly sustainable living a reality.

One Planet Living uses ecological[1] footprinting and carbon[2] footprinting as its headline indicators. It is based on ten guiding principles of sustainability as a framework.

Bioregional’s One Planet Living framework

Bioregional’s One Planet Living framework comprises ten intuitive One Planet Living Principles that can be used by anyone – personally and professionally – to imagine, plan, do and communicate about deep sustainability. It is based on what science is currently telling us about what is needed to live within the earth’s means.

Image credit: www.bioregional.com

More about these: 

  • Health and happiness - Encouraging active, social, meaningful lives to promote good health and wellbeing
  • Equity and local economy - Creating safe, equitable places to live and work which support local prosperity and international fair trade
  • Culture and community - Nurturing local identity and heritage, empowering communities and promoting a culture of sustainable living
  • Land and nature - Protecting and restoring land for the benefit of people and wildlife
  • Sustainable water - Using water efficiently, protecting local water resources and reducing flooding and drought
  • Local and sustainable food - Promoting sustainable humane farming and healthy diets high in local, seasonal organic food and vegetable protein
  • Travel and transport - Reducing the need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and low carbon transport
  • Materials and products - Using materials from sustainable sources and promoting products which help people reduce consumption
  • Zero waste - Reducing consumption, reusing and recycling to achieve zero waste and zero pollution
  • Zero carbon energy - Making buildings and manufacturing energy efficient and supplying all energy with renewables

The principles are being used all over the world: at a city-scale, by companies large and small, housing developments, and individuals, andt they were used for the London 2012 bid.

There is a digital platform: www.oneplanet.com, where plans can be published and shared.

Who is Bioregional?

Bioregional is a leading sustainability charity and social enterprise established in 1994. They are absolutely environmental and committed to delivering leading, long term sustainability solutions. For more information see: www.bioregional.com

One Planet Bruton?

On 26 March 2019, Bruton Town Council adopted the following resolutions:

  1. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’
  2. Write to Bruton’s schools thanking our schoolchildren for demonstrating their ecological concerns, and pledging support for addressing this as a Council
  3. Pledge to do everything within the Town Council’s power to make Bruton carbon neutral by 2030
  4. Set up a Working Group to review all Town Council policies and activities to assess how they might be modified to reduce emissions. This Working Group to report back to Full Council within 6 months with a Proposal for adoption by the TC. Said Proposals to be reviewed annually.
  5. In the absence of Bruton specific emissions data, to work to make our contribution to South Somerset achieving our regional target by 2030.
  6. Call on Westminster to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible.
  7. Sign up to the Covenant of Mayors.
  8. Work with Bruton’s residents, businesses and other organisations to meet the 2030 target.
  9. Call on All Local Principal Authority Council’s to take similar actions.

A group of us wondered what this meant for us in Bruton and on 1 April 2019, over 40 people met to begin to share ideas. We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel and we did want to harness the enthusiasm and energy there was to do something. On 8 April 2019, Jane Durney (Allwood) introduced One Planet Living and facilitated a workshop with over 30 participants using the 10 One Planet Principles to begin to create a plan for Bruton. We identified challenges and opportunities for each of the principles in Bruton, mapped what was already happening, and came up with lots of ideas for things that we could be doing, ranging from providing better information about what was already going on, community meals and pot luck suppers, working with schools and businesses to adopt the One Planet Principles, tree-planting and community composting, reporting water leaks, encouraging reusable water bottles, walking to school, skill-sharing, repair cafes, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy-efficient... This is being put into an area plan for Bruton, and a community action plan. We are just beginning... And this website is one way that you can contribute your ideas.

 

[1] Ecological footprinting measures the impact of a person or community on the planet, in terms of the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources. See www.footprintnetwork.org.

[2] Carbon footprinting measures the total amount of greenhouse gases produced, directly and indirectly, by human activities. It is usually expressed in equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2e)

 
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One Planet Bruton has launched!!! 

As a new group and we need a logo that tells people what we are about. 

We have come up with a few options and would love the group's feedback.

You can vote for your favourite in a poll on our Polls page - follow this link to go VOTE NOW!

 

Thank you for your participation. Of course feedback is very welcome. Once the logo has been chosen we will create a few variations so we have different layouts suitable for all mediums i.e. portrait, landscape, stamp, logotype & icon versions.

Happy voting :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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