Residents planning a low carbon future
Residents planning a low carbon future
CSE helps residents of Bath and North East Somerset to contribute to policy development
3 November 2009
If you live in Bath and North East Somerset and want to have your say on the future sustainable development across the area, now’s your chance.
As part of CSE’s new national project to empower communities to engage with the low carbon planning process (PlanLoCal ), CSE is helping the local council to run a series of three consultation events throughout November and December. These are focused on consulting people on the development of the council’s Core Strategy Options – a document which focuses on how the district develops between now and 2026 and thereby shapes future planning decisions.
Like all local authorities in England, Bath and North East Somerset Council is required to assess how much energy they can produce from renewable sources – such as wind, solar, and biomass – as well as looking at how they ensure all new developments are as energy efficient as possible and how they address the issue of energy efficiency in existing buildings.
Three community events, which will take place in Midsomer Norton (19 November), Bath (27 November) and Keynsham (4 December) and will look specifically at: how renewable energy generation can be deployed existing towns and countryside; what standards of energy efficiency should be set for new developments; how we could improve our older buildings and what role people can play in shaping the targets and standards that are set.
Each event consists of two sessions, with an open-access, drop-in session taking place in the afternoon followed by a more structured evening event with presentations and interactive exercises.
Rachel Coxcoon is leading the project for CSE: “We hope that as many people as possible will turn up and voice their opinions about what targets and approaches should be adopted by the council. We also hope the events will help people to think through the issues and come to their own conclusions about how the area of Bath and North East Somerset can best contribute fully to a low carbon future.”
Attendance at the evening sessions is by registration only. If you are interested in attending, please email planning_policy@bathnes.gov.uk stating the date of the event you would like to attend.
In addition, an event specifically for young people will take place on the Thursday 10 December at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution, again discussing renewable energy, energy efficiency and how young people can influence the planning system. Schools and youth groups interested in attending should email planning_policy@bathnes.gov.uk.
The support for the consultation is part of the Plan LoCaL project which CSE is running on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG).