Hi everyone! from the Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral Project
A big thanks to all of you who made it to the the launch of the Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral Project, and to those who sent messages and offers of support. The media coverage we obtained also prompted many people to contact us, and several other communities in the UK have already asked us for support and guidance on how to get started. Our friends in Tattenhall Parish Council have also offered Ashton Hayes 50 trees if we will go and address their meeting. It seems like many communities also want to take action, which is good news.
We now want to turn our ideas into action.
In the next few days we plan to email and hand deliver a detailed bulletin to everyone on our email list, and every resident of Ashton Hayes. This will provide a list of practical hints and tips on how to reduce your domestic energy consumption (and hence your bills and emissions) and remind people to change over to green energy. It will also explain the actions we plan to take in the coming months, and how you can support them.
Several things have already happened in the week since the launch:
- The Scouts, Guides, Cubs and Brownies are offering to help with our tree surveys and planting - support which will help them to obtain 'environment' badges. Alan Reay and Tracey Todhunter are leading this initiative.
- We planted 84 trees in the Parish as part of our carbon sink programme.
- The City Council is to give every schoolchild under 7 a free tree to plant.
- The University of Chester is working hard on the baseline survey development.
- RSK ENSR is updating our digital map of the village with the information provided by residents attending the launch. They are also working with The University of Chester on mapping ideas.
- We have updated http://www.goingcarbonneutral.co.uk/ with some photos of the launch.
- We had coverage on BBC Radio 4 (Changing Places, 3.00-3.30pm) which can be downloaded from http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/changingplaces.shtml
- Plans are underway to begin our landscape character assessment of the Parish with the support of John Gittins from Cheshire Landsape Trust and Jacqui Malpas.
- Chester City Council have asked us to speak at next week's Environmental Forum and we are going to meet John Tweed, the person leading their Carbon Neutral initiative, to see how they can support us.
- Shell's has donated a further £1500 (in addition to the village signs) and Dave Sands of its specialist project management group has offered to help the Project Team examine the best ways to achieve our objective. We hope to meet with Dave very soon.
In the coming weeks are also planning to:
Find a location within the village to keep a supply of extra recycling bags in case you run out.
Ask the Parish Council to set up a project notice board that can hold the maps and other details.
Lobby for a better pedestrian path to Mouldsworth train station.
Talk with David Kinsey of the Country Landowners Association about how we can work together.
Ask the City Council to help us install roof mounted mini-wind turbines and solar panels within the village.
Keep on planting trees.
Your ideas are also welcome!
In the meantime, you can help us streamline our communications by sending us the email addresses of any of your friends/neighbours in Ashton Hayes who agree to be added to the project’s emailing list. This will help us to keep as many people as possible right up to date with our activities.
Many thanks
Garry Charnock