Next steps for the Greening Campaign

Four priority areas have been chosen for the next phase of the Greening Campaign in Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding. Better home insulation, solar energy, and improved recycling will all feature in plans for the coming year, along with efforts to encourage people to ‘shop local’ rather than heading for the superstores.

These ideas emerged from a very successful public meeting on 26th January held at Steyning Cricket Club. The Greening Campaign team wanted to test the water to see which ideas were most feasible, and which had the strongest backing from the local community. Fifty people came along, which was a really encouraging sign of the level of interest in the community. Out of sixteen ideas discussed, the following four got the most votes, and were felt by the Steering Group to have the best prospects of being achievable in 2011.

Spring - promoting solar photovoltaics:
This years’ campaign will kick off in the next few months with a plan to raise awareness of the excellent government incentive scheme now in place to encourage householders to fit solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on their roof. A meeting will be organised where people can hear all about the scheme, meet some companies that fit solar panels, and talk to local residents who have already got panels on their house. If you’ve got a south facing roof, and some money in the bank earning peanuts, PV could be a great investment!

Summer – encouraging reusing, reducing and recycling:
Recycling will be the focus over the summer, and there’s various ideas being discussed on how to encourage more reducing, reusing and recycling of waste, including things like unwanted furniture, clothes and other household items. We really need to move away from our throw away culture and become more womble-like by reusing, repairing and recycling more.

Autumn – insulation information month:
Next up will be an ‘Insulation Month’ timed for the early autumn. Information on recommended insulation depths, grants and suppliers will be made available. People will given a nudge to get their insulation topped up, and draught proofing fitted, in time for the winter.

Winter – shop local directory:
The final part of the Campaign will be a ‘shop local’ push timed for the run up to Christmas. The idea is to develop a map and/or directory showing where people can buy goods locally, and support our local economy, without the need to travel further afield.

Wednesday 30th March – showing of ‘The Turning Point’ film.
Everyone is invited to come along to a showing of the fascinating film ‘The Turning Point’ at 7.30pm on Wednesday 30th March at Steyning cricket club. This is a positive and inspiring film about our transition to a low carbon future. The 45 minute film features the Findhorn Eco-Village in Scotland, and will be followed by a short discussion. £2 voluntary donation to cover costs, and drinks will be available at the cricket club bar for you to purchase.

Monthly Green Drinks:
The Greening Campaign will be carrying on with its regular ‘Green Drinks’ evenings, on the last Wednesday of every month, some of which will include panel discussions or films on transport, renewables, and other green issues. These evenings will usually be at the Norfolk Arms, but may be held at the cricket club if more space is needed.

Other projects:
The Greening Campaign will also giving its backing to other efforts to make the community of Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding a greener place to live. Steyning Parish Council has proposals, for instance, to improve cycle parking arrangements and there’s also plans afoot to encourage tree planting and create a ‘seed swap’ scheme for allotment holders. Some Greening Campaign projects may be able to feed into the new Community Plan which the Steyning and District Community Partnership will start developing this year.

More information on activities throughout the year can be found on the Greening Campaign website at: www.1010steyning.org.

Sophie Goodall
Environment Agency

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