Sustainable Shaftesbury (please imagine a fanfare as you read the next paragraph)
After 18 months of work by the Sustainable Shaftesbury working group, Shaftesbury Town Council adopted its 'Think Global, Act Local' strategy to combat the challenge of climate change and biodiversity loss at its meeting on 20 February. This response to the climate and nature emergency includes a 'Shaftesbury Vision Statement and Masterplan' and seven appendices of action plans for biodiversity recovery, trees, allotments, wildflowers and open spaces management. The whole package was a considerable achievement by the working group who were thanked by the mayor on behalf of councillors.
Of course, the work does not end here. Although the town council already has some projects under way, this is where much more ambitious work can begin. There will be some discussion amongst participants in the Sustainable Shaftesbury working group at Planet Shaftesbury's next meeting (14th March) before we go on to consider some of the more exciting initiatives that could now arise from the plan.
You can hear comments from some of those present at the council meeting in this 'Alfred Daily' report (starts at 3:16) https://thisisalfred.com/podcast/the-alfred-daily-23rd-february-2024/
And for more information and a personal view from the working group, with links to the relevant documents, see the recent blogpost from Richard Thomas on our website.
