Shaftesbury Town Council has reached a critical stage in its strategic response to climate change and other environmental issues.

Our council has worked with members of the community through the Sustainable Shaftesbury Working Group over several months and is now reviewing the working group's suggested Sustainable Shaftesbury Policy & Action Plan. Council has asked for revisions to distinguish clearly between commitments on behalf of the council and statements supporting community action. (In relation to community leadership, the National Association of Local Councils looks for evidence that a council (if being considered for their gold award) has engaged with the community on these issues and has considered how it can support or facilitate the community to take actions that could have a positive environmental impact for the local area, or more widely.) Council's suggested revisions to the document will be discussed at a working group meeting on 14th November, a meeting that we may get to hear about at the Planet Shaftesbury meeting 2 days' later. Subsequently, the revised Policy & Action Plan will be publicly available before it is considered for adoption at an Extraordinary Full Council meeting on 12th December. As usual, there will be brief opportunities for public comments at the start of that meeting.

Planet Shaftesbury has embarked on consideration of changed ways of working from the end of the year.

Discussions began on November 2nd and planning will continue at further meetings this month (after Julie Wood's talk on 16th) and in December (meeting on 14th). The key ideas/proposals so far are

Get more impact/engagement with our public events (talks/films/discussions/other) by aiming at fewer, better publicised sessions - (say) 4 per year (seasonal?). Monthly meetings would cease, necessitating revisions to promotional materials.

Recruit a 'team' to share the work of producing newsletters at least monthly. Format/organising tba.

Consider how to make the website more engaging / accessible for updating. Ed Bersey has volunteered to support discussions & associated changes - other commitments permitting.

Consider other ways of exchanging information or networking informally if needed. (WhatsApp?)

Please come along to the November and December meetings to contribute to the continuing discussions or to volunteer support in one of these areas. If you can't be there in person, send any offers, comments or suggestions to planetshaftesbury@gmail.com. For inspiration around different ways of organising see the latest Transition Together newsletter here.

DIARY DATES

Thursday 16th November, 7.30pm, Shaftesbury Town Hall. Planet Shaftesbury hosts a talk on 'Green Medicine - for us and for Planet Earth' by well-known local medical herbalist, Julie Wood. Open to all, admission free - donations invited. Afterwards there'll be time for the next stage of our 'PS2024' discussions and possibly some feedback from the Sustainable Shaftesbury working group.

Monday 27th November, 6.30pm, Shaftesbury Arts Centre. Fashion Reimagined - Film & Clothes Swap: an evening with a difference for everyone who wears clothes! Hand in up to 5 garments on arrival, film (100mins) starts 7pm, shop for 'new' clothes afterwards. Bar will be open. Tickets £10 through the Arts Centre. Please spread the word.

Tuesday 12th December, 7pm, Shaftesbury Town Hall. Extraordinary Full Council Meeting to consider the Sustainable Shaftesbury Policy & Action Plan. Expect another newsletter with links to the document beforehand.

Thursday 14th December, 7pm, Shaftesbury Town Hall. Note this meeting has been moved forward from 21st. Planet Shaftesbury meeting to consolidate working arrangements for events and newsletters from 2024. To include related website changes. Note: As part of our promotional activity in 2024 we've been invited to sponsor Chris Smaje, 'Saying NO to a Farm-Free Future', who is speaking at the 2024 Reading the Land book festival. Donations invited this evening.

Planet Shaftesbury's next newsletter will be distributed once we can provide a link to the Sustainable Shaftesbury document. If you have news to share please send it to planetshaftesbury@gmail.com