Events and News

Climate and Sustainability Action

SustainableMidDevon.org.uk is now available as a hub to promote local green projects, ideas, activities and useful resources. I am keen to publish your sustainability success stories to help inspire others! And do you have suggestions for the interactive map of local resources, projects and green businesses?

Big thanks to all the town and parish councils who contacted us with tree planting opportunities - we continue to be interested in future projects. On our own land, we are compiling planting lists and we aim to plant over 600 trees this winter (news to follow) with more in future. Would you like to help look after young trees in your neighbourhood? We would love to hear from you! 

Thanks also to the brilliant local volunteers such as Sustainable Crediton, working on biodiversity projects in our green open spaces. 

A Zed Pod house exhibit in August had over 400 visitors and received an immensely positive reception to our plans for new council houses with Net-Zero energy performance. Mid Devon’s Housing Strategy is out for public consultation until 30^th September 2021 - what do you think of its sustainability targets?  

Councillors are looking ahead and planning their work schedules for committees. The items for the Environment PDG (Policy Development Group) include a review of the Council’s procurement strategies and practices. This follows a series of discussions since 2019 – most recently a presentation to the Economy PDG on 9th September by Peter Lefort about Doughnut Economics and the example of how it informed a new decision-making process at Cornwall Council.

We are close to announcing electric vehicle fast chargers for 5 town sites as a partner on the DELETTI scheme. What about rural communities – is there potential for a collective bid for rapid chargers? Do you plan to install home charger with help from government funding? Let us know. 

The potential to encourage less car use was one of the topics debated by local residents this summer at the Devon Climate Assembly (Citizen’s Assembly) held as part of the public consultation for the interim Devon Carbon Plan. Cars, onshore wind energy and retrofitting buildings to reduce climate impact were the key topics, drawn from the previous round of consultation. The assembly’s resolutions will be published soon – you can watch of some of the Citizen’s Assembly evidence sessions on YouTube.  

Jason Ball, Climate and Sustainability Specialist at Mid Devon District Council.