Zoom meeting with Gedling Climate Officer

Meeting 

Date: 31-1-22

Burton Joyce Climate Action Group 

Sim and Sam from Gedling Borough Council  

Minutes

Present:

 Sim D. Gedling Borough Council Climate Officer

 Sam P. Food, Health and housing manager at Gedling Borough Council (GBC)

Group members: 

Helen M

Alison C 

Gill N

Bobbie P

Julia D

Justin U 

Phil C

Apologies: 

Paul S

1.     Introductions:

Sam is involved in food hygiene, private sector housing. He is Sim’s line manager.

Sim previously worked for Sustrans, greening the national cycle network, seconded to an active travel project for a large new estate in Newark, a Waste in Schools education programme for Notts City Council, a community energy project for Derby City Council, Southwark council to promote a schools environment award, Nottingham City Council as a recycling officer and the Environment Agency.
 

2.     Gedling Carbon Strategy report

     The report was written by Melvyn C (Head of Environmental Services at GBC). Sam reported there was broadly strong support for the Carbon management plan from the head and deputy council leaders.
It is an 8-year strategy.

They are lobbying for more funding. So far Sam has funding for retrofitting external wall insulation and solar panels for housing in Netherfield.

Only 10% of Council tax goes to the borough so funding sources are important.
It’s been estimated that 26,000 homes in Gedling need improving to get a C rating for energy efficiency.

Gedling comes under the Midlands Net-zero Hub. This is a source of funding distribution.

 

3.     Follow up on Carbon Strategy

     The consultation period was Nov 5^th 2021 to Jan 4^th 2022. 

Sim is planning on doing a SWAT analysis on the information from the consultation and then will put together an action plan which will be a live document.
There were 38 respondents online, about 6 from Community organisations and the rest from individuals.

60% agreed that the strategy would be positive, 5% disagreed.
Sim has written a communication and marketing plan aimed at reaching hard to reach people in the community.

She has planned a calendar of events including:
Earth Day, Against Food waste day, Bike week, Plastic Free July, Allotment week, Recycle week, COP 27 in November, national tree week, National fuel poverty day.
 

Further information following the next cabinet meeting on 17/3/22.

 

4.     Marches Energy agency.

GBC subscribes to a Climate Change Communication package and as part of it there is a web page “Everyone’s talking about climate change”, access for GBC to 3 days of consultancy work, use of an Energy Trailer to go out in the community to educate the public.

 

5.     Green Rewards. 

      An app that the Notts councils have been asking the community to sign up to, designed to encourage environmental awareness using small tasks to win points and possibly £20 prize. So far 1690 across the whole of Notts has signed up, 154 in Gedling.

 

6.     Recycling. 

      Brief discussion about the frustrations around recycling in Gedling as many items are not recycled in the house hold collections due to the Veolia contract. Sim suggested that the group could apply for a grant to produce their own leaflet to help the community understand the rules. Sim offered to come to a future meeting to talk about recycling further

 

7.     Grants

UK cycling offer up to £3000 for groups starting community cycling initiatives, e.g. Dr Bike surgeries.

GBC councillors offer grants to community sustainability projects-deadline March 14^th.

 

Ideas examples:

- Tetrapak recycling bin for community

- improving biodiversity along the river

 

8.     Climate emergency UK. 

     Council climate score card has recently ranked all the councils. GBC had a score of 46%.

Sim also mentioned that there is a Carbon Officers group and the officers from Notts and Derbys recently met up to share practice.

 

9. Carbon literacy training     

      There was a discussion about carbon literacy training. Sam is involved in training council leaders. There was a discussion about making it available to community groups.

 

10.  AOB.

Sam and Sim offered to raise awareness of our group on the Council web page.

Sim recommended a podcast by Caroline Norbury called “The owl hoots”

 

Sim will email details of the Marches energy agency website and grants we may be interested in.

 

Sam and Sim left the meeting.

 

Plan:

Group members decided on a face-to-face meeting: 
Bobbie’s house 
Monday 21-2-22 at 7pm in order to:
- map out the direction for the group
 - look at a potential project to apply for funding for (improving biodiversity at the river was discussed)
- arrange community meetings.
  

Julia