REDIRECT 

PLEASE NOTE: 

We have moved ! 😁

Please go to bjcag.blogspot.com 

All new & current BJCAG activity will be posted at the new website 

Thank you!

26/03/2026

Local Elections - policy questions

We put a series of questions to all candidates in the Trent Valley ward in the Local Elections on 4th May 2023. We received one reply (see below).

The Questions

On 23 Apr 2023, at 15:53, Burton Joyce Climate Action <burtonjoyceclimateaction@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Candidates,

You will be aware that there was an Environmental Hustings event organised in Gedling on 17/4/23 for the political parties participating in the Gedling Borough council elections this May.

Burton Joyce Climate Action Group contributed to some of these questions.

We would like to pose some of the same questions to you, as a candidate in Trent Valley Ward, so we can find out about and let local people know what your opinions are.

We feel that the environment and climate change should not be treated as political issues-they are key issues which should be factored in at all levels of decision making in Gedling Borough Council.

We would be grateful if you could read and respond to the following questions:

1. Few people in the scientific community would now dispute that there is a climate crisis and that its origins are man-made.  Flooding is becoming much more likely, not just in the Trent floodplain, but also in terms of run-off from higher land into residential areas. How should we deal with these issues?

2.  Traffic volumes have increased rapidly in the last 10 years, including on the A612 through the centre of Burton Joyce where school children walk daily. The Burton Joyce Climate Action Group are promoting a local campaign to reduce the speed limit in line with "20's Plenty". Do you support this?

3. Much concern has been expressed locally and nationally at the dumping of raw sewage in the River Trent. What is the best way to deal with this?

4. Given the numbers of houses going up in this area, how do we move the development industry to low carbon construction (i.e. making it a legal requirement to provide solar panels, low water efficiency in design etc) and what can we do about this locally?

5. Gedling Borough are to be commended for taking positive action by installing solar panels across many council buildings. However, most schools, health centres, large supermarkets and other businesses across Gedling do not have solar panels. How do you think the council can encourage the installation of solar panels by organisations across the Borough?

6. What do you see as your position on raising awareness in the Borough’s population about climate concern? Would you support a Borough facilitated climate convention?

7. How will you make the climate a priority when you are elected?

 

Thank you for your help,

Julia Devonport on behalf of

Burton Joyce Climate action Group.

-- 

-------------------------------------------------------------

We are the Burton Joyce Climate Action Group

The Response

To reiterate: All candidates were contacted. We received only one reply.

From: Trent Valley Labour Party 
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2023 at 11:55
Subject: Re: Questions FAO Richard fletcher and Muhammed Malik
To: Burton Joyce Climate Action 

Hi Julia

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your important questions. Before doing so, we would like to express that the climate emergency is, for both of us, the foremost public policy challenge and it is absolutely vital that our politicians rise to the challenge, nationally and most pressingly internationally, without any further delay. It has implications not just for the survival of the planet itself, but within that devastating societal impacts - and both the causes and impacts of it are incredibly unevenly spread across the income distribution and generationally, disproportionately affecting those who are worst off. For all of these reasons we are passionate about the need to take on the climate crisis, with no room for error or delay. We are in our twenties. It is unfortunately falling to our young generation to respond to the warnings which have been sidelined for too long - but we will respond. There is no other choice.

1. Few people in the scientific community would now dispute that there is a climate crisis and that its origins are man-made.  Flooding is becoming much more likely, not just in the Trent floodplain, but also in terms of run-off from higher land into residential areas. How should we deal with these issues?

In residential areas we need to encourage the retention of garden space and discourage the replacement of grasses front gardens with hard surfaces, which drain much slowly and contribute to flash flooding. We need to ensure surface drainage is adequate and that it is maintained and highways swept regularly, and we need to ensure that new residential and highway developments install adequate drainage provision to cope with the expected increase in flooding.

In addition we need to ensure developers mitigate with sufficient latitude in their slope stability assessments and ground surveys. When building anywhere but particularly on slopes.

Trees are crucial natural reducers of flood risk and as a result we need to conserve existing woodland and tree cover as well as plant new trees. New trees need to be the correct trees and in the correct places. Water is hitting the ground quicker and taking longer to drain away as trees are removed from our residential environments and front gardens are replaced with hard surfaces. 

2.  Traffic volumes have increased rapidly in the last 10 years, including on the A612 through the centre of Burton Joyce where school children walk daily. The Burton Joyce Climate Action Group are promoting a local campaign to reduce the speed limit in line with "20's Plenty". Do you support this?

We have watched with interest BJ Climate Action Groups partnership with UoN to monitor pollution levels along the A612 and your “20’s Plenty” campaign, both of which we support. The health of the public must come first. Pollution is a silent killer and shortens lives.

3. Much concern has been expressed locally and nationally at the dumping of raw sewage in the River Trent. What is the best way to deal with this?

We share residents horror at the practice and inaction of dumping raw sewage into our rivers and shores, including of course our own beautiful River Trent. Labour has a plan to stop this Tory Sewage Scandal and we support it. Privatised water companies must pay substantial fines if they dump sewage into our rivers. The Conservative Government’s current policy of turning a blind eye to this scandal cannot be allowed to continue. As we type this Labour have been trying to again pass a bill into law to end the sewage scandal, as the Conservatives continue to not grant Parliamentary time to end the sewage scandal. but our Conservative MP has for a second time voted against it. 

4. Given the numbers of houses going up in this area, how do we move the development industry to low carbon construction (i.e. making it a legal requirement to provide solar panels, low water efficiency in design etc) and what can we do about this locally?

Planning policy in this country is chaotic. We feel the government, evidenced by the fact they have got through 15 housing ministers since 2010, is not able to provide a housing policy fit for the 21st century. Developers are allowed to build without sensible adaptations to mitigate the climate crisis, despite technology existing to do so. Private industry will not future proof the housing stock it builds without government regulates for it. Labour will treble solar power use during the first term of being elected, ban fracking and deliver a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030.

As a local authority Gedling will do whatever it is given the power to do in terms of compelling developers to meet their sustainable responsibilities. The statutory requirements of planning policy and powers are set by central government, which we do not feel is requiring anything like enough from private developers. We will campaign for a change of government and for the climate to be put at the forefront of housing policy.

5. Gedling Borough are to be commended for taking positive action by installing solar panels across many council buildings. However, most schools, health centres, large supermarkets and other businesses across Gedling do not have solar panels. How do you think the council can encourage the installation of solar panels by organisations across the Borough?

Incentives for solar panels were effectively removed when the Conservative and Lib Dem coalition government reduced the feed-in tariff in 2012. Labour had introduced the feed-in tariff to subsidise and encourage solar installations. In 2010 this stood at 41.4p/kWh. The Conservatives and Lib Dem coalition government cut this substantially. By 2019 it stood at just 3.79p/kWh. The Conservatives then stopped the scheme to new entrants altogether. Compared with the first quarter of 2019 when a new 4kW solar installation could be expected to pay for itself within 13 years, that payback time is now 21 years. This is a heartbreakingly short-sighted approach. It discourages solar installation and misses the opportunity to make the UK into the green industrial powerhouse that it could be. In addition to trebling solar across the country a Labour government will double the country’s onshore wind capacity, quadruple offshore wind and invest in tidal and hydrogen power sources. 

Decreasing the availability and range of incentives is detrimental to solar adoption in the private and commercial sectors, including those non-Council cases you identify. As a borough council we can encourage and provide information on any funding or tax incentives that may be available. We will again campaign for a change of government and the climate-focussed approach that would bring. The Conservatives came in in 2010 promising to be the greenest government ever. Another entirely hollow promise. We could have been well on our way to being a green energy superpower and an example of best practice on the world stage - but instead the government have cut incentives, variously promoted new coal and fracking extraction and power generation, failed to invest in the future not only of this country and the green industry it could have had, but in the planet’s future and that of the next generations which will have to suffer the consequences of this failure to act. We simply cannot afford to delay any longer. 

6. What do you see as your position on raising awareness in the Borough’s population about climate concern? Would you support a Borough facilitated climate convention?

We would need to see and discuss plans for a climate convention but would be very keen to do whatever we can from our position as Borough councillors to raise awareness of the climate emergency.

7. How will you make the climate a priority when you are elected?

Being in our twenties, the climate is the foremost issue in our minds. It informs everything we would take this forward into our role as representatives of Trent Valley residents if elected. We will support a Labour-led council in putting climate action at the front of all council decision-making. We will use our position to press for a change of government to ensure that crucial climate action is taken nationally at the earliest opportunity, and that international cooperation can be instigated to enact a global response to this emergency. We will maintain and forge new alliances, both locally and with national organisations to ensure a joined-up approach and the development of best practices using the latest research at our disposal.

We hope this is helpful, and hope to win your vote on Thursday.

All the best

Richard Fletcher & Muhammad Malik

Trent Valley Labour Party

Date of March meeting

 March meeting of the Climate Group will be on

 Thursday 23rd March at 7pm

Please put it in your diary!

Venue to be confirmed

Burton Joyce Climate Action

March meeting - a new date

 Next meeting on 1 March has been postponed

We will let you know the new date soon

Minutes

Minutes of the January meeting 

Minutes of the January meeting are now up on the Minutes page (see above)

Topics discussed included:

Annual review

Parish Council Carbon Footprint

Planting of hedging plants

Plaque for Jubilee Copse

Photos

Poster

Air Pollution research

Next community market stall

Evening meeting 

Open Gardens

Date of next meeting: to be confirmed

January Meeting

 Agenda for Burton Joyce Climate action Group meeting on Wednesday 25^th January

Wednesday 25th January 2023

7pm 

Old School building 

Burton Joyce

Welcome to Suzanne Elston who would like to come along and see what we do.

 

1.     Quick annual review.

2.     Hedge planting project at river.

3.     Plaque for Jubilee Copse.

4.     Planters and photos of insects

5.     Air Pollution project on A612

6.     Anti-Idling at primary school

7.     Stall plans

8.     Carbon Foot printing evening meeting.

9.     Next meeting with Cllr Mike Adams (NCC)

10.  Next magazine articles.

11.  Letters to local supermarket managers re packaging.

12.  Our mission statement.

13.  Open Gardens involvement?

14.  AOB

Tree planting

 Burton Joyce school children are planting trees 

Bookshelf

 There is a new page on the website: Bookshelf

Climate change and biodiversity books to borrow and read

If you would like to borrow a book, get in touch

If you have books you would like to add to the Bookshelf, let Phil know

Bookshelf

https://bjcab.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Key points from last meeting

Key headings from minutes 

Burton Joyce Climate action meeting 

Monday September 5^th 2022 

Burton Joyce village

Community Market in September

Bulb planting project 

Cadent land near sundial

Parish Council Environment plan 

Planters outside Coop

Tree Planting on riverbank 

Group development

Volunteer to help with comms, admin etc. 

Finances / bank account 

Friends of the Earth “Ask the Expert”

Speakers for future events

Article for Village Magazine

AOB

Village Society questionnaire 

Net Zero community forum

BJCAB Treekly app group

BJCAB Whats App group

FOE home heating and fuel poverty campaign

Next meeting 

Tuesday 1-11-22 at 7pm, Old School

November meeting

The next Climate Group meeting  

Tues 1/11/22 at 7pm 

Old School building 

Burton Joyce

Please come if you can

'Green Bin it Better' meeting report

 Burton Joyce Climate Action Group

Do you know what should go in your green bin?

 I was more than a little confused- but no longer, having recently attended a talk entitled “Green Bin it Better “ organised by the BJCAG.

 Lesley, a recycling expert from Veolia, gave a lively talk about what to put in our green bins ( and what not to!) and also showed a short film about what happens at Veolia’s Materials Recovery Centre in Mansfield.

A quiz revealed to us that no one in the audience was getting it 100% correct at the moment, leading to contamination and hence less recycling of the items we are carefully putting into our bins. 10-20% of everything received at the recovery centre is contaminated by the wrong materials or by food residue.

Paper is the most commonly recycled material with newspapers, cardboard, magazines, books and envelopes making up over 50%of recycled material. However, contaminated paper and card cannot be processed so please no pizza box bases smeared with cheese and tomato sauce !

Lesley told us that tins are a recycling success story with 95%of the tins and aerosol cans we put in our green bins being recycled. There’s a strong market for recycled tins because it is cheaper to recycle aluminium and steel tins than to make them from new. Just remember to give them a good rinse so the contents don’t cause contamination.

All plastic bottles are suitable, although the capture rate is less than 50% nationally. It’s recommended that once the bottle is rinsed and flattened that you put the lid back on (including milk bottle lids). The exceptions are pump action and spray top lids so please remove as they cannot be recycled.

One of the questions from the audience was about aluminium foil. Aluminium trays and foil cannot go in our green bins but can be recycled elsewhere. Use www.recyclenow.com to find out what you can recycle and where. I’ve used this site to find that our nearest collection point for foil is Lowdham Village Hall Carpark.

We all use a lot of soft plastic, carrier bags, bread wrappers etc and many in the audience were already aware that these can now be dropped off at the Co-op.

Getting recycling right can be a bit confusing but this talk made it much clearer.

                                           “ If in Doubt, leave it Out”

                                       

Happy recycling Burton Joyce!

    

                                

Sharon Meldrum

July group meeting

Burton Joyce Climate Action & Biodiversity Group 

Next group meeting: 

Monday 18th July at 7pm
at the Old School in Burton Joyce village centre (opposite Nola's)

Market Stall

 Market stall on Saturday!

Come and see us at the Burton Joyce Community Market this Saturday morning, 9th April 2022, at Burton Joyce Village Hall. 

Find out about our latest projects: planting more trees near the river, planting flowers in the village for pollinators, recycling and much more!

Come and say Hello!

Big Plastic Count

Join the Greenpeace Big Plastic Count

16-22 May 2022

" Sign up now, count your plastic for one week and together let’s gather the evidence we need to push for proper action to tackle the plastic crisis. 

"

Sign on details here:

Big Plastic Count

Recycling in Burton Joyce: a meeting

GREEN BIN IT BETTER

A date for your diary: 30th June 2022

Talk and presentation:

TRAIDcraft Exchange: Corporate Justice Coalition

 

Stop businesses getting away with human rights abuses

Yes, we should all do our bit to shop responsibly, but products made on the back of harming others shouldn’t be for sale in the UK.

It shouldn’t be the case that we can walk into a UK shop and buy a product that was partly made through slavery or child labour... or that destroyed forests to get onto our shelves.

But we can change this. 

Together with trade unions, activists, businesses, investors and other charities we’re calling for a new law that would put a stop to these practices by requiring businesses to prevent the abuses from taking place in the first place, compensate victims if they do happen, and where possible clean up and restore the damage caused. 

Add your name to join us! Sign the petition.

https://traidcraftexchange.org

Climate Anxiety is Perfectly Normal

 Here's what to do about it

Dealing with Climate Anxiety

Get some TRACTTion

TALK about it

RECONNECT with Nature

ACT on it together

CARE for yourself & others

TEAM UP with other people

TAKE a break when you need to

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 

 

 

 

 

Join in this Greenpeace action on energy prices

Support families 

Protect children and the elderly

End fuel poverty

Impose a windfall tax on North Sea oil & gas company profits

You can send a letter about energy prices to the Chancellorof the Exchequer today by following this link:

Greenpeace letter

Next Group Meeting

 The next group meeting 

An opportunity to meet Sim Duhra

Climate Change Officer for Gedling Borough Council

Monday 31st January 2022

7.15pm 

Venue to be confirmed

Hopefully face-to-face depending on circumstances 

Please note: the date had been changed!

Please change your diary or calendar entries!