How We Work
Withyham Parish Council has committed to working, wherever possible, in an environmentally friendly way. The starting point for this was our Carbon Policy.
Steps we have taken within the office are:
- Using a renewable energy supplier
- Using recycled paper and environmentally friendly supplies where possible
- Using eco-friendly cleaning products
We have also undertaken a Carbon Calculator survey to find out what the Carbon footprint is for Withyham Parish Council. We will use this as a basis for making changes to how we do things, to reduce our Carbon Footprint.
Steps we have taken within the Parish are:
- Planting trees to replace those that require removal from Parish Council land for safety reasons
- Switching street lights to LED lanterns
- The 2023 Annual Parish Assembly was themed around the environment – we had stalls with Groups like Wild Groombridge sharing opportunities for getting involved in local nature projects and citizen science. We had representatives from Wealden District Council to talk about recycling and other actions residents can take.
- Regularly sharing environmental initiatives on our Facebook page
We have also undertaken a Carbon Calculator Survey for the Parish, using the Impact Carbon Calculator Tool. You can see the results of the Withyham Parish Carbon Calculator and what it means on the Withyham Parish – Carbon Calculating page.
The Parish Plan
We have an Environment Section within the current 2020-2024 Parish Plan. You can find out all about the 2002-2024 Parish Plan and how it relates to climate and the environment on the Climate and the Parish Plan page.
We have recently held a visioning session to begin creation of the 2024-2028 Parish Plan. The Climate and Ecology Advisory Group’s short and medium term ideas for consideration, which came from their July 2023 Overview Session, will be woven into the Parish Plan, alongside any other climate or biodiversity themes and actions which came up. You can find the Notes from the CEAG July 2023 Overview Session on the Agendas and Minutes section of the website.
Going Further
Included in the 2020-2024 Parish Plan was the goal to set up a Climate and Ecology Advisory Group, who bring ideas and actions to Council to do with climate and the local ecology – you can find out all about what they have been up to on the Climate and Ecology Advisory Group page.
One of their first initiatives was to set up a Thermal Imaging Camera Project, whereby residents can borrow a thermal imaging camera and following the instructions and resources provided by the Council to survey their homes, and make improvements to reduce heat loss. This not only keeps homes warmer and saves money on heating costs, it also reduces energy consumption – a win for everyone!
We have also been partnering with other organisations, this ranges from larger government organisations such as Wealden District Council through to local groups, such as our wildlife projects in partnership with Wild Groombridge. You can find out all about our partnership work on the Working with Others page.
Creating Opportunities
There are lots of ways that you can get involved too! Find out more on the Carbon Calculating, Citizen Scientists and WPC’s Thermal Imaging Camera pages.
