At the Parish Council Meeting on 12.9.2019 the Parish Council adopted an ‘open ended’ Environmental Strategy to deliver its Environmental Policy. A working group is being set up with volunteers from both the Council and the community to explore how to move forward into ACTION.
At its meeting on 8.8.2019 LMPC resolved to adopt an Environmental policy to tackle climate change.
Langton Matravers Parish Council Parish Environmental Policy
Environmental Policy Group and Working Party
LMPC will facilitate the setting-up of a group to monitor, advise, engage, and promote environmental matters. It is recommended that this working party is open to as wide a cross-section of the village as possible. Everyone can do something, from pre-school children to the most senior of citizens. The Council will actively promote this working party and its related activities on its website and through the Dubber. The Council should also offer advice and assistance so parishioners can get involved at a level which suits them.
It should work closely with Dorset Council*, other Purbeck Parishes, DAPTC, the National Trust, and as many organizations that could prove to be useful for funding and assisting with specific projects.
*“We have an opportunity and an obligation to demonstrate leadership, thinking globally about the implications of climate change and acting locally to help address it in our communities”. (Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, May 2019)
It is recommended that the Working Party’s thinking and activities should be underpinned by the following initial environmental objectives/thinking.
1) Carbon Capture
By far, the most effective natural form of Carbon Capture is a tree.
LMPC should adopt a progressive tree planting programme throughout the Parish, working with NT, British Tree Council, Central Government, Woodland Trust etc., identifying available grants and support.
We should also lobby DC for their support of this policy (see below)
The historic and current practice of Planning Applications allowing for the removal mature Native British Species (NBS) needs to be halted. Current Planning Policy makes it far too easy for developers to remove trees almost at will as it facilitates ease of construction and better profits, and their re-planting policies/actions do not bear close scrutiny, neither do existing Tree Protection Policies. We should adopt a policy of demanding that Dorset Council (in line with their above statement), focus on tree loss as a major contributing factor not only to CO2 increase, but to increased flood risk and soil erosion.
2) Flood Alleviation/Management/Habitat Creation
LMPC should continue to support the current work within the Parish creating ponds and other forms of rainwater management in partnership with the NT, to both reduce flood risk in the village, and to create important flora/fauna habitat.
3) Hedgerow Reinstatement
LMPC should liaise with NT/Landowners to identify areas suitable for hedgerow maintenance/planting and actively support this activity, in line with NT policy of habitat renewal.
4) Roadside Verge Management
LMPC should actively liaise with Dorset Council Highways to instigate a programme of managing all verges in the Parish to provide habitat for insects/bees by positive planting/cutting philosophy.
In addition
LMPC should take necessary steps to reduce its own use of resources such as paper, single use plastics, electricity etc. We should also investigate ways of power generation and conservation throughout the Parish.
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The Local Government Association in a recent report has said: “Tackling climate change must be at the centre of local governmentʼs vision for their communities. It is not another priority amongst the many that compete for local government leadersʼ attention. It is now clear from the scientific evidence that it is the single priority which overrides all others, now and for the foreseeable future”.
With this in mind, it is the duty of LMPC to do everything within its power to assist in the protection and improvement of the natural environment of this Parish.
Approved by resolution of Council 8th August 2019. (end)
Proposed motion for DAPTC AGM 2019 :Trees
Langton Matravers Parish Council propose that DAPTC lobby Dorset Council to amend its Planning Policy (in accordance with Revised NPPF Feb 2019 Clause 175) to the effect that in all construction developments, the felling of any mature Native British Species (NBS) tree will only be allowed as a last resort, and then only if it is replaced (at developer expense) with a minimum of three (3) NBS tree saplings, container grown from a credited source, and be no less than 3.5m tall. Should the construction site in question be unable to accommodate such a number, a suitable alternative site will be identified within the Parish where the development is taking place.