Climate Action North East Derbyshire Meeting – 19th January 2022
Attendees – Brian, Chris Turk, Anne Turk, Val, Michael, Anne Thoday, Mary,
Robert, Richard, Nigel, Barry, Rachel, Ross, Chris, Jilly
Apologies – Becky, Trevor, Alistair.
Matters Arising:
Tree Planting – Dronfield and Eckington on 26th and 28th January. Email
info@oneplanetmatters.com to volunteer.
Derbyshire Community Orchard Network – next meeting Barry will be sharing
information about wildflower planting in orchards. Date to be confirmed.
International Anti Fracking Solidarity – a campaign coming soon to encourage
people to switch from banks which invest in international fracking and fossil fuels.
Details will be shared.
Yorkshire site, West Newton. Oil and gas extraction planned which will use acid
fracking. A planning application was refused in September. Another revised
application has been made.
Can we all consider sending in our objections to this plan for fossil fuel extraction
and environmentally dangerous fracking processes.
Main Agenda:
Review of year – Mary proposed postponing reviewing our first year until next
month. This will link in with planning our next campaigns (see below). Send thoughts,
photos etc from our first year of campaigning to Mary.
Meeting with Lee Rowley MP – to discuss green jobs in Derbyshire and
heating/insulation of homes. Date confirmed 23rd Feb at 1:45. Rob, Nigel, Richard,
Becky, Anne, Mary (possibly) to attend. Meeting will be facilitated by Hope for the
Future. Pre meeting planned to agree how we can make the most of this meeting
with Lee.
Main Agenda:
Local Climate Survey – Agreed the final version and group thanked Nigel for
leading and achieving an excellently produced survey document.
Agreed that it will mainly be sent out electronically, but hard copies will be produced
using sustainable materials.
The survey will go on our website and we will agree the distribution and promotion of
the survey at the next meeting.
Website – It is a year since Richard registered the website. He has offered to fund
the next year at a cost of approx. £20. Brian said the group could afford to fund this.
Future Campaigns – Anne has attended a Friends of the Earth training course
which included looking at how to identify issues for campaigns. She suggested trying
this out at our next face to face meeting. We can use the survey information as part
of this and identify priority campaign topics for our group.
Coupe Lane Development – Brian gave an account of the local campaign against
building 300 houses on a green field site. The developers withdrew the application
after a 5 year campaign. Likely the result of having a Local plan now in place which
put the development outside the settlement boundary and the pressure from strong
local objections.
HS2 update – Barry shared information about HS2. The leg of HS2 to Leeds has
been scrapped with a proposal to electrify the East Midlands line. Overall good news
locally although electrification may impact on the 250 identified heritage sites along
the line. DCC have suggested that the sites which have been compulsorily
purchased could be handed over to local authority. Concerns that HS2 would have
meant local stopping service at Dronfield would have been lost.
Derbyshire County Council updates – Barry spoke about current DCC work:
A Covid Memorial woodland is being planted at Grassmoor country park and work
undertaken with the National trust on tree planting.
The Climate Change Strategy has been adopted and an Engagement strategy has
been developed.
Single Use Plastic strategy for DCC already in place.
Natural Capital and Biodiversity strategy is being developed. A motion initiated by
Derbyshire Wildlife trust will go before the council at the next meeting.
DCC are working with district councils to review how current legislation, National
Planning Policy framework is used to maximum effect in demanding higher
standards of carbon efficiency from housing developers.
A Green Entrepreneurs scheme is underway to facilitate community energy projects.
Next meeting date is 16th February at 7pm. Dronfield Baptist Church.
Items for next meeting – Review of 2021. Developing future campaigns.
Distributing survey.
Attendees – Brian, Chris Turk, Anne Turk, Val, Michael, Anne Thoday, Mary,
Robert, Richard, Nigel, Barry, Rachel, Ross, Chris, Jilly