Future Resilience & Climate Change Workshop
Introduction
On 25th April 2019, Moreton in Marsh neighbourhood planning group held a public workshop facilitated by the Centre for Sustainable Energy, looking at the likely predicted impacts of climate change within and beyond the plan period, and of how the community could plan for a sustainable future. CSE gave an introductory presentation on the likely impacts of climate change and the UK’s current legal commitments to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 (now likely to be upgraded to a commitment to full carbon neutrality by 2050) and posed the question:
“Imagine its 2050. We have cut carbon emissions to nothing and have a stable climate. What have we done to achieve this? How have we adapted Moreton in Marsh to reduce carbon emissions and how have we adapted to the impacts of climate change?”
The group as a whole suggested the actions and policies on the following page. The workshop outputs were written up by children from St. David’s School, who added their own comments and suggestions on the last page.
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Workshop Ideas
​Resilience to extreme weather and protecting biodiversity
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Net gain in biodiversity soon to be required of developer
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Increase tree (over above current levels
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Planting trees/shrubs for pollinating insects and for providing shade against heat stress
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Protection of green spaces
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Cultivating more of our own food (private/public/allotments/incredible edible/community orchards)
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Green roofs and green walls (Gloucester services)
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Planting drought resistant plants and trees
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Housing design to be flood resistant (tanked bottom walls/high sockets)
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Larger capacity storm drains if Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUD’s) are not possible.
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Permeable surfaces on public car parks and all driveways on all new homes
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Work with Natural England on a biodiversity plan
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Shutters/louvres to be fitted to all new buildings, or the requirement for developers to design to avoid overheating (need to move away from ‘pastiche’ Cotswold architecture
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Wildlife corridors to be a key part of all new developments and link patches of green space together
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Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUD’S) – mimic natural drainage patterns, create temporary infiltration basins (depressions which temporarily fill with rainwater during storms) in green space
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Housing that avoids the need for air-conditioning and has a better design for staying cool/warm
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In the National Curriculum
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Set aside/less intensive farming/arable farming only
​Our buildings
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Design code reflects carbon neutral agenda whilst reinforcing sense of place
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Passive heating/cooling
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Orientation to avoid overheating and passive heating in winter
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Incorporating exposed thermal mass (e.g. exposed masonry / stone to even out extremes of temperature)
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Avoiding overheating and Maladaptation to climate change (e.g. everyone fits air conditions to cope with heat waves, which further increase carbon emissions and outdoor temperatures)…….. allowing adaptation to climate
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Request for stronger PA policies/energy performance
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Non gas heating systems (encouragement)
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On-site renewables min %
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Supportive policy for Highly energy efficient development and housing
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Communal electric vehicle charging
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Building ready for retrofitting for vehicle charging
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Ideas from the workshop
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Wind? Subject to feasibility. Scale+
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Hydro?
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Retrofittable homes (Oversized radiators suitable for retrofitting heat pumps which operate at lower temperatures)
​Transport service provision (inc. employment) and location of development
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Cycle/walking paths to allow access to rail transport – improved signage
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Cycle route everywhere
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Locating development within a 15 minute walk of services
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Affordable transport – trains/subsidy
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Safeguarding and providing services to meet people’s needs near where they live?
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Encourage local provision shops to open (green grocers/bakers)
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Tourism important to MIM, expand ‘sustainable’ tourism
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Use local banks to encourage them not to close
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Encourage more homeworking to cut down travel and bring in employment opportunities
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Networking hub (co-working space/rental for meeting rooms – local industry strategy)
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Electric vehicle infrastructure, vehicle to grid charging, linked to renewable generator
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Shuttle bus collection around town – electric
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Encourage hi-tech jobs to locate in MIM
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Community transport ‘on demand’ like a ‘community uber’ – electric vehicles
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Keep hospital
​Energy (electricity and heat)
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Renewable energy (solar/ground source/heatpumps/water source)
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Decentralised energy network of renewable energy developments
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Voltage changed
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Smart grids (battery tech/storage)
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New technology (policies open to new tech)
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New houses to be carbon neutral
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Consider how to retrofit more historic buildings
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Must be convenient, viable, feasible
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Tokenism – threat
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Energy from waste (scale/feasible?)
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Education – societal change
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Freedom with responsibility
Ideas from the children
​Resilience to extreme weather and protecting biodiversity
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Plants.
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More Meadows!
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And Animals!
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More flowers!
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No more cars!
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So no pollution!
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No plastic [make more open space parks with lots of trees and no swings zip lines etc… just nature with bins
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Animals
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Don’t kill Lots of animals!
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Help. Us. Recycle. Plastic. It. Kills. Us!
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Habitats
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Stop chopping. Down. Trees!
​Our buildings
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Homes
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Each house to have a solar panel and charging points for cars
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Garages
School
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Nice kind schools with fun activities
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Better cooking standards at school
Business
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To stop using non-recyclable plastic
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Pizza hut
Energy (electricity and heat)
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Don’t use much electric so it isn’t wasted
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Make sure heating doesn’t break
Download the event's powerpoint presentation and summary below: