The Havant FoE group has been active across a wide range of local and national environmental issues. The talk in April about tree wardens boosted membership of that network in Havant. In June visits were arranged to see eco woodchip burners in Stanstead House and in the following month FOE teamed up with other groups to provide a green tent at the Hampshire Water Festival visited by 16,000 people.
Havant council’s officer presented an update on measures being taken to improve the borough’s recycling performance. In the autumn some members of the group met Rebecca Hosking who started the national campaign to ban plastic bags in Modbury, Devon. Her BBC film ‘Farm for the Future’ was shown and debated.
In November Paul Diaper gave a talk on renewable energy options. Emsworth FOE members worked with the Business Association to carry out a shoppers’ survey of the town’s small shops before the new Tesco opened.
The group was represented on the London climate march prior to Copenhagen. It is playing a leading part in helping shape the behaviour change element within a new climate change vision for Hampshire’s local authorities. Havant FOE has teamed up with Test Valley and Gosport/Fareham FOE on the ‘Get Serious about CO2’ campaign urging councils to set challenging carbon targets for 2020.
It supported opposition to transporting low level nuclear waste from Sellafield to Fawley, airport expansion at Blackwater Valley (which has been turned down) and new plans to revive Dibden Bay, near Southampton development from Associated British Ports. It has joined with other groups across Hampshire in urging the county council to sign up to 1010. The group has attended numerous Havant Council planning briefings and submitted its thoughts on the Local Transport Plan LTP3) as well as on the Mineral and Waste to Hampshire County Council. Members have welcomed the launch of Havant Transition Town, Hampshire’s 8th and hope it is a step towards forming a strong green alliance in the Borough. It notes that Havant Borough Council is a signatory to 1010 and the Nottingham Declaration
The year ended with the good news that Havant’s climate change officer post is to me made permanent. The group’s has a sound financial and membership base for further development over the next 12 months.
Ray Cobbett
Treasurer and Secretary
Havant FOE
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