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Recent News (click on links or scroll down this page) LATEST! Saltford Wombles: Litter Pick Sunday 24th February Insects heading for extinction leading to a collapse of nature's ecosystems SPC and SEG seek inclusion of Saltford Station in West of England Transport Plan OTHER NEWS Bronze Viking Buckle found in Saltford! Saltford Wombles: Change in Chief Womble and Dates for your Diary Behaviour on the railway path: Sustrans survey Saltford Parish Council responds to West of England Mayor re. Saltford Station Gender & Fairtrade - 'Stories of Women & Cocoa Farmers in Ghana', 8th March Saltford Upcycling Craft Group 21st February Council awards litter enforcement contract to 3GS Saltford Wombles: Litter Pick Sunday 27 January Government Minister: "Don't build over the Green Belt to hit housing targets" Big Garden Birdwatch 26 - 28 January You can find more news in our News Archive. Current VOLUNTEER assistance sought by SEG >> Saltford Wombles: Litter Pick Sunday 24th February
Our next monthly litter pick is on Sunday 24th February, 2.00-4.00pm. If you are coming, please email Barbara on the same email address as before, saltfordwombles@gmail.com, for the meeting points as the focus for our litter picks will vary depending on our numbers. Thank you. If you have litter pickers, gloves and high viz vest, please do bring them, but if not we can provide them. We have bags provided by B&NES Council. Also, please let us know whether you have a car you would be happy to use to ferry a group to a start point. As with any Saltford Wombles litter pick, everyone takes part at their own risk and it is essential that children are supervised at all times by a parent/carer. February 2019 Insects heading for extinction leading to a collapse of nature's ecosystems
The world's insects are heading towards extinction at an alarming rate and this will lead to a "catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems" - according to the first global scientific review. Over 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered, the analysis found. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. The total mass of insects is falling by a precipitous 2.5% a year, according to the best data available, suggesting they could vanish within a century. Insect population collapses have recently been reported in Germany and Puerto Rico, but the review strongly indicates that the crisis is global. The researchers conclude in their peer-reviewed scientific paper that the insect trends confirm that the sixth major extinction event is profoundly impacting on life forms on our planet. Unless we change our ways of producing food "insects as a whole will go down the path of extinction in a few decades, the repercussions this will have for the planet's ecosystems are catastrophic to say the least." The analysis "Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers" by Francisco Sánchez-Bayo and Kris A.G. Wyckhuys is published in the journal Biological Conservation. Habitat loss by conversion to intensive agriculture is the main driver of the declines whilst agro-chemical pollutants, invasive species and climate change are additional causes. The planet is at the start of a sixth mass extinction in its history, a 'biological annihilation' with huge losses already reported in larger animals that are much easier to study. But insects are the most varied and abundant animals outweighing humanity by a factor of x17. Insects are essential for the proper functioning of all ecosystems, the researchers say, as food for other creatures, pollinators and recyclers of nutrients. This alarming analysis of the health of insects underlines why we at the local level need to protect or local Green Belt that helps provide essential insect habitat. If you live in or near Saltford or visit Saltford regularly and have not yet joined SEG to show your support for our Green Belt Campaign now is the time to do so. February 2019 SPC and SEG seek inclusion of Saltford Station in West of England Transport Plan
Pictured here are Saltford Parish Councillors Cllr Duncan Hounsell, Cllr Adrian Betts, Cllr Phil Harding (also Chair of SEG), and Cllr Chris Warren (also Leader of SEG's Station Campaign) at the launch of the West of England's Joint Local Transport Plan (JTLP) 4th consultation at Somerdale Pavilion on Monday 11th February. During the morning's consultation event they pushed the case for re-opening Saltford Station on the existing site as part of the JLTP. The draft plan and consultation questionnaire can be found at www.travelwest.info/JLTP. The consultation closes on 20th March. February 2019 Bronze Viking Buckle found in Saltford!
In the later part of 2018 a rare bronze Viking Buckle in the ringerike style, a Scandinavian animal style from the late 10th Century & 11th Century, was discovered here in Saltford. This has been authenticated and described by the British Museum as "a find of note", very rare for this area, and designated as a find of "regional importance". The Saltford Viking Buckle is described in detail on our Online Museum >> SEG plans to display this remarkable find at the Saltford Heritage Centre in the future. February 2019 Saltford Wombles: Change in Chief Womble and Dates for your Diary
Firstly, we would like to say 'Thank you very much' to Jo for leading our Wombles group for the last year and organising us all so well. January saw our first pick of 2019, where we had a very good clean up of the roads in to and around the village. Jo, yet again, did a sterling job of organising this and we had a very good haul of 15 bags of litter to show for our efforts, and a full, unopened, tube of Colgate toothpaste! After having got 2019 off to a very successful start, Jo has decided to give somebody else the chance to be 'Chief Womble' (co-ordinator) and so, is passing the title on to Barbara, who has very kindly volunteered to take up the reins and look after us. We wish Jo and Barbara every success in the year ahead. Following on from a very successful start to the year, our next litter pick is on Sunday 24 February, 2-4pm. Thereafter, we propose to continue monthly litter picks on Sunday afternoons on the following dates:
As before, if you are coming, please email Barbara on the same email address, saltfordwombles@gmail.com, for the meeting points, as the focus for our litter picks will vary depending on our numbers. More details will be posted before each meet. If you are new to the village and would like to meet a lovely bunch of local, like minded people, please also get in touch. Thank you and happy wombling! February 2019 SEG pleased that 'time-wasting' planning application for 200 homes between Keynsham & Saltford is turned down by B&NES CouncilThe article below is from the February 2019 edition of Keynsham Voice.
February 2019 Behaviour on the railway path: Sustrans survey
Sustrans is working with local Communities and the Councils of Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bristol City Council to explore ways in which behaviour on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path (BBRP), that is routed through Saltford, could be improved. To this end they are carrying out an online survey which should take less than 5 minutes to complete. If you would like to complete the survey you can do so from this link (external site). February 2019 Saltford Parish Council responds to West of England Mayor re. Saltford Station
We reported in November (2018) that Saltford Parish Council had sent a public letter (that can be downloaded here as a pdf) to a wide range of recipients including B&NES Council Leaders, our MP, First Great Western, Network Rail, West of England Combined Authority (WECA), and the local media expressing its frustration at the lack of information and misinformation from B&NES Council and WECA concerning the future re-opening of Saltford Station. A response to SPC's letter was received from Cllr Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, in January 2019. Cllr Bowles stated that following his and Cllr Tim Warren's (Leader of B&NES Council) discussions, their intervention had ensured that a new railway station at Saltford will feature in a map of transport improvements in the Joint Local Transport Plan. The Joint Local Transport Plan will be open for public consultation in January 2019. To read Saltford Parish Council's comprehensive response of 29.1.2019 to Cllr Tim Bowles's letter, which has been copied to over 20 relevant people and organisations, download it here (pdf). The reply includes how SPC will respond to the Joint Local Transport Plan (referred to as JLTP4 in the letter) as well as the actions and information requested by SPC following the close of the consultation. Parish Councillors will discuss further actions to achieve the re-opening of Saltford Railway Station at the next SPC meeting on 5th February. February 2019 Gender & Fairtrade - 'Stories of Women & Cocoa Farmers in Ghana', 8th March
There will be a talk and short film at Saltford Hall on Friday 8th March 2019 @ 7.30 pm. This will be given by Dr Roy Maconachie, Reader in International Development, at the University of Bath. This is a free event hosted by Saltford Fairtrade Group as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. Hear how buying Fairtrade products can improve the lives of cocoa farming communities. Refreshments available. Email for further information: saltfordfairtrade@hotmail.co.uk February 2019 Saltford Upcycling Craft Group 21st February
Hi happy crafters, we hope you all like eggs! Caroline has chosen this month's craft evening theme, eggshell mosaics. Do start collecting eggshells, making sure that they are clean and dry. The egg shells can be coloured with acrylic paint once they have been separated from the membrane. Leave the pieces quite big as they can be gently crushed when they are stuck down or broken down according to the space and your design. We will have a supply of eggshells and the glue but do bring along any eggshells you have saved. A frame may be a bit ambitious but a card design may be more achievable in an evening and will give us a flavour of the possibilities on how to use this craft skill. Tina and Frances look forward to seeing you all on 21st February, 7-9pm. We meet at Signs of Saltford (workshop entrance), 559 Bath Road, Saltford. Please contact Frances Eggbeer if you would like to come along to our free, friendly evening or know more about our craft group (07789--528834). You can find more information about the Upcycling Craft Group on our Low Waste page >> February 2019 Council awards litter enforcement contract to 3GSNews from B&NES Council on tackling litter:- Specialist officers are set to help tackle litter on the streets of Bath and North East Somerset following the award of a new Environmental Crime and Enforcement contract to company 3GS. From March 1st (2019) litter and dog fouling enforcement officers will work across Bath and North East Somerset and will issue Fixed Penalty Notices to people who deliberately litter streets, parks and public places. The uniformed officers will also prioritise education and prevention to help people understand that littering is a criminal offence and will not be accepted in Bath and North East Somerset. Under the 12-month agreement, which is at zero cost to the council, 3GS enforcement officers will work from 7am to 7pm seven days a week. It is operating a fixed fee model, which limits what 3GS can earn from the enforcement contract. Any funds received above cost will be passed on to the council or used by 3GS for education and promotional purposes. January 2019 Saltford Wombles: Litter Pick Sunday 27 JanuaryOur first monthly litter pick for this year is on Sunday 27th, 2 - 4 pm.If you are coming, please email Jo on saltfordwombles@gmail.com for the meeting points as the focus for our litter picks will vary depending on our numbers. Thank you. If you have litter pickers and gloves please do bring them, but if not we can provide them. We have bags provided by B&NES Council. Also, please let us know whether you have a car you would be happy to use to ferry a group to a start point. As with any Saltford Wombles litter pick, everyone takes part at their own risk and it is essential that children are supervised at all times by a parent/carer. January 2019 Government Minister: "Don't build over the Green Belt to hit housing targets"On 12th January 2019 during the BBC Radio 4 programme "Any Questions", the Communities Secretary the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said the following:- "We want to see up to 300,000 homes built a year by the mid-2020s... I think that we can actually maximise the space, for example in places like our High Streets, actually ensuring that we're getting building over our shops where that's possible, seeing that we use some of the vacant spaces..." In response to the question from Jonathan Dimbleby, the programme's Chairman, "Have you not in fact made it easier for developers to build on green field sites because of the alleged shortage that they claim there is, the planning laws have been eased have they not?" he replied, after making the point that the Government had created a plan led system where councils are able to set their local plans working with local communities:- "On the Green Belt, absolutely that needs to be protected, that needs to be safeguarded. I am not one who is advocating that we should be, effectively, building all over our Green Belt in order to hit those housing targets. I think we can do this creatively, how we use the existing built environment and indeed brown field sites that are there, and actually the protections that are around Green Belt have been upheld and strengthened through our planning guidance to ensure that is the focus." January 2019 Big Garden Birdwatch 26 - 28 January
The RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch will be from 26 to 28 January 2019. It's a great chance to sit back, relax and watch birds and other wildlife for an hour - and to encourage younger members of your family to develop an interest in the local wildlife. By taking part, you'll find out all about the fascinating wildlife that flutters, crawls and hops in your garden or local area. And with a simple hour of mindful watching, you could have an hour to yourself, too. Details including a free pack can be found on the RSPB website from this link:- RSPB Birdwatch. You can also find more information on social media using the hashtag #BigGardenBirdWatch. January 2019 More and older news stories from SEGOur 'Newsletter' archive page features most of our past and recently published news stories (click on image):-
Current areas of local volunteer assistance sought by SEG
In addition to volunteer assistance with projects such as Saltford Wombles (tackling litter) and the Fairtrade Group we sometimes have specific roles or posts that need filling. Here are the current vacancies:- Website skills wanted!Our website is a popular resource for our members and others which means that in addition to keeping it relevant we want to make sure it continues to function as it should. If you live in or near Saltford, care about your local environment and have current knowledge of website design and might be interested in using your IT skills for a bit of IT volunteering to help us behind the scenes please get in touch with our Chairman by email to phil@philharding.net for a no-obligation chat on possible volunteer help. First published June 2018 Want to get more involved with SEG?
SEG is seeking new Executive Committee members to help steer and develop SEG's future as we address the environmental concerns of our members at the local level. If you think you might like to get involved and join our Executive Committee (enthusiasm is more important than expertise!), please contact our Chairman, Phil Harding, for an informal non-committal chat. The Executive Committee only meets 4 times a year and its working method is more about sharing ideas and getting things done in a friendly and productive atmosphere than being bogged down with time-consuming administration. First published February 2018, updated April 2018 Contact SEG
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Saltford Heritage Centre's next scheduled public opening will be Saturday 30th March, 9.30am - 12 noon. Want a private viewing? We can also open the Heritage Centre for 1-hour private viewings by small groups on request (see the Heritage Centre web page for details). Special Features: Saltford Wombles (tackling litter)
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