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Happy Christmas
and best wishes for the
New Year

Thank you for your continued support

 Don't blight the land
 that feeds you

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LATEST NEWS :-

Fairtrade Group at Christmas Market (2nd Dec)

Community carbon calculator - Saltford

Next B&NES Local Plan: Consultation Timetable

Next B&NES Local Plan: HELAA map for Saltford

Can the Government's new Environmental Principles Policy Statement help protect our Green Belt?

New Reuse Shop at Keynsham recycling centre

Saltford Fairtrade Coffee Morning, 13th October

State of Nature report

More news in our news archive >>

Fairtrade Group at Christmas Market (2nd Dec)

November 2023

Saltford Fairtrade Group will once again have a stall at the Christmas Market on Saturday 2nd December 2023, there will be a range of Fairtrade products and gifts that could make the perfect present or stocking filler! By supporting Fairtrade you are making a difference by ensuring better prices and improved working conditions for farmers and their communities in the developing world.

Don't forget there are plenty of local shops that stock Fairtrade products and we are grateful for donations received from our local Tesco and the Keynsham branch of Waitrose. Please visit us at the Christmas Market for a friendly chat and enjoy a cup of Fairtrade tea or coffee in the excellent Saltford Hall cafe. We hope to see you there. New members always welcome.

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Community carbon calculator - Saltford

November 2023

An online digital visualisation tool from the Centre for Sustainable Energy in Bristol and backed by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy that can help communities to understand their carbon footprint can be found at impact-tool.org.uk from this link >>

Whilst the accuracy of such data should always be treated with caution, it can provide a useful indication for where improvements could be made. It currently shows that on average Saltford's households have a larger annual carbon footprint, at 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, than the average household for Great Britain (15.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) and in the B&NES area (16.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent). Consumption of goods and services, and travel are identified as the areas where Saltford's level of CO2 emissions are mostly above the average GB level.

The data and graphic illustration for Saltford can be found from this link >>

A community carbon calculator like this can guide policy makers on where to target efforts to reduce emissions and raise awareness amongst the general public so that they can think more carefully about the choices they make.

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Next B&NES Local Plan: Consultation Timetable

November 2023 (updated during December)

The key dates for the consultations etc. for the forthcoming new B&NES Local Plan for development (2022-2042) are as follows :-

• Draft Local Plan Options Paper goes live (online) on c.10th January as a paper for the B&NES Cabinet to discuss and adopt/change on 18th January. UPDATE: Now likely to be 2 weeks later (Cabinet paper to be ublished online on 24th Jan, with Cabinet discussion & adoption/change on 1st February)

• Ward Councillors to hold a public meeting 26th January, 7pm at Saltford Hall.

• Public Consultation on Options for the draft Local Plan scheduled for early February. This will be the chance to comment on options for development, potential approaches and for a review of current planning policies.
  IMPORTANT: This is where the community can show its support for SPC's request (backed by SEG) for a landscape designation for Saltford South.

• Public Consultation on the Draft Local Plan summer to autumn 2024.

• Public Examination (by a Government Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State) of the draft Local Plan end of 2024/early 2025.

• Final adoption of the new Local Plan by the end of 2025.

These timings are subject to change and, of course, the next General Election. SEG will keep members updated on progress and advice on how to submit an effective response to proposals that affect Saltford, in particular for the February 2024 consultation.

FURTHER INFORMATION

The main B&NES web page about the draft Local Plan is at this link.

The B&NES Local Plan timetable (subject to adjustment when/if slippage occurs) is at this link.

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Next B&NES Local Plan: HELAA map for Saltford

November 2023

B&NES HELAA Map for Saltford as at 13.11.2023. HELAA sites are shaded blue.

At SEG's AGM on 13th November, members discussed the forthcoming new B&NES Local Plan for development covering the 20-year period 2022 to 2042 and how SEG can help the community resist any proposals to develop the local Green Belt.

Public consultations on proposals for development in the draft Local Plan are due to commence in early 2024.

Before then, members present were encouraged to look at the parcels of land in Saltford's Green Belt that will be assessed by B&NES as part of the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) - see the above map.

HELAA is a technical assessment process of the suitability, availability and achievability of land for development. The HELAA process does not affect the planning status of any land which is assessed. In order to produce a sound Local Plan, B&NES Council has to assess potential sites for future housing and economic development; those that are considered to have the potential for development and not hindered by planning constraints are then put into the draft Local Plan following a consultation process.

The HELAA map for Saltford and the surrounding area can be found on the B&NES Council website from this link:- HELAA map (zoom the web page map to home in on Saltford).

It is important to note that B&NES Council will short-list all the sites across the B&NES area before choosing which ones go in the draft Local Plan.

For further information from B&NES Council on the "5-year Housing Land Supply and Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)" process click on this link.

SEG will be publishing more information on the consultations for the Local Plan here on our website as details emerge including for a public meeting to be arranged by our Ward Councillors in late January.

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Can the Government's new Environmental Principles Policy Statement help protect our Green Belt?

November 2023

Ministers and government departments have a new legal duty to "have due regard" to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement (EPPS) and therefore an obligation to consider the impact their policies will have on the environment that came into effect on 1st November 2023. The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) will now scrutinise and monitor the implementation of this obligation across Government.

The OEP will scrutinise and monitor the implementation of the EPPS across Government and intends to report to Parliament after the summer of 2024.

The EPPS covers five environmental principles set out in law that are:-

• the integration principle (that environmental protection be integrated into the making of policies);

• the prevention principle;

• the precautionary principle;

• the rectification of environmental damage at source principle; and

• the polluter pays principle.

For the purpose of this policy statement, the EPPS (and as defined in the Environment Act 2021 section 45), "environmental protection" means:-

• (a) protection of the natural environment from the effects of human activity

• (b) protection of people from the effects of human activity on the natural environment

• (c) maintenance, restoration or enhancement of the natural environment

• (d) monitoring, assessing, considering or reporting on anything in paragraphs (a) to (c).

SEG COMMENT

Although this policy is aimed at central Government it is intended to guide policy decisions and policy making, and specifically "national policy statements, strategies and frameworks" (as described in the "Policy making" section of the EPPS).

In defending Saltford's Green Belt, SEG shall be reminding B&NES Council, and others, that the Green Belt is protected by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the implementation of planning policy requirements including policy frameworks such as the Government's NPPF is, by default, now subject to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement (EPSS) that is a "statutory document" under the Environment Act 2021.

The EPPS is intended to influence national policies including national planning policies, and thus the interpretation of sustainable development and environmental objectives of the NPPF, and not each individual planning decision. However, planning decisions have to be made in accordance with planning policies and in particular the adopted Local Plan that in turn is a requirement of the NPPF which now has to be compliant with the EPPS.

RELEVANT LINKS

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) press release on the EPPS can be found from this link.

The EPPS web page on gov.uk can be found from this link.

SEG keeps a record of policies and Government statements that affect the Green Belt on our Green Belt page.

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New Reuse Shop at Keynsham recycling centre

October 2023

The new reuse and recycling shop was opened by B&NES Council on the ground floor of the Keynsham Recycling Hub (at Worlds End Lane, just off Pixash Lane, BS31 1TW) on 25th October.

The new reuse shop will offer low-cost quality preloved items that have been donated by local residents using the recycling centre. Donations currently on display include crockery, garden tools, bedside and dining tables, and adult and children's bikes.

The reuse shop will open to B&NES residents on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 1pm and Saturday 9.30am to 3pm, although the opening times may vary to ensure there is no impact on queueing times for residents wanting to use the recycling centre.

The council has partnered with Bath Share and Repair to fully check, PAT test and sell small household electrical items, such as lamps, kettles and toasters on site.

Garden waste that has been collected for composting on site and through the fortnightly green bin service will also be available for purchase from the shop as a peat-free soil conditioner.

Residents wishing to donate preloved items at Keynsham Recycling Centre can drop them in the signposted area to the left outside the Reuse Shop entrance.

More information about the Reuse Shop can be found on the council website.

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Saltford Fairtrade Coffee Morning, 13th October

October 2023

Fairtrade
COFFEE MORNING

Friday October 13th from 11.00 am - 12.30pm
Avon Room, SALTFORD HALL

(Free Entry - Donations welcome)

A warm welcome awaits you, with Fairtrade coffee, tea, cake and a raffle. Chat to Saltford's Fairtrade Group about Fairtrade and discover how by buying products with the Fairtrade logo help ensure better prices and improved working conditions for farmers and their communities in the developing world.

www.fairtrade.org.uk

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State of Nature report

October 2023

The State of Nature Report 2023 for the UK published in September reveals the ongoing decline in our nation's flora and fauna.

The UK, like most other countries worldwide, has experienced a significant loss of biodiversity. The trends in nature presented in the report cover, at most, 50 years, but these follow on from major changes to the UK's nature over previous centuries.

Some headline statistics from the report:-

• Across the UK species studied have declined on average by 19% since 1970;

• Nearly one in six species (19%) are threatened with extinction from Great Britain;

• Invertebrates such as insects, spiders and millipedes have been found, on average, in 13% fewer places now than in 1970;

• Pollinators such as bees, hoverflies and moths, have decreased by 18% on average, whilst predatory insects, like the 2-spot Ladybird which help control crop pests, have declined by more than a third (34%);

• Since 1970 more than half of our flowering plants, mosses and their relatives have been lost from areas where they used to thrive;

• Farmland birds have suffered particularly strong declines of on average 58%;

• Only one in seven (14%) of the UK's important habitats for wildlife were found to be in good condition.

Changes in the way we manage our land for farming, and climate change were the biggest causes of wildlife decline on our land, rivers and lakes.

Yet again this important report highlights that the UK is one of the most nature depleted places on the planet. But it offers hope, showing that when we take action to protect and restore nature, it works. We have never had a better understanding of the State of Nature and what is needed to fix it.

The full report can be found on this website: stateofnature.org.uk.

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Worried about your home heating and energy costs?
Check out our Energy page for energy saving tips, sources of advice, grants and more.
 

For previous news stories from SEG visit our

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Current areas of local volunteer assistance sought by SEG

Whilst our partner organisations such as Saltford Wombles (for tackling litter) and the Fairtrade Group always welcome volunteer assistance, SEG sometimes has specific roles or posts that need filling. Here are the current vacancies:-

Updated January 2023

Executive Committee: Want to help steer SEG?

SEG is seeking new Executive Committee members to help steer and develop SEG's role in the community 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.

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 philharding27@gmail.com for a no-obligation chat on possible volunteer help.

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Contact Us

All general, membership & urgent (e.g. Press) enquiries by email to our Chairman please from whom SEG's postal address, if required, can be obtained on authenticated* request *(to avoid junk mailing etc.).

HOW TO JOIN SEG: If you live, work or have a particular interest in Saltford & wish to join our email membership list please send an email to our Chairman. Please include your name, address & contact telephone number in your email application. NOTE: We provide information about membership including our simple code of conduct for members and personal data protection by SEG on our "About Us page".

CONTACTS:

Chairman: Phil Harding
philharding27@gmail.com (Tel: 07814--720763)

Website Editor is Phil Harding but see website editorial/contact info. below BEFORE contacting SEG about this website

Secretary: Vacant post

Treasurer: Andrew Stainer
andrew.stainer@outlook.com

SEG Green Belt Campaign: - contact our Chairman (contact details above)

Saltford Station Campaign: Chris Warren
cherokee1883@live.com

Saltford Fairtrade Group:
saltfordfairtrade@hotmail.co.uk

History of Saltford
Project Curators: Phil Harding & Andrew Stainer (contact details above).

Saltford Wombles is independent of SEG but contact details can be found on our Less Waste page.

Saltford4Nature community gardening group is independent of SEG but contact details can be found on our Gardening page.

Cookies and Privacy Policy Statement

SEG respects the privacy of visitors to our website. We do not use cookies to collect personal or other data about visitors to our website; the only data we collect via our ISP's hosting service, and without the use of cookies, is the number of visits to each of our web pages but not who the individual visitors are.

*EDITORIAL POLICY including SEO, web design and marketing for www.saltfordenvironmentgroup.org.uk

As a general rule our editorial content is sourced locally in Saltford and NE Somerset or from reputable non-commercial organisations based in the UK.

Will Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), website design, "content providers" and other similar companies please note that this website has all the SEO ranking, social media links, and smartphone compatibility that it requires to meet its specific objectives and enquiry emails on this topic including link requests will not receive a reply to save your time and ours.

SEG is not a commercial enterprise therefore companies that produce bespoke marketing materials or sponsored editorial content should also note that marketing emails or requests for placing links to other websites* will not receive a reply as it is our policy not to reply to marketing emails of this nature unless they are from a Saltford-based organisation seeking to assist SEG.

*SEG is not in a position to authenticate the accuracy and legitimacy of third party websites and/or third party editorial content.

Do you care about the village of Saltford, its environment, wildlife and future as a thriving, more sustainable community? Then join us and also follow us on facebook. See our 'About us' page for how to join (membership is free!).

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SUPPORT FROM BUSINESS:
We welcome support from local businesses to help cover our costs and keep membership free for our members. If your local business would like to support SEG (e.g. a logo + link on this page is very inexpensive), please contact our Chairman (see above for contact details).