County Hall in Trowbridge Photo Trevor Porter Addressing the climate crisis is to be a “critically important” goal for Wiltshire Council moving forward. Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ian Thorn, asked the council’s leader why he did not take the climate portfolio with him into the leadership position. Richard Clewer, the new leader of Wiltshire Council said the climate emergency was vital to the administration – particularly in regards to decarbonisation. “Is there the danger, that having left it in the hands of another member of cabinet, that it rather downgrades the issue?” Cllr Thorn asked. Cllr Clewer disagreed with the point and said the county’s climate plan needed to link in with other areas such as the local and transport plans.
Verges across Wiltshire could be improved, both on a visual and ecological level, by wildflowers. Cate Watson, from the Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Group, has spoken on the need to make space for the flowers. She was galvanised in 2018, after reading a report on climate change, to do something to make a difference. She said: “Seeing the evidence, I couldn’t not act. Joining with others, the group took off. The wildflower campaign is just a beginning. “Ninety seven per cent of our wildflower meadows have gone, so verges and lawns are one of the few spaces left for them to grow. Wildflowers are the foundation, providing food and shelter for insects, especially pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Last month, a collection of enthused young people across Wiltshire gathered online to deliver their messages about climate change to the leaders of our county. It has already been two years since Wiltshire Council acknowledged a climate emergency, yet our Youth Group is alarmed at the leisurely manner, in which it is being addressed. We therefore took the initiative and decided to invite all elected Wiltshire MPs and councillors to a bespoke online conference. Whereby we gave young people the platform and opportunity to make statements and have their voices heard. I am the Wiltshire Climate Alliance’s Youth Group’s coordinator. I founded the group last August when I noticed a significant lack of younger members within the alliance.
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The suggestion emerged from a Wiltshire Climate Alliance youth group workshop held with Wiltshire Council on Monday. North Wiltshire MP James Gray and Salisbury MP John Glen were among those attending the online event. Carys Richards, 23, of the WCA youth group, said: We are so worried about climate change. The council must do more to reduce its own carbon footprint and it must stop putting money into environmentally damaging projects. Wiltshire Council s Deputy Leader Cllr Richard Clewer warmly welcomed the mini-COP idea and said the council could give support to make it happen. He said: I think it s great and we need to work out how we take it forward and how we build that up.