Hunstanton Town Council declares a climate emergency

Hunstanton Town Council declares a climate emergency

A recommendation from Hunstanton Town Council’s newly formed Environmental Working Party to declare a climate emergency was passed at a full council meeting held on the 16th August 2019.

The motion included making climate change a priority and to work with the community to develop new strategies and plans to help reduce carbon emissions. The council will also take steps to reduce the carbon footprint of the council’s activities and infrastructure.

Cllr. Amanda Knight, Chair of the Environment Working party stated, ‘It is essential that we start to take action now and ensure we do everything we can to address climate change. Hunstanton Town Council cannot do this alone. Our residents and businesses have a vital role to play and we hope we can share ideas and resources.’

More than half the UK’s principal local authorities have now declared a climate emergency, making it one of the fastest growing environmental movements in recent history. In the past eight months 220 of the UK’s 408 Principal Authorities have made the declaration and pledge to reduce their carbon emissions at a local level. Town and Parish councils are joining in the movement and also declaring a climate emergency and are calling upon their local authority to join them.

The recommendation was passed in the same week as Cllr. Carol Bower informed Hunstanton Town Council that the Borough of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk would be undertaking a study of its carbon footprint within the district.

‘Cllr. Knight said, ‘We eagerly await the findings from the Borough and look forward to working closely with them for the benefit of the environment.’

Further recommendations from the Environment Working Party included addressing single use plastic pollution by stocking products from sustainable sources at Hunstanton Tourist Information Centre. The TIC currently sells water in cans which have been very popular with residents and holiday makers during the summer. New eco-friendly products will include: reusable mesh bags for fruit and vegetables, personal items such as soap and deodorant, pencils made from recycled newspaper, stainless steel straws and dog poo bags made from corn starch.

Borough Councillor and Hunstanton business man Paul Beal stated, ‘I wholeheartedly support the efforts of Hunstanton Town Council to address the issues of climate change and plastic pollution.’ Cllr. Beal has been campaigning about the amount of plastic litter in the town and has personally funded an initiative where businesses will take back packaging from items purchased in their shops so it can be recycled.

The Hunstanton Environment Working Party welcomes input from the wider community and can be contacted via The Town Clerk at clerk@hunstantontowncouncil.gov.uk

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