Page Aim
The aim of this page is to aid participatory democracy through the provision of resolutions for LSPs, Councils, Citizen Panels and VCOs.
Page Contents
Local Strategy Themes
Four of the website pages are arranged according to common Sustainable Community Strategy themes: Helpful Books, Model Strategy Audit, Model Community Strategy and Model Resolutions. This is to help monitor SCS processes and inform other participation in local decision making.
Unsustainability
Are the area’s SCSs, LSPs, Citizen’s Panels and other participation processes addressing global unsustainability at the local level?
Participation
Are local communities using participation opportunities to influence decision making?
Community
SCS Community themes include such topics as social inclusion, young and old, ethnic and cultural diversity, narrowing the gap, VCO involvement. Are ESD and participation factors brought into a consideration of all these?
Community Safety
The theme addresses crime and disorder issues– but does the SCS consider what causes are attributable to factors outside of the process remit?
Education
Strategies may look at topics such as lifelong learning, citizenship and student led initiatives – but what about ESD?
Health
Does the local SCS address any of the numerous social causes of ill health?
Economics
The SCS Economics theme can embrace employment, town centres, regeneration. But does it tackle such concerns as ethical consumerism, SCP, the social economy?
Environment
In this section of Strategies bring together natural environment concerns such as; access to green space, habitat and species biodiversity, pollution, maintaining and increasing natural features, urban trees. Also built environment concerns including housing, planning and development, infrastructure, sprawl. But to what extent does this Strategy look at the impacts of global environmental decline upon local communities, or indeed, how local communities can reduce their environmental footprint?
Transport
Does the SCS consider such topics as: road calming, buses, trains, passenger information giving, integrated transport initiatives, cycling, pedestrian issues, freight, air travel, parking, car sharing, how communities pay for the costs arising from private car use?
Waste
Strategies look at waste, recycling, disposal facilities and provisions. But do they consider such issues as packaging and the construction industry?
Climate Change and Energy
Strategies customarily look at topics such as energy conservation schemes, but why ignore the development of local renewable sources, the possible local impacts of climate change and peak oil, planning for energy descent and transition, etc?
Page Updates
Please send Sustainability Links any existing Local Strategic Partnership, Council or any other resolutions you would like to bring to the attention of all those working on S&P and LSP processes elsewhere.
Unsustainability
Transition Local Authority
Somerset County Council, 2008.
This Council:
Acknowledges all the work done by communities in Somerset on Transition Towns and that the independence of the Transition Movement is key to its grassroots appeal.
Acknowledges all the work done
by communities in Somerset on Transition Towns and that
the independence of the Transition Movement is key to its
grassroots appeal.
Fully endorses the Transition Town Movement and subscribes
to the principles and ethos of the organisation's goals
to reduce dependence on fuel oil and to create more sustainable
communities.
Commits to providing support and assistance to all towns
in Somerset that wish to join this initiative to help them
achieve the goals they set for themselves as local communities,
as demonstrated under the Community Initiatives section
of the Climate Change Strategy.
Requests the Scrutiny and Executive Committees to consider
the Council's strategic planning process, allocating funds
to assist in achieving the outcomes of the Transition Towns
Movement and requesting all directorates to engage with
and provide support for Transition Initiatives.
Through the work outlined (above), seeks to be the first
Transition Authority in the UK, and agrees to undertake
a review of its budgets and services to achieve a reduction
in dependence on fuel oil and produce an energy descent
action plan that is in line with the principles of the Transition
Initiative.
LSP Sustainability Mission Statement
North East Lincolnshire LSP
“To develop and establish with the community both a sustainable vision for (the area) and the means to achieve it.”
LSP Sustainability Policy
Nuneaton & Bedworth LSP
The Partnership Team recognises its responsibility to the sustainable future of Nuneaton and Bedworth and its inhabitants. Member organisations of the Partnership will ensure that al joint activities and partnership working will endeavour to ensure a good quality of life for all. They will protect the environment and environmental resources; key considerations will be the need to:
Use energy, water and other natural resources efficiently and
with care, and strive to achieve an equitable distribution of these
resources
Minimise waste, then re-use or recover it through recycling,
composting or energy recovery, and finally dispose of what is left
Promote and sustain a vibrant local economy that gives access
to satisfying and rewarding work without damaging the local, national
or global environment
The Partnership team is committed to actions being undertaken within the group to address the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change.
Under the Community Plan the eight theme groups will formally adopt the above policy, monitor and review the progress of the theme groups in relation to the policy on a quarterly basis and report back to the Partnership team and the Community Forum.
Nuneaton and Bedworth LSP
Sustainable Development
This statement was published by Coventry Voluntary Action (when it was Coventry Voluntary Services Council). Versions of it could be devised by other infrastructure organisations and promoted through their affiliates. It could also be considered for adoption by areas’ LSPs.
Sustainable Development: meeting the needs of the people today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
CVSC is committed to:
1. Minimising waste and resource use:
We
will strive to conserve resources through the efficient use
of electricity, water and all other in-puts to our premises.
Energy efficient practice will be communicated to all
staff and volunteers.
Waste,
wherever practicable, shall be re-used, recycled or disposed
of according to the most appropriate environmental option.
We
shall aim to keep our premises and surroundings clean, tidy
and well maintained. All staff will be expected to participate
in CVSC bi-annual clear-up days, which will include maintaining
electronic documents.
2. Procurement:
We shall consider environmental issues when purchasing or replacing
equipment and fittings or making changes to our premises, choosing
these products where the cost is within 10% of commercially
available resources.
Where
practicable, energy efficient, waste reducing, robust, environmentally
friendly, recycled and recyclable gods will be purchased. For
example, environmentally friendly washing up liquid, dishwasher
tablets.
Fairtraded
products and sustainable products (tea and coffee) will be used
for all office-based hospitality, ordered in bulk online by
the executive support officer and stored in the training suite
once delivered.
3. Monitoring progress:
An existing or newly formed time-limited sub-group will conduct
an environmental audit of CVSC once a year.
We will monitor the frequency of recycle bin collection and
the amount of paper based resources ordered / used.
Any suggestions from staff or volunteers around managing waste
and energy and sustainable development can be taken to senior
management team in the first instance.
Participation
Page
development
Please send Sustainability Links any existing Local Strategic Partnership, Citizen’s Panel or Council resolutions you would like to bring to the attention of all those working on S&P and LSP processes elsewhere.
Herefordshire Third Sector Assembly
Herefordshire TSA facilitates voluntary sector representation within Herefordshire Partnership and other bodies by:
Organising the recruitment
of TSA representatives via election or appointment.
Reporting back to the
VCS on the work of the TSA representatives.
Herefordshire TSA supports voluntary sector representatives to represent the VCS on Herefordshire Partnership and other bodies by:
Arranging training
for all new representatives.
Facilitating pre-meeting
briefings for sector representatives.
Paying TSA representatives
expenses and adminisstering the TSA bursary.
Herefordshire TSA makes good commuication possible as it:
Knows what topics VCS
groups are interested in.
Has a range of ways
to contact VCS groups.
Is ablle to contact
relevant VCS groups easily, forwarding information or seeking
views.
Organses regular interest
group meetigs to update VCS, share information ad discuss
issues.
Herefordshire Partnership and other statutory Partners use the TSA to:
Consult
the sector.
Involve the sector.
Communicate with the
sector.
The VCS value the work of the TSA. They attend events and meetings organised by the TSA because they know they will find out tiely, relevant information and be able to network with colleagues.
Third Sector Assembly Development
As the Herefordshire agreement indicates, TSAs enable VCOs to increase their influence in local, regional and national policy making and practice. Two significant aspects of this are:
TSAs will have mandates
from local VCSs to pursue local concerns through local decision
and provision making processes.
Local VCS will be able
to develop proactive approaches to local issues.
In Coventry the TSA proposal was discussed at a public workshop. It was then developed through feedback to the sector which invited applications from VCO members wishing to become members of a city Cohort. This Cohort is intended to become a representative selection of the city's third sector and is being establised for consultation on any concerns that will be raised by a wider TSA membership.
Development of Coventry's TSA has been facilitated by the LIO through funding from the subregional Infrastructure Consortium.
Community
Sustainable Communities
Sustainable Communities Act review
The Sustainable Communities Act became law on 23 October 2007. Its provisions were not mandatory, the Act merely gave councils the power to decide whether to opt in and establish Citizens Panels. The LGA had to be informed of their initial decisions by 31 July 2009.
As councils may review these decisions, this motion is included to show the sort of resolution LSPs, TSAs and VCOs can pass in order to urge their local councils to opt in to the Act in response to local community support.
This organisation:
a) Expresses its concern at;
The decline of local services and facilities which affects local
communities and in particular the elderly and people on the lowest
incomes;
the resulting decline of local jobs and local economies and the
resulting extra traffic and pollution caused by the need to travel
further.
b) And notes that this combination of factors increases people’s feelings of exclusion and lack of involvement, and so;
c) Supports measures to reverse this process and
d) Supports the concept of local sustainability as envisaged in the Sustainable Communities Bill, namely;
The promotion of local economies
The promotion of local services and facilities
The protection of the environment
The reduction of social exclusion and
Measures to increase involvement in the democratic processes
e) And accordingly resolves to support the Sustainable Communities Bill which;
Requires the Government to assist councils and communities in
promoting local sustainability in ways decided by them; and
Sets up a participative process whereby councils and communities
can drive the way in which government uses its power and influence
to assist with the promotion of local sustainability; and
Notes that this Bill is therefore fully in accord with current
thinking in local government in that it impacts on central authorities
and does not impose any new duties on councils but instead
enables them to influence how government uses its resources and
influence to help councils and communities; and
Specifically provides that where councils themselves decide to
take action to promote local sustainability that they should be
given the resources to do so; and so
f) Further resolves;
To inform the local media of this decision
To
write to Local Works, the Campaign behind the Act expressing
its support and requesting ongoing information about its
implementation.
Based on the draft local authority resolution circulated by Local Works
Community Safety
Education
Health
Economics
Fairtrade Area Status
This Local Strategic Partnership actively supports and promotes the concept of Fairtrade – ensuring that producers from developing countries get affair price for their goods and labour.
The Partnership resolves to:
Promote awareness of Fairtrade issues amongst local people, business
and other organisations concerning the worldwide impact of unfair
trade and the opportunities that Fairtrade provides to promote sustainability.
Establish, or work with an already existing, local Fairtrade
steering group to help achieve Fairtrade Area status for (this area)
and to appoint a representative willing to liaise with this group
on a regular basis.
Use fairtrade products, that is those carrying the Fairtrade
mark, when catering for Partnership meetings and events.
Based on standard Fairtrade Area Status Council resolution
Environment
Transport
Waste
Climate Change and Energy
See the site’s Best Practice and Policy Making page for more information.
Participation opportunity Are you a member
of your area's LSP or Citizens Panel or Third Sector
Assembly? Perhaps
you could prompt some action through your involvement
in local decision making?See
Nottingham Declaration
This Partnership recognises that Climate Change is likely to be one of the key drivers of change within our community this century.
We acknowledge that:
Evidence continues to mount that climate change is occurring.
Climate change will have far reaching effects on the UK’s economy,
society and environment.
We welcome the:
Social, economic and environmental benefits which will come from
combating climate change.
Recognition by many sectors, especially government and business,
of the need for change.
Emissions targets agreed by central government and the programme
for delivering change as set out in the ‘Climate Change – UK Programme’.
Opportunity for LSPs to lead the response as a local level and
thereby play a major role in helping to deliver the national programme.
Opportunity for us to encourage and help local residents and
local businesses - to reduce their energy costs, to reduce congestion,
to improve the local environment and to deal with fuel poverty in
our communities.
Additional powers to address the social, economic and environmental
well-being of our communities contained within the Local Government
Act 2000, which will assist in this process
We commit our Partnership to:
Work with local and central government to contribute, at a local
level, to the delivery of the UK climate change programme.
Incorporate in Community Strategy processes the means for our
area to address the causes and effects of climate change and to
secure maximum benefit for our communities
Publicly declare, within the plan, the commitment to achieve
a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from our own
authority’s operations especially energy sourcing and use, travel
and transport, waste production and disposal and the purchasing
of goods and services.
Encourage all sectors in the local community to take the opportunity
to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions and to make public
their commitment to action.
Work with key providers, including health authorities, businesses
and development organisations to assess the potential effects of
climate change on our communities, and to identify ways in which
we can adapt.
Provide opportunities for the development of renewable energy
generation within our area.
Monitor the progress of our plan against the actions needed and
publish the results.
……………………………………..……………..
Partnership Chair
Further information
See www.nottinghamdeclaration.org.uk and the local authority climate change forum on www.communities.idea.gov.uk/welcome.do
Local authority members and officers can also phone 0870 241 2089 for an information pack.
petroleum club
Full time members of the petroleum club include oil industry fat cats, the leaders of oil rich nations and the drivers of urban gas guzzlers, and many more of us become temporary collaborators when we travel by air or lounge beneath patio heaters. Nevertheless, membership is exclusive. Not only is access to such short-sighted, resource-greedy activities denied the majority world, but long term our involvement in them also robs future generations of the precious oil needed to manufacture such commonplace items as paint, antihistamines, deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes, tights, hairspray, sunglasses, DVDs and CDs, fertilisers and asprins.
See the Glossary page
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