 Green Bullet
18th December 2014
North West Environment Link (NWEL) is a partnership of environmental voluntary sector
organisations, representing hundreds of thousands of members in the North West.
We are members of VSNW, the regional voluntary sector network for the North West, whose
purpose is to support a connected and influential voluntary and community sector (VCS).
This bulletin is intended to keep NWEL members and wider networks up to date on events and
issues that will be of interest to environmental voluntary and community sector organisations in the
North West.
Please send any items for inclusion in the next bulletin to andyyuille@gmail.com - and feel free to
forward all or parts of these bulletins throughout your own networks to help spread the word!
The Green Bullet is also available to download from the VSNW and Enviroeconomy North West
websites.
CPRE North West have kindly agreed to continue their support to enable the Green Bullet to
be produced throughout 2015 – very many thanks!
CONTENTS
Included in this Bulletin:
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Campaigns – Act For Nature, roads, bioenergy, rural issues, climate change in cities, &
badgers
Information update – Planning and renewables
Publications – Autumn Statement, Roads Investment Strategy, National Networks National
Policy Statement, Devolution, climate jobs
Events – Future Climate Forum, Beyond Greenspace & Festival of Winter Walks
Consultations – Brownfield starter homes
Funding – Reaching communities
Campaigns
Act for nature (again)
Over 90% of people recently surveyed agreed that our wellbeing and quality of life is based on
nature and biodiversity – but around 60% of our key species are in decline. This is why The Wildlife
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Trusts, RSPB and other partners are calling for a Nature and Wellbeing Act, to put the natural
environment at the heart of policymaking. We all need that message to reach our politicians, and
you can help by signing their e-action asking your MP to Act for Nature, and call for a Nature and
Wellbeing Act in their Party’s election manifesto.
Roads, beautiful roads
The Campaign for Better Transport and CPRE have both launched campaigns to counter the
Government’s determination to ignore 30 years’ worth of progress in thinking about transport and
go back to 1970’s style massive road-building programmes (see Road Investment Strategy, in
Publications, below). To pay for a tripling of spending on major roads, local authorities face savage
cuts to local transport budgets. Budgets for buses, road safety, and cycling schemes will be slashed
to the bone. Both groups are calling for more investment in sustainable alternatives and
environmental protection – please support them!
Bioenergy
Friends of the earth have produced a new briefing on bioenergy, demonstrating that burning wood
from natural forests can result in three times more net carbon emissions than burning coal. They
have a campaign to end subsidies for cutting down overseas forests to meet UK bioenergy targets
as being wasteful and counterproductive.
The Rural Challenge 2015
On 3 December CPRE, along with 12 other rural interest groups, launched the Rural Challenge
2015. The document, which follows on from the Rural Challenge 2010 sets out a vision for rural
England, asking the next Government to: grow and sustain the rural economy, provide affordable
housing for local people, and work for healthy rural communities.
Climate change – city responses
Greater Manchester has joined more than 60 other cities committed to integrating climate change
into all key plans and strategies as part of: 'Mayors Adapt'; the Covenant of Mayors Initiative on
Climate Change Adaptation which has been set up by the European Commission to engage cities
in taking action to adapt to climate change.
Bovine TB / Badger cull alternatives
Cheshire Wildlife Trust have revealed that almost 100 badgers were treated during their TB
vaccination programme this year in the county. In Cheshire, farmers in the so-called ‘Edge Area’
have been offered up to 50% of the costs of badger vaccination from government agency Defra, in
a bid to stem the northerly flow of bovine TB.
Information update
Planning
The Government’s planning reforms have come in for some heavy criticisms this month, with the
Town and Country Planning Association describing new permitted development rights as “the heart
of darkness”, the planning system being in its “poorest state” since 1947, and UK planning
outcomes being “an embarrassment”(no paywall-free link available I’m afraid, but Planning
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Resource do cover it). The National Trust launched new research on how the planning system is
working in England. Positive Planning – the NPPF and plan-led development finds that flaws in the
Government’s planning rules are allowing developers to build housing in inappropriate locations,
side-stepping sites allocated in Local Plans. And the CLG Select Committee has slated the
performance of the NPPF, saying that, amongst other things, “the NPPF is not preventing
unsustainable development in some places”. It says that Government needs to make changes to
“ensure that the same weight is given to the environmental and social as to the economic
dimension... and that the planning system places due emphasis on the natural environment.” And
the Government’s own review of its flagship New Homes Bonus scheme finds that for £3 billion it
has had only ‘limited impact’.
Renewables
A mixed bag again in renewables development: a major solar farm application in Devon has been
rejected largely to impacts on the character of the countryside, while another has been approved as
the Inspector found it was able to minimise landscape impacts. Two separate rulings from High
Court judges have backed Eric Pickles refusals of wind farm applications, at East Heslerton and
Burton Agnes, and Pickles has rejected onshore wind schemes in Cambridgeshire and Cornwall.
About 80 per cent of all onshore wind appeals are now being recovered by Eric Pickles, with a
success rate of around 13%. Planning and renewables professionals have said the system is ‘a
mess’ and overly-politicized, and against the principles of the planning system and localism.
However, a 240-turbine off-shore scheme in the North Sea has been given permission.
Publications
Autumn Statement
The Government’s Autumn Statement promised little festive cheer for the environmental sector.
Sustainability professionals were critical of its support for fracking, oil, and roads (see below) while
environmental and rural issues were almost completely absent (although it did mention
‘discussions’ about a tidal lagoon scheme in Swansea Bay). Warm words but little in the way of
concrete proposals were made about developing a ‘Northern powerhouse’ and devolving power and
money to local areas (ie cities, again cutting rural areas out of the loop) - and incidentally, a report
by Greengauge 21 sets out the steps needed for the kind of rail system in the North that would
support the ‘powerhouse’ vision.The Statement also repeats pledges made in the National
Infrastructure Plan 2014 for further planning reforms next spring; this Plan also focuses on cities to
the exclusion of rural areas.
Road Investment Strategy
The Government’s Road Investment Strategy sets out how they will spend over £15 billion on more
than 100 road projects in the next five years – but not how this will impact on other local transport
spending: expect even deeper cuts! The Campaign for Better Transport describe it as "one of the
most counterproductive policy decisions for a generation", highlighting that this programme
threatens a wide range of vital wildlife sites, landscapes and priceless heritage, is unlikely to
succeed even on its own terms, and summarises the views of a number of other NGOs.
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Transport Networks National Policy Statement
Actually and slightly confusingly called the National Networks National Policy Statement, this is the
document that sets the framework for new ‘nationally significant’ road and rail projects. It has spent
a year in development since a draft was consulted on. In its response to the consultation, the
government claims amongst other things to have improved its environmental and sustainability
credentials – we’ll report on any response from the major NGOs in January to see if they agree! In
the meantime, Angus Walker has a few comments on changes made in the last year.
Devolution: Our devolution
Devolution in England is a hot topic, with all political parties pledging to deliver. VSNW want the
voluntary and community sector to play a key role in developing the thinking around what a good
model of devolution looks like and how it could work best for the communities we represent. Their
new report, Devolution: our devolution contains thirteen different perspectives from across the North
West and further afield to give us all food for thought on what devolution could mean and the role of
the sector.
One Million Climate Jobs
The third edition of the ‘One Million Climate Jobs’ report, written with the support of trade unions
and environmental groups has been completely revised, expanded and updated. It sets out the
case that to halt climate change there needs to be drastic cuts in the amount of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases. That means leaving most of the existing reserves of high carbon fuels in
the ground. Buildings need to conserve energy and there needs to be enough renewable power to
meet all our energy needs.The report shows how tackling the threat of Climate Change by
improving housing and public transport and investing in renewable energy can create one million
new jobs.
Events
Future Climate Forum – State of the Climate
The NW Climate Change Partnership and Climate UK are running a series of events to bring
together practitioners and strategic thinkers from the public, private and third sectors to consider
some of the key climate change challenges that we face and identify innovative solutions for the
future. The events will cover:
 What does the current climate change trajectory mean for our natural systems?
15th January 2015, 10.30-14.00 including lunch, Brockholes Visitor Centre, Preston, followed by
an optional tour around Brockholes Nature Reserve
 What does the current climate change trajectory mean for our economic resilience?
26th January 2015, 10.00-12.30, Warrington Town Hall
 What does the current climate change trajectory mean for our towns and cities?
9th February 2015, 17.00-19.30 including networking and refreshments, Central Manchester
(Venue TBC)
Beyond Greenspace: How can nature create healthier and wealthier places?
8.00am – 1.00pm, Tues 27 January 2015, Blackburne House, Hope Street, Liverpool. This event,
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hosted by the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy and Practice in collaboration with Nature
Connected – the Liverpool City Region Local Nature Partnership – and the North West Coast
Academic Health Science Network, will explore the multi-faceted relationship between nature, the
economy and well-being, and what needs to be done to improve policy and practice around valuing
and investing in nature. A breakfast session (8-10am) will ask how Liverpool can make better use of
its unique natural assets to support a stronger economy and greater health and well-being, then a
morning workshop (10.30am-12.30pm) will focus on what practical steps we can take collectively to
transform current practice and policy research. The event will close with an informal lunch. To
register for either session, please contact heseltine@liv.ac.uk.
Festival of Winter Walks
The Festival of Winter Walks was set up by Britain’s walking charity, The Ramblers, whose aim is to
make walking paths safer and encourage people to do more walking. Across Britain, Ramblers
groups are organising a fortnight of walks exploring our wintery landscapes. They have hundreds of
free, group walks taking place all over the country between 20 December 2014 and 4 January
2015, ranging from short, easy trails you can enjoy with family and more challenging walks for the
experienced hiker.
Consultations
Brownfield starter homes
The Government is consulting on a scheme to deliver 100,000 ‘starter homes’ of high quality design
at a 20% discount on brownfield land. The consultation will run for 8 weeks from 15th December.
Funding
Reaching Communities
Reaching communities funding is for projects that help people and communities most in need.
Grants are available from £10,000 upwards (with no upper limit) and funding can last for up to 5
years. Big Lottery Fund has recently decided that organisations that apply for funding through the
Reaching Communities programme will be offered the opportunity to apply for additional money to
enable them to find the time and resources to build their capabilities.
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TO SUBSCRIBE OR CONTRIBUTE
To subscribe to NWEL’s Bulletin please email andyyuille@gmail.com with the subject line:
“Subscribe to NWEL Bulletin”. Please send items for inclusion in the next Bullet to me by 23rd
January.
North West Environment Link (NWEL) is a partnership of environmental voluntary sector
organisations, representing hundreds of thousands of members in the North West.
 GREEN BULLET
VSNW is the regional voluntary sector network for the North West, whose purpose is to support a
connected and influential voluntary and community sector (VCS).
To contribute to the NWEL Bulletin, please
contact:
Andy Yuille
andyyuille@gmail.com
01524 389 915
To contribute to the policy work of VSNW,
please contact:
Warren Escadale
warren.escadale@vsnw.org.uk
0161 276 9307