Last chance for people to have their say on Climate Change projects for the Chichester District

Since the public consultation launched on 1 July, residents, workers and organisations in the Chichester District have been encouraged to share their thoughts on potential climate change projects that could help individuals and communities in the district to reduce their carbon emissions. This information will be used to help inform Chichester District Council's new climate emergency action plan.

People can have their say by taking part in a simple survey (opens new window), where videos can be found that help to explain each project. By completing the survey, participants will also be in with a chance of winning a sustainable living prize worth up to £500.

"I'd like to thank everyone who has taken part in our consultation so far," says Cllr Jonathan Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment at Chichester District Council. "We've been really pleased to see that so many people have responded already, which really reflects just how much people care about this issue.

"This is an important opportunity for us all to come together to help tackle a crisis that affects everyone, and if you haven't shared your views yet then I'd really encourage you to do so before the consultation closes on 30 September.

"As a council it's vital that we help to lead the fight against climate change. The council's emissions are only around 0.5% of emissions in the whole district, but since we declared a Climate Emergency in 2019, we have been working extremely hard to cut our own emissions, for example in our buildings and in our vehicle fleet. We have a clear idea of what we need to do, so this consultation focuses on helping individuals and organisations in the district to cut their carbon emissions.

"So far, we've helped some people to make their homes more energy efficient and generate their own energy through renewable energy measures. We've worked with a range of businesses to help them become more sustainable and our popular Tree Chichester District scheme has helped to boost tree cover in rural and urban areas, with over 50,000 trees planted in the district since 2021. In addition, we've installed electric vehicle charge-points in our car parks and we successfully bid for a £1.3 million grant to carry out work to help reduce carbon emissions at our Westgate Leisure Centre. Many projects are still in progress, including work to reduce emissions from homes in the district. We've produced a video on our consultation hub where you can find out more. We're now looking ahead to see what else we can do to cut carbon emissions.

"The ideas that could potentially be included in the new action plan have been put together after working with teams across the whole council, and now it's over to you to see what you think. Some carbon reductions can only be successfully accomplished at a national or international level, so the emphasis is on the areas where we believe we have the most influence and can make the biggest difference in our district.

"Although we are asking people to help shape the plan, I would like to stress that many of the projects will depend on council resources and external funding, so at this stage, we can't guarantee that they will go ahead, even with public support. However, it's important that residents know about the potential projects and can feed into the strategy."

Once the results have been examined and the final plan written up, it will be discussed by Cabinet and Full Council for approval in 2025, when the current plan ends. The new plan will run until 2030.

People who would like to get involved with more consultations and surveys in the future can also join Chichester District Council's Let's Talk Panel. By signing up, they will be automatically notified of any consultations by email and can decide whether or not they want to take part. 

Anyone interested in keeping up-to-date on climate change projects and initiatives in the Chichester District, can also sign up to receive the council's climate change email newsletter.

Date of Release: 10 September 2024

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