| ENV1 |
Title |
Provide a Make Thatcham Green Officer |
| Project/Action Description |
In association with the new Eco Centre at the Nature Discovery Centre, develop a Make Thatcham Green
Project which would provide an outreach worker to carry out eco-audits of homes and community buildings, covering energy, waste and
water management. |
| Further Details |
See Appendix 1 of Thatcham Vision
Action Plan, for further information. This is a Priority
Core Project for Thatcham Vision. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision,
T.V. Energy,
West Berks Council,
|
| Headline Objectives |
TV81,
EN1, EN2, |
Timescale |
Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Pauline Fothergill |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV2 |
Title |
Raise Environmental Standard of Council run Buildings |
| Project/Action Description |
Request local councils & public bodies to carry out an environmental audit and implement an Environmental
Management System approach (demonstrating continual environmental improvement) covering buildings they own. |
| Further Details |
This should also include all facilities managed under contract, e.g. Thatcham Children's Centre, Kennet Leisure Centre,
The Priory as well as community buildings, care homes, Primary Care Trust and NHS properties, surgeries and clinics, etc. |
| Partner Organisations |
Local Schools,
West Berks Council,
Thatcham Town Council, |
| Headline Objectives |
TV81,
EN1, EN2, |
Timescale |
Short-Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Sue Everett |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV3 |
Title |
Provide Carbon Reduction & Green learning resources for Schools |
| Project/Action Description |
Work with local schools to reduce their Carbon Footprint and provide a Learning Resource for pupils |
| Partner Organisations |
Local Schools,
Thatcham Vision,
T.V. Energy,
West Berks Council,
|
| Headline Objectives |
TV81,
EN1, EN2, |
Timescale |
Short-Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Laurence Venner |
| Scheduled Activities |
An action plan is currently being worked on with guidance from
T.V. Energy. |
| Completed Activities |
Initial discussions with schools undertaken.
New Government grant announced 11/06 for schools to reduce energy use.
WBC has started doing some work in this area. |
| ENV7 |
Title |
Organise showings of “An Inconivenient Truth” |
| Project/Action Description |
Promote and enable all residents to see a viewing of the Al Gore film “An InconvenientTruth” about
climate change and what we can all do to help lessen our impact on the planet. |
| Further Details |
This film gives the indisputable facts about climate change and the effect it will have on all of us within the next 50 years if
we do not act now. |
| Partner Organisations |
Local Schools, Thatcham Library,
Thatcham Vision,
Thatcham Film Club,
Thatcham Town Council,
Kennet Valley Countryside Project,
|
| Headline Objectives |
TV81,
EN1, EN2, |
Timescale |
Short Term |
Project Leader |
Sally Wallington |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV8 |
Title |
Advocate sustainable water usage for new planning applications |
| Project/Action Description |
Request Thatcham Town Council to include the following response on comments received to planning applications
for new buildings: The Environment Agency states in its Catchment Area Management Plan that water resources in the locality are
over-abstracted and/or there are no water resources available. In addition the River Kennet SSSI is adversely affected by low flows arising from
abstraction. West Berkshire Council is requested to identify where water is likely to be sourced from, in the light of this information. |
| Further Details |
The fact that there are no available water resources to supply new buildings means that further building will cause further
reductions in aquifers and exacerbate river low flows. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Town Council,
|
| Headline Objectives |
EN3 |
Timescale |
Short Term |
Project Leader |
Sue Everett |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV9 |
Title |
Assess impact of closed Landfill sites |
| Project/Action Description |
Obtain an authoritative opinion in layman's terms on whether there are any adverse environmental impacts
arising from closed landfill sites in Thatcham. |
| Further Details |
Observed pollution in recent years from Lower Way Tip has not been documented by Natural England although reported to
Environment Agency. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision,
|
| Headline Objectives |
EN3 |
Timescale |
Short Term |
Project Leader |
Sue Everett |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV10 |
Title |
Develop a Vision for the Countryside of the Parish |
| Project/Action Description |
Develop a vision for the wider countryside of the parish. This should consider: farming, biodiversity, landscape,
historic heritage, public access and leisure, woodland use and management, heritage tourism, use of land after gravel extraction, and land
currently in public ownership. |
| Further Details |
A biodiversity enhancement project is currently proposed for major land holdings in south-west Thatcham. However, a new
action will be to look at countryside on the eastern side of the Parish. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision,
West Berks Council,
Kennet Valley Countryside Project,
Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust,
|
| Headline Objectives |
EN4 |
Timescale |
Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Sally Wallington |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV11 |
Title |
Maintain Green Gaps between parishes |
| Project/Action Description |
Protect “green gaps” between Thatcham and adjoining parish through the development control system. |
| Further Details |
Overwhelming support from this demonstrated by responses to The Thatcham Questionnaire. |
| Partner Organisations |
West Berks Council, |
| Headline Objectives |
EN4 |
Timescale |
Ongoing |
Project Leader |
Sue Everett |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV12 |
Title |
Conduct assessment of Hedgrows, Woodlands & Veteran Trees |
| Project/Action Description |
Conduct a qualitative assessment of Thatcham's hedgerows, woodlands and veteran trees, and identify
priorities for action to conserve and improve them together with specific proposals for doing do. |
| Further Details |
Discussion on this with stakeholders is required. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision,
West Berks Council,
Kennet Valley Countryside Project,
|
| Headline Objectives |
EN4 |
Timescale |
Short-Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Sally Wallington |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV13 |
Title |
Develop a Green Space Strategy & Action Plan |
| Project/Action Description |
Develop a green space strategy and action plan for Thatcham's green spaces within and immediately
adjacent to the built up areas taking into account leisure, biodiversity and public safety. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision,
Thatcham Town Council,
West Berks Council,
Kennet Valley Countryside Project,
|
| Headline Objectives |
EN5 |
Timescale |
Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Sue Everett |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV14 |
Title |
Provide at least 100 more Allotments |
| Project/Action Description |
Provide at least one additional allotment site of at least 100 plots. |
| Further Details |
Current provision is inadequate for the population and around half of that provided in Newbury. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Town Council,
West Berks Council,
|
| Headline Objectives |
EN5 |
Timescale |
Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Sue Everett |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV15 |
Title |
Monitor West Berks Wast & Recycling policy |
| Project/Action Description |
Develop understanding of implications of West Berks Council's; new recycling scheme and its implications
for Thatcham and identify ways of promoting recycling in the town conjunction with West Berks Council and Thatcham Town Council, |
| Further Details |
The aim of this project would be to ensure that the community in Thatcham made the best possible use of the new systems.
Currently awaiting details of new policy. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision,
Thatcham Town Council,
West Berks Council,
|
| Headline Objectives |
EN6 |
Timescale |
Short-Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Dan Sampson |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV16 |
Title |
Improve Recycling facilities |
| Project/Action Description |
Request West Berks Council to provide green waste disposal points in Thatcham (for household garden waste
and other green waste). |
| Further Details |
Nearest is 4 miles away necessitating driving a car there. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision,
West Berks Council, |
| Headline Objectives |
EN6 |
Timescale |
Short Term |
Project Leader |
Dan Sampson |
| Scheduled Activities |
TBC |
| Completed Activities |
TBC |
| ENV4 |
Title |
Reduce Carbon Footprint of new developments & re-developments |
| Project/Action Description |
Ensure all new schools and buildings owned or grant-aided by public bodies and supported by other funders,
e.g. the Greenham Common Trust, Landfill tax and Lottery, are built to the highest
environmental standards and as near to carbon-neutral as possible. |
| Further Details |
During the production of the Action Plan,
planning policy support guidance has come into force requiring new developments meet the BREEAM /
EcoHomes “Excellent” rating. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Town Council,
West Berks Council,
Greenham Common Trust, |
| Headline Objectives |
TV81,
EN1, EN2, |
Timescale |
Short-Medium Term |
Project Leader |
Laurence Venner |
| Completed Activities |
A
Supplemlementary Planning Document from
West Berks Council came in to force on the 2nd of January 2007.
This policy support document provides West Berks Council with guidance on
susatainability issues relating to planning decisions. As such failure to adhere to the guidance within the document may result in a planning
application being refused. |
| ENV5 |
Title |
Install a Wind Turbine for Thatcham |
| Project/Action Description |
Investigate the feasibility, costs and benefits of installing one or more large wind turbines to produce electricity
for Thatcham. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision,
T.V. Energy, |
| Headline Objectives |
TV81,
EN1, EN2, |
Timescale |
Medium-Long Term |
Project Leader |
Pauline Fothergill |
| Scheduled Activities |
This project is currently on hold.
Planning regulations dictate the separation from the turbine to nearest domestic dwelling, for a given size of turbine, therefore we will be looking
at smaller turbine with less visual and audible impact. |
| Completed Activities |
Discussions with Ecotricity initiated by
Thatcham Vision, no suitable sites for Ecotricity standard size wind turbines. |
| ENV6 |
Title |
Produce Biogas from Sewage Treatment Works |
| Project/Action Description |
Investigate the potential for conversion of sewage sludge to biogas at Lower Way Sewage Treatment Works. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision, |
| Headline Objectives |
TV81,
EN1, EN2, |
Timescale |
Medium-Long Term |
Project Leader |
Laurence Venner |
| Scheduled Activities |
The situation will be monitored, for potential opportunities to implement such a scheme, such as major
re-developments on the site and improvements in the technology. |
| Completed Activities |
Discussions with Thames Water initiated by
Thatcham Vision, Thames Water have indicated that it does not consider this
approach is sufficiently cost-effective at this plant. However, we will continue to keep under review |
| ENV17 |
Title |
Monitor the Smell from the Sewage Treatment Works |
| Project/Action Description |
Establish a small team of residents to monitor and report on odour originating from Newbury Sewage Treatment
Works. |
| Further Details |
Improvements to reduce odour will be completed in early 2007 following many years of significant problems of odour arising
from the works. |
| Partner Organisations |
Thatcham Vision, |
| Headline Objectives |
EN9 |
Timescale |
Short-Medium Term |
Project Leader |
None |
| Scheduled Activities |
Monitoring of the odour situation. |
| Completed Activities |
None |
Footnotes
1 The headline objectives for
Thatcham Vision can be found in the
Action Plan.
