CREDITON Town Council’s Town Strategy Committee members were greeted by a group of Extinction Rebellion members singing and waving placards and flags before their meeting at Crediton Library on Tuesday evening.

Before the committee was a request for the town council to “consider declaring a climate emergency”.

This the committee approved with one vote against and one abstention. Cllr John Downes said that instead of working to be carbon neutral by 2050, the town should have a target of 2030, the same as Mid Devon District Council.

Then came an anti-plastic debate on how “the town council will take a lead role in encouraging local residents to respond to the rising issues of climate change and sustainability and how it will set up a Crediton Climate Change and Sustainability initiative”.

It was agreed to create a sub committee of the Strategy Committee that included members of the public.

The meeting was also joined by members of Sustainable Crediton and representatives of the Crediton Heart Project who were there to explain how the project was moving.

REBELLION

At least half-a-dozen members of Extinction Rebellion, whose website says “is an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse” were there to initiate the debate.

Cllr Paul Vincent thought people wanted to do something but they wondered how much effect what they did would have.

A member of the group added that it did not help when people saw plastic being dumped in other countries “by people who were supposed to be dealing with it responsibly”. People needed to know what happened to recycled goods in Mid Devon.

Cllr Frank Letch reported often seeing a number of black bags outside some houses but no recycling boxes or bins. He urged people to report instances such as this to Mid Devon District Council which could then be investigated.

Committee chairman, Cllr Andi Wyer, felt the district council had been quite open about what happened to recycling it collected. It had achieved a 54 per cent rate.

Cllr John Downes observed that if the rubbish was not there it would not get sent abroad to be dealt with.

Cllr Vincent said people should do what they could because it set an example for others.

“Everyone can do something however small, it all has some benefit,” he commented. Cllr Wyer agreed that all the small steps would add up. “We can only encourage people to use a bike more or walk, we can all do something. We should do what we can when we can,” he said.

Cllr Downes pointed out: “Seventy years ago there was no plastic. We have created this problem.”

When Cllr Jim Cairney asked if the town council could have someone check through black bags for identification he was told no, it was the law. However, there was a wonder whether, as the district council had also declared a climate emergency, this law might change.

However, Cllr Tim Matthews did not like the idea of officers checking through householders bins. He wondered if pollution was being confused with climate change.

Cllr Downes pointed out that electricity was used in creating plastic and in disposing of it which was not at all environmental.

When Cllr Wyer asked how residents might be encouraged to do more, Cllr John Ross suggested the town council looked at itself, checking its own carbon footprint because it did not run any vehicles, it owned a park, was looking at taking on more premises and a toilet block. It could look at installing solar panels.

It was agreed a first step would be to set up the sub committee, probably to include interested members of the public.

HEART GROUP

Speaking for the Crediton Heart Project were its chairman Rosemary Stephenson and treasurer Dennis Mardon.

Rosemary said that the Project had distributed 5,000 leaflets around the town and area as well as having a questionnaire, responses to which were coming in.

The Heart Project was set up last year by volunteers, the Crediton Town Team, as a not-for-profit organisation working to “promote and support the town’s vibrant arts scene” and much more.

“We are in the middle of a big public consultation and we want people in the town and villages to hear about it,” Rosemary said.

With the town expanding, members feared it could become a dormitory for Exeter and, although the town had a lot of different groups, the Project felt it needed more space to develop its work.

For various reasons a number of groups, including the town council, had lost the buildings they had used.

“Maybe we need a new building or to convert or develop what we have,” said Rosemary.

NEED YOUR VIEWS

A community website was being developed, maybe there could be a central booking service, ticketing services and more if a new venue was created, but they needed people to respond to their questionnaire, either on-line or the paper copy available in shops and other premises in the town.

“Once you have filled it in, tell other people about it,” Rosemary said. “We are hearing from teenagers that they want more happening in the town.

“I have come to implore you to really spread the word. There are collection boxes for the questionnaire around the town, if you are on ‘Facebook’, do tell us what you think and if you think it is a bad idea, do say.”

Rosemary added that whatever was developed would have to be self-supporting, it could not rely on grants etc.

Dennis added: “We really want the views of everyone before we say that this is what the Project is trying to deliver.”

Rosemary added that they were looking at similar projects in other places.

“We need to solve a problem here that no-one else has had. It would not be possible to please everyone,” she said. Dennis added that all over the country with several in the South West, Hubs had been developed, meeting the needs of the community.

The website is: www.creditonheart.org and you can email feedback at: [email protected] .