Revised advice on recycling
It has been decided that soft plastic bags from items such as frozen vegetables and bread can no longer be accepted for recycling because the quantities we are receiving are too great for us to transport to those larger supermarkets collection points for you. We will of course update you if this situation changes. If you can still wish to collect soft plastics, we ask that if you take them to a plastic bag recycling bin at larger supermarkets (such as Sainsbury‘s at Lyons Farm) when you are passing.
The exception to this is plastic carrier bags (from any shop) which can be reused locally. We suggest you take them to Budgen’s store where they can be put in new bins by the checkouts for reuse by shoppers who have forgotten to bring a bag with them.
Henfield Budgens will soon be changing to 100% compostable bags which can be safely put in your household waste or compost bin. The charge for these bags will be 20p. We understand that most supermarkets are in the process of changing over to similar bags at the same cost. It is great news that Budgens will be reducing the single-use plastic getting into the natural environment in future.
Councillors set to approve unique new partnership to protect the environment
At a Horsham District Council Cabinet Meeting on 28 November, councillors are set to approve a unique partnership between the Council and the Sussex Wildlife Trust. This will build on the close working relationship between the two organisations.
The aim of the partnership is to ensure that the District’s natural environment is protected and enhanced so that it remains an attractive place to live and work. It will work to reverse the decline in species and habitats across the District, as well as contribute to tackling and reducing the impacts of climate change.
The proposed five year partnership, if adopted, will:
• Help wildlife thrive across the Horsham District
• Create networks of land that are protected and enhanced for wildlife, allowing habitats to expand and species populations to increase, which will ensure that they are resilient to change
• Increase awareness of actions that communities can take to improve their local natural environment and the benefits that wildlife provides
• Maximise the opportunities from protecting and enhancing wildlife in tackling climate change and reduce the impacts of a changing climate.
The proposed partnership supports the Council’s recently published Corporate Plan for 2019 to 2023, which sets out one of its major ambitions to prioritise the protection of our environment as we move to a low carbon future.
In June 2019, the Council committed to reducing its carbon footprint and working towards the national target of becoming carbon neutral.
SH 2030 Join Steyning Climate Change March
Five hundred people took to the streets of Steyning on 20th September to join global protests calling for urgent climate action. Led by local school children, and backed by residents of all ages, it was the largest demonstration in Steyning for nearly forty years, bringing the High Street to a standstill.
“Don’t burn our future!” “There is no planet B!” “Act now or swim later!” These were just some of the messages captured in a whole series of colourful handmade posters made by the local Woodcraft Folk group, who organised the strike jointly with Greening Steyning.
Woodcraft member, Ursula, age 13, who led the march and introduced the speakers, summed up her feelings: “I think the Steyning march was great and showed the power of the community when we come together. I also think that the diversity of ages was amazing and it just goes to show that it isn’t just the next generation that’s worried, it’s everyone.”
Green corridor for bees on the Borrer Bank
Action took place up on Borrer Bank, opposite Nep Town Road, on Sunday 29 September when a group of SH2030 members led by Tony Baker supported Liz Taylor and other members of Henfield Garden Club, and Andrew Sharp of Henfield Conservation Volunteers, to plant 1000 bulbs (daffodils, crocuses and alliums) in less than an hour! The motivation behind planting the bulbs, other than to make Henfield more beautiful, was to help create a ‘bee corridor’, giving bees and other pollinators an uninterrupted route of suitable plants to pollinate, thus helping to sustain the environment.
Making Henfield Plastic Free
A new campaign is being planned to make a serious dent in the use of plastics – especially single-use plastics – in Henfield. SH2030 is teaming up with Surfers Against Sewage for this and will be working over 2020 to become a ‘Plastic Free Community’. We will be working with the Parish Council, the Henfield Community Partnership and many other organisations and local businesses to make this happen.
We will be launching the campaign on 20 November at the Haven at 7pm. Come and join us.
West Sussex local authorities agree to step up action on Climate Change
The UK government and many local authorities including Henfield, Horsham and West Sussex have declared a Climate Emergency.
There is a world wide initiative to promote faster action on the Climate and Nature Emergency. Worldwide, populations covered by jurisdictions that have declared a climate emergency amount to 161 million citizens, with 47 million of these living in the United Kingdom (Henfield included). This means in Britain now roughly 64 per cent of the population lives in areas that have declared a climate emergency. There is still much to do to persuade governments to act on the real emergency we are facing.
Our own county council has launched the West Sussex Climate Pledge. The pledge focuses on key steps that can be taken to limit the impact of carbon emissions by raising awareness in various areas and advise on actions relating to travel, water, plastics and food.
DIARY OF EVENTS
COVID-19 Notice
SH2030 has suspended all events which involve public gatherings. This includes all public meetings, recycling at the Henfield Haven and the campaign for a plastics free Henfield. We continue to carry out campaign work for climate change where this can be done by meeting the guidelines issued by our government which is carried out by on-line activity. As restrictions are eased we will commence activities that comply with any amended guidelines. Thank you for your support.
Planting at Borrer Bank
Henfield Summer Fayre 2019