HELD AT THE CORN EXCHANGE, DORCHESTER
Transition Town Dorchester and Local Works jointly organised a Dorset wide public meeting where the nuts & bolts of this new Act was discussed - with an amazing turnout the venue was tested at maximum capacity!...
...local people aired their own personal experiences and asked some very important & fundamental questions on how the act might help eg, concerns with pub closures, planning problems & self-build opportunities, etc.
John Holman from our local Farm Radio recorded the event
(thanks John); & his recording of the evening can be heard by...clicking here
Speakers were:
Oliver Letwin (MP for West Dorset)
Robert Gould (Leader of West Dorset District Council WDDC)
Ron Bailey (Local Works director)
Alistair Chisholm (Dorchester and champion Town Crier chaired the meeting)
Andy McKee (local environmentalist, writer and author)
This new Act has got the potential to provide real power for local people to demand autonomous choices from central Government and also the funding to make these choices work. It is a groundbreaking piece of legislation that aims to give local people the power to change laws within their communities to encourage sustainable living
The Ecologist Magazine has just published a great article on the Act here: www.theecologist.org
Find out more from Local Works who are the group that has secured this legislation here: www.localworks.org
There was a well attended public meeting about three years ago in Bridport to promote the idea with a panel including Oliver Letwin and Hugh Fernley Whittingstall.
Local Works have done a tremendous job getting this legislation passed - Transition Town Dorchester is bringing you this knowledge to promote a local Sustainable Community.
Download the Sustainable Communities Act flyer for this meeting by clicking here: SCA_Flyer.pdf (212kb)
Download the briefing document for local councillors by clicking here: SCA_Councillors_Briefing.pdf (98kb)
Download a guide to the Sustainable Communities Act by clicking here: Sustainable_Communities_Act_guide.pdf (1.5MB)
a point of view from me...
In terms of Transition The Sustainable Communities Act does have the potential to be a useful tool (but no practical examples are under way yet)... still, we don't need to sit around with idle hands!...through Transition you are already welcome and we hope inspired to get involved in the practical & empowering aspects of building our local sustainable future. Why wait?
If you live in the Dorchester and surrounding area you can get involved here , if you live further away there may already be a Transition area near you?... click here for a this list of sustainability organisations in Dorset.
If you are struggling to find something in your area...perhaps you are the person to start up the next Transition Initiative?
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