Agenda item

Speakers – Trevor Brawn/ Vicki Mistry

Trevor Brawn from Sustainable Chesham provided an update on projects and initiatives, further information was appended to these minutes.

The following points were highlighted:

• The Repair Café Chesham successfully hosted twelve events with 232 items checked and 154 successfully repaired. The café took place the last Saturday of each month and hosted a variety of repairers with different skills. Alongside the repair café local produce was avaliable. The Community Board funded the café to purchase a portable appliance testing kit as half of the items brought to the café were electronics. The next event would be held on 26^th November at Chesham Town Hall from 10am-1pm.
• The Zone 9 Cycling Group were highlighting safer cycling in an attempt to encourage new cyclists, promote better health and reduce pollution. The aim was to make Chesham a location hub for walking, e-bikes and cycling whilst being wheelchair friendly.
• A sustainable fashion kids Swish event would be held in the new year at Chesham Town Hall. The free event would allow attendees to bring up to five items of clothing aged 3-12 in exchange for five items to take away.
• Sustainable Chesham was working with Chesham Town Council to increase biodiversity across the community. Wildflowers had been planted in the Meadows, Berkhamsted playing fields and Co-op fields. The team were also developing relationships with local schools in an effort to improve field management. There were 875 trees planted in the last year and more would be planted in the new year. The community orchard in Lowndes Park which produced local varieties of produce was sponsored by local community groups. Residents were advised how to leave more space in their gardens to promote wildlife.
• The leaking homes roadshow in conjunction with Bucks Community Energy would be launched this winter to educate residents how to save energy in their homes. Sustainable Chesham secured £1700 funding from the Community Board in February which was used to purchase thermal imaging cameras, training and implementation of energy surveys for households. The scheme would be rolled out this November and for a fee of £20 residents would receive a report to show where the greatest heat loss in the property occurred and how to reduce this.
• The group had taken part in community assemblies to promote better communication between local groups and to discuss how to promote water supply, reduce pollution and carbon footprints. There had been good progress on reducing dependence on cars, stopping the decline of local wildlife, how to source food locally and residential developments. 
• A new initiative and strategy would be developed with other local groups to try and eradicate plastic bags from Chesham.
• Sustainable Chesham had a stall at the Chesham produce market which was useful to find out residents’ environmental concerns and activities.

The Chair commended the wide range of projects Sustainable Chesham had successfully achieved and highlighted these initiatives were also relevant to the villages surrounding Chesham.

A member of the Board queried if safer cycling around St Marys Way, Chesham had been considered. It was highlighted the road could be a danger area for cyclists with limited space for cyclists and two lanes for vehicles. It was confirmed the new infrastructure plan for the town and neighbourhood plan would look into these issues and seek to provide safer and better opportunities for cyclists.

A member of the Board asked if electric scooters had been considered for the Chesham area as they had been introduced in other local towns. Whilst Sustainable Chesham had not considered this they could be introduced after an assessment of the area.

Further information for residents to register for the leaky homes survey were appended to these minutes.