Bishop’s Stortford Town Council has been urged to press ahead with its green agenda – and back pedal and plant power.
At the latest meeting of its environment and public amenities committee, two campaign groups urged the council to continue fighting climate change.
Louise Tennekoon, the Indie’s GreenWatch correspondent, spoke to members on behalf of the Bishop’s Stortford Climate Group and hit out at Hertfordshire County Council’s record on delivering facilities for cyclists.
The town council has been trying to set up new routes in the town but has been stonewalled by the highways authority. Louise urged the committee to keep pushing for progress.
She said: “We very much support the work done by the town council to develop and agree a walking and cycling strategy, to fund more cycle parking in the town and to commission design work for priority cycle routes.
“We’re hopeful the town council’s engagement with East Herts Council will at least deliver a shared cycle path from Castle Park to the northern end of Rye Street.
“However, we remain deeply frustrated by the continued lack of support from the county highways department, whose inaction has prevented the town council from delivering any other part of the walking and cycling strategy, despite potentially having funding available for these schemes.
“We will continue to campaign for cycle routes in our town. There are many people in our community who want to cycle – and to enjoy the environmental, health and wellbeing benefits that come with it – but don’t because they don’t feel safe on the roads. We believe they deserve the infrastructure to cycle safely.”
Louise said that the climate group would work with the town council to ensure Herts highways made “cycle routes a reality” and won a commitment from Liberal Democrat town councillor Cllr Calvin Horner, who also represents Bishop’s Stortford East on the county council, to press for action at County Hall.
Andrew Urquhart asked for the committee’s support in establishing a community orchard on town council land at Jenkins Lane, off Hallingbury Road.
Mr Urquhart told members planting around 100 trees at the site could increase biodiversity, help to address climate change, decrease food miles and increase community cohesion.
Cllr Jill Sortwell was one of the committee who supported his proposals, saying the orchard would be a legacy for the town council.
The council’s finance and policy committee must now consider the scheme because the orchard could affect the value of the land.
As part of its green agenda, the council has double-glazed its offices in Windhill, switched to low-energy lighting, transferred to a 100% renewable electricity supplier, bought an electric van and bicycle, and replaced electric storage heaters at the Tourist Information Centre in Market Square.
It has also implemented measures at the Castle Park splash pool to reduce energy consumption, converted the heating at Bishop’s Park Community Centre from gas to electric air-source heat pump and stipulated this greener system should be used at Castle Park’s planned new buildings.
An insulation project at the Old Monastery has so far been blocked by concerns from East Herts Council’s conservation officer.
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