A Rocha Report: The world is in a very different place since COP26 in November 2021 when countries last came together to negotiate the global response to the climate crisis. Against a background of the war in Ukraine, the energy and cost of living crises and instability in UK politics tackling the climate crisis is […]
What Putin’s war means for net zero
Germany has fired up nuclear power stations; China has leaned on coal; gas exports from Qatar are booming. The war in Ukraine is reshaping the flow of energy around the world. But what does it mean for the transition to net zero? Overall, emissions have grown more slowly than expected this year, according to the […]
House of Lords Environmental Report
KEY Messages in the House of Lords Environmental and Climate Change Committee Report – 12th Oct 2022 • Behaviour change is essential for achieving climate and environment goals, and for delivering wider benefits. • The Government’s current approach to enabling behaviour change to meet climate and environment goals is inadequate to meet the scale of […]
SODC Introducing More Efficient IT
SODC is transforming its operational side to tidy up and make more efficient it IT and interfaces between customers and officers. It should result in carbon savings in terms of a) enabling more home working and indeed reducing the numbers of staff needed b) reducing the use of paper c) reducing computer-server energy use.
SODC and Vale Oppose Enterprise Zones
At SODC, councillors are opposed to the new lawless enterprise zones and will not be seeking one for South Oxfordshire (or Vale of the White Horse).
Bathing water status is being sought at Wallingford Beach
Bathing water status is being sought at Wallingford Beach and up and down river along South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) land. There has been some misunderstanding with Wallingford Town Council (WTC) members that resulted in the possibility of two applications being put in to DEFRA. The two councils are working together to try to ensure […]
Oxfordshire Regional Nature Park
Bioabundance, a Community Interest Company in Oxfordshire, sees the creation of a regional Nature Park as a unique opportunity to secure big gains for nature and to pilot the countryside access and co-ordination of nature and landscape action that is needed to get the best out of our Countryside. The Park covers 113 km2 in […]
Rivers of Poo
The privatised water industry is dumping raw sewage into them, and the Environment Agency has not the resources to police these illegal actions. The House of Lords asked for an amendment to the Environment Bill to stop this practice, but Conservatives in Parliament turned it down. The Thames at Wallingford, and one of our own […]
Insane housing numbers!
Even more housing is dictated for Oxfordshire in its draft plan to 2050. We and others are joined calling for peer review of the insane housing numbers. https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19675254.calls-review-huge-county-development/?ref=ebln
Crumbling bridges
The 15th century Abingdon Bridge has a loose stone. It is unsafe. Repairs are underway and traffic has been reduced to one-way. The bridge has been taking too much traffic – and yet 3000 houses a mile down the road (and a further 1700 in Berinsfield at the other end of the road) are planned […]