You may have noticed that Whicham Parish Council (along with a lot of other parishes in Cumbria) has declared a climate emergency.
This really just means that we acknowledge that climate change is real, and we should do what we can to reduce its impact on our community now and for generations to come.
As a council we undertake to consider the carbon footprint of council activities and decisions. Our website is hosted using 100% renewable energy.
Two things we can make a start on in the community – WITH YOUR HELP – are energy efficiency and biodiversity.
We would like to think that all the homes in our parish are heated efficiently and are as well insulated as possible.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ADVERTS, or even had phone calls, about upgrading your boiler or insulation, installing solar panels etc. under a government grant scheme.
To get free, unbiased advice from people who know about the scheme but are not trying to sell you anything, contact CUMBRIA ACTION FOR SUSTAINABILITY (CAfS). www.cafs.org.uk
They run a service called ‘Cold to Cosy Homes’ and will tell you what grants or freebies you are entitled to.
THERE ARE SPECIAL GRANTS FOR THOSE IN HOMES NOT ON MAINS GAS, with solid walls.
You may be eligible for whole home insulation – loft, walls, underfloor, a renewable energy heating system and solar panels – FREE
You could qualify if anyone in the household gets one of the following benefits –
– Child Tax Credit
– Universal Credit
– Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance
– Income Related Employment & Support Allowance
– Income Support
– Pension Guarantee Credit
– Working Tax Credit
– Housing Benefit
– Pension Savings Credit
OR Homes can also qualify WITHOUT BENEFITS if a household member has one of the following conditions: cardiovascular, respiratory disease, limited mobility or immunosuppression, as verified by a GP,
OR if the household’s income is under £31,000.
You could also look at Find energy grants for your home (Help to Heat) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
It’s well worth checking out what you are entitled to, for your bank balance, your comfort and the future.
A healthy natural environment, supporting as many species as possible, absorbs and holds more carbon than a sterile, manicured environment with non-native species.
To increase biodiversity in the parish, the council is looking at planting trees and creating areas of wild flowers. All will be native species suitable for our area.
The council has some money set aside for the creation of wild flower areas.
This will involve removing existing grass and topsoil, and community involvement including planting, weeding, cutting and raking at the right moments!
We have looked at what has been done in other parishes and talked to those who have run similar projects.
We plan to make a start at the junction of Main Street and the main road, on the Murthwaite Green corner. We will be planting pollinator plants (not a ‘meadow’) in this area.
We will also be planting suitable wildflowers at the back of the beach carpark to create a species rich buffer zone between the carpark extension and the adjacent SSSI.
If you have ideas for other areas which would benefit from more wildflowers, please let us know.
