Climate Change

Prudhoe Town Council and Prudhoe Community Partnership: Working together for our environment.

The natural resources of the Tyne valley, its fertile land, the River Tyne, and its coal reserves, are the foundations upon which Prudhoe was built. The people of Prudhoe and Prudhoe Town Council (PTC) are rightly proud of that heritage and of the beauty and richness of the natural environment.   Prudhoe Town Council has worked effectively for many years to protect, enhance our natural environment so that everyone can enjoy it.

While Prudhoe is a relatively small town, we have an important part to play in the protection of the natural environment and addressing the challenges presented by climate change and the threat to biodiversity.  ‘Climate change’ refers to the trend of global warming caused by the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. There is broad scientific consensus that human impact has increased this warming trend considerably.   The ow4rk biodiversity is an abbreviation of biological diversity.  This refers to the variety of all living things and their interactions and interdependencies.

In October 2023 Prudhoe Town Council and the Prudhoe Community Partnership (PCP) agreed to work together to meet these challenges.  It is important, therefore, that we recognise the threat to our environment and make clear our intention to work positively with community groups, specifically Prudhoe Community Partnership (PCP), residents, schools, health providers, universities, and businesses in the development and implementation of a plan of action to protect our environment, reduce carbon emissions and pollution.   The aim of the Climate Change and Bio-diversity Action Plan is to enable the people of Prudhoe to share in the many benefits of a clean, safe, and sustainable environment now and in the future.

To progress effective collaboration and to develop an action plan to support our environment and to tackle climate change the Prudhoe Town council agreed to recognise a climate emergency and by doing so raise awareness and build support for action to protect our environment.  This is advised as step one in the NCC Climate Change Toolkit for Town and Parish Councils(enclosed): https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/NorthumberlandCountyCouncil/media/News/2022/April/Northumberland-Town-and-Parish-Council-Climate-Change-Toolkit.pdf

 

The Town Council recognises its own role may well be small but is looking to work practically with major partners and organisations towards the future. The full motion proposed by Cllr. Carol Stephenson and with majority agreement, sets out the Town Council intent to:

  • Recognise the global climate emergency and publicise this to the people of Prudhoe, and surrounding area, in order to raise awareness and build support in taking action,
  • Work with regional Universities to measure and understand the town’s carbon footprint to inform a series of achievable actions the town council, together with others, can take to address this emergency,
  • Embrace the Green Industrial Revolution and work with local, regional and national bodies to ensure Prudhoe can benefit from the jobs created,
  • Call on Northumberland County Council and central government to look to provide the powers, resources and directives to make Prudhoe carbon neutral,
  • Commit to reviewing all spending to ensure the council’s carbon footprint is taken into account,
  • Positively work towards carbon neutrality by balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal or, where possible by looking to eliminate carbon emissions altogether.
  • Work with local schools and youth groups, to engage with young people to develop ideas to make Prudhoe a carbon neutral town.
  • Look at the establishment of a forum including businesses, local organisations and residents to examine and develop ideas to make the town carbon neutral.

A group of Prudhoe Town Councillors agreed to work with the Prudhoe Community Partnership and other partners to develop and implement the Climate Change and Biodiversity Action Plan for Prudhoe and Prudhoe Biodiversity Plan.  This group will provide regular updates to the PTC and bring proposals for action to the PTC. This is advised as step two in the NCC Toolkit.