Who We Are
Led by the County
Council, the Monmouthshire Environment Partnership Board brings together
representatives of the key organisations responsible for shaping and
delivering the environmental content of the county’s
Community Strategy.
The Board first met in
2004 and holds about four meetings a year. The member organisations
are Adventa (Supporting Community Enterprise), the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, the Countryside Council
for Wales, the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission, the Gwent
Wildlife Trust, Monmouthshire County Council (Countryside, Environmental
Health, Planning Policy, Sustainability, Transport, Waste, Tidy Local
Communities), Monmouthshire GreenWeb, the
Monmouthshire Waste Forum, SE Wales Energy Saving Trust,
and the Wye Valley AONB Committee. Other organisations are invited to
meetings when they will assist the business of the Board. Sub-groups,
often involving other organisations, are formed to pursue particular
tasks.
Our Chair is currently
Sue Mabberley of the Countryside Council for Wales, and Monmouthshire
GreenWeb is contracted to coordinate the work of the Board.
The Aims of the Board
(based on revised Terms of
Reference 2012)
-
To foster communication
between the relevant environmental organisations at a strategic level;
-
To encourage
cross-partnership working for the benefit of the
county;
-
To identify
environmental issues and to make proposals for action;
-
To contribute to the
county's statutory plans ensuring that environmental issues are fully
considered;
-
To monitor performance;
-
To provide leadership and
support to the Board's Action Plan sub-groups;
-
To respond to relevant
consultations;
-
To raise awareness of the
Board's work and concerns, with opportunities for local environmental
groups to contribute to its priorities.
Reaching the Community
No wider Environment
Partnership has yet been formally established but the Board is aware of
the county’s many other community environmental groups. We keep in touch
with them via our member organisations and other forums, using GreenWeb
and press releases as a means of communication, and arranging occasional
events and an annual conference open to all.
Notes of the Board’s
meetings since 2007 can be found by clicking
here.
Reports on Board
workshops held in
April 2006
(starting a review of the Community Strategy),
March 2007 (focusing on Waste and
Energy projects) and
April 2008 (on the draft Community Strategy) can be found by clicking
on the relevant months. A report is also available on a Waste Forum in
July 2009.
Environmental Priorities for
Monmouthshire
The Board has adopted a
report entitled
'Environmental
Objectives and Action Plan 2009/10'
which summarises the main objectives of organisations engaged in the
protection and enhancement of the Monmouthshire environment, together with
the Board's own Action Plan.
Our Key Action Areas
The Board's Action Plan
includes projects in the following areas has identified five key project
areas:
-
Energy;
-
Waste;
-
Education
for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship;
-
Landscape-scale Biodiversity and Land Management;
-
Movement of Goods and People;
-
Involved and Active.
Board members or
sub-groups are following up these topics.
Our Green Energy Area
at the Monmouthshire Show
In 2007 and 2008 the
Board, with support from other bodies, has mounted a successful Green
Energy Area at the Monmouthshire Show. In 2008 a small marquee
contained exhibits from a range of local and national organisations
providing information and advice on
energy conservation, green transport and climate change campaigns. An
outside area was taken over by 4 renewable energy businesses, providing
information and advice on various technologies including solar panels,
ground source heat pumps, hydro and wind power. A new feature for 2008
was the Company of Cyclists providing around 30 different types of bikes
for people to try out free of charge around a large open ring.
Feedback on the area was again good, with many of the businesses present
reporting lots of interest in their products, and a steady flow of
visitors coming to find out more about energy saving, bus travel and car
sharing.
Page updated 27th July 2009. |
