Who we are

Cholsey Parish Council Working Group – Mark Gray, Ginnie Herbert, Johnny Hope-Smith and David Seed

Environmental Co-ordinator – Vicky Beardall – Richards

& YOU! Cholsey Community

Contact details –

• email: ec.cpc@outlook.com
• tel: 07547 704672

What we have been doing

At the beginning of 2020, a questionnaire was circulated to find out, as an individual, businesses or group, what you are already doing to reduce your impact on the environment, as well as your concerns about current environmental issues at a local level.  Importantly, the questionnaire  also gave people an opportunity to say how Cholsey could become more environmentally friendly, doing our bit in response to the climate emergency.  Coronavirus lockdown brought a temporary halt to proceedings but we are up and running again and from the results of the questionnaire six new working groups are starting.

Results of the questionnaire

• What are people already doing?
  • Many people are trying to reduce plastic and recycle
  • Many people are using their car less and trying to cycle, walk or use the train or bus and some are trying to fly less.
  • Planting trees or hedges and gardening for wildlife is a way that villagers support more wildlife in the village.
  • Many people are making changes to the food they choose to eat and buy

• Concerns?
  • The increasing amount of cars in the village and barriers to alternative forms of transport, such as safe cycle routes, meant that transport was high up on residents’ concerns for the village.
  • Lack of recycling infrastructure in the village and plastic packaging
  • Loss of green space and the management of existing green space
  • The unsustainability of the new housing

• Positive changes for the future?
  • Creation of more habitat for wildlife, including planting trees
  • Encouragement to reduce our reliance on cars
  • Reduce our waste and recycle more (wide range of ideas)
  • More availability of local food (wide range of ideas)
  • More education to help Cholsey villagers make informed choices
  • Supporting people to use greener energy

What next?

The next step is to form working groups that can take the ideas of the community forward.  To let everyone know, a leaflet is going out to all residents and businesses at the beginning of Nov. Would you be interested in being part of one of the following working groups?  The following working groups have been based on the results of the questionnaire as well as the particular interests of some residents.

Working Groups

Wildlife Group– work to improve the diversity of flora and fauna within the Parish of Cholsey, and increase the range and variety of habitats.  Work with existing local amateur and professional experts and with existing groups such as the Wallingford and Cholsey Tree Planting Group.

Transport Group – work to reduce the number of cars in Cholsey and increase the use of sustainable transport.

Waste Reduction Group – work to reduce waste such as plastic packaging and make recycling accessible for all.

Home Energy Group – work to help individual homes use less energy and as well as use sustainable forms of energy

Community Energy Group – – will look into the feasibility of creating a community project to supply renewable energy to power local buildings. Work in conjunction with Oxon Low Carbon Hub to see what is possible.

Food and Growing – work to help make sustainable food choices available to residents and to support the community to grow food within Cholsey. 

Other – are you interested in starting another

Competition for our name

Can you help us with our name. Enter our competition to choose a catchy name. See poster

Logo

We will soon have logo – watch this space

Useful Links

Interesting articles

https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/12951878/energy-sucking-appliances-cost-earth-to-run/