Core Strategy Consultation on Strategy Directions 2008

Object

Representation ID: 19381

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

There are a range of urgent environmental challenges facing the district. They deserve to be listed in the preamble of the Strategy.
Uncertainty of energy supply: this can be addressed by new development.
Food security: This can be addressed by encouraging local food production facilities and local distribution
Waste and recycling: The District should acknowledge that it is right to encourage the development of local facilities for the recovery and recycling of waste, both domestic and commercial. The principal of handling waste locally should be accepted.
Water shortages: Rainfall per head is very low and reservoirs limited. Water conservation measures should be required in new developments.

Object

Representation ID: 19382

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

There is a mention of a "local commitment to a more sustainable future" in paragraph four.
This appears as a sub-clause of a paragraph that begins by addressing nature conservation.
The commitment to sustainability deserves a paragraph of its own.

It is an over-arching principal of the Strategy that Rother should become a more sustainable place: reducing its dependence on fossil fuels, and its ecological impact - both locally and globally.

The vision for Rye should include that it develops its role as one of the most important destinations for Sustainable Tourism.

Object

Representation ID: 19383

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

Encourage self sufficiency and healthy lifestyles by ensuring residents have convenient access to land for the growing of fruit and vegetables and the composting of food waste and if necessary provide allotments for those without gardens.

Object

Representation ID: 19384

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

Ensure that development contributes to the community's resilience to the impacts of climate change and the addresses their need for security of supply of food, energy and water.

Object

Representation ID: 19385

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

Development levels. These will need to be downgraded to reflect current conditions

Object

Representation ID: 19386

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

Strongly disagree that appropriate growth in Rother is dependent on the construction of the BHLR. The Highways Agency should not be accorded the status of final arbiter of what development can take place. Employment and housing can be constructed in Rother and continue to be served by improved public transport and much less damaging road infrastructure

Comment

Representation ID: 19387

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

We endorse the support for local agriculture.
B(i) To the list of local agricultural enterprises could be added food processing facilities and small abattoirs. The contribution local food production makes to "food security" should be mentioned.
Support should be given to renewable energy facilities and measures to conserve water.
(c) Development in the Countryside should take full advantage of the rural location for renewable energy technologies (ground source heat pumps etc) and rainwater harvesting.

Comment

Representation ID: 19388

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

Support more emphasis on "green tourism"

Suggest the main mechanism could be a new "Green Tourism" / "Sustainable Tourism" Strategy to be prepared in consultation with, amongst others, local farmers, environmental groups, and accommodation and catering providers.

Comment

Representation ID: 19389

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

See comment on Box 1
The emphasis on conservation of landscape, heritage and biodiversity misses the point about the key environmental concerns.
The urgent need to reduce CO2 and impact on natural resources justifies an active encouragement of development that helps achieve this. In particular schemes that reduce the need for car travel, provide local food and local renewable energy, reduce waste and assist the local recycling and recovery of waste and reduce water use are all priorities.
These issues are referred to in other parts of the document but deserve to head up the chapter on the environment as they are key to a concerted and meaningful environmental approach.

Object

Representation ID: 19390

Received: 29/01/2009

Respondent: Rother Environmental Group

When reviewing the environmental options for Rother a list of the natural assets of our local environment should be included. This includes the fact that this sunny southern coastal region is especially suitable for solar power. There are also thousands of hectares of poorly managed woodlands, in particular chestnut coppice, that could provide fuel and, by being actively managed, benefit biodiversity. ( this is mentioned in para 9.69 on page 80 but deserves another mention here)