Sustainability isn't anything to do with doom or gloom - it's about living!

A group of us has grown tired of the negative portrayal of 'Sustainability' - sandals, whole nuts and mucky mulches in the garden -that we have banded together to create the Congleton Sustainability Group, part of Congleton Partnership.

It has been formed by people interested in finding lots of good, practical, sensible community opportunities to address the impact of Climate Change on Congleton. If you are interested in joining us, contact Peter Aston at peteraston@btinternet.com

We are supporting a number of current initiatives and want to integrate them in our work towards making the Town a ‘Transition Town’, joining more than 50 other towns in the UK, planning for a low carbon future.

	Consuming a high proportion of locally produced food is a simple approach we can all take. And there is a wealth of delicious food produced locally.

Such things as:

• Growing more food locally;
• Providing people with help to improve their property to become more energy efficient;
• Using the River Dane to generate electricity;
• Challenging future building developments in the Town to be energy efficient;
• Celebrating the excellent work already started by the Eco Schools initiatives in the Town by educating all our children. Currently our 7 primary schools have reached the silver level, with Marlfields and St Mary’s RC attaining Green Flag status;
• Making walking and cycling pleasant around the Town. Congleton’s Cycling Campaign is working to improve cycling in and around Congleton for workers, shoppers and school children alike;
• Dane Housing is already installing new technology in their properties: 12 ground source heat pumps, 7 air source heat pumps and 2 domestic solar water heating systems.

We are supporting the Town Council in signing the Nottingham Declaration this autumn.

The Nottingham Declaration, administered by the Energy Savings Trust, commits the Council to help communities to become more resilient to more extreme weather events and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their own buildings, services and the community.

There - no sandals in sight!