Sustainable Thornbury Supper and Conversation Event
Sustainable Thornbury and others met on 20th October 2008 to discuss “How might it be possible for the citizens of Thornbury and surrounding villages to have an improved quality of life as fuel becomes more scarce?” Below are the full answers people wrote down at the event.
Quality of Life?
The question assumes a better quality of life is possible/desirable. Was it better in the '50s when people knew their neighbours better, worked more locally and grew more of their own food?
BUT – now there is less land available for more people.
Don’t know HOW the climate is going to change – hotter? Colder? Wetter?
Travel and transport
Imp increase cycling, especially for short journeys. If cycled more would need to spend less time at the gym.
Need better facilities at work for cyclists. Conflict with pedestrians.
Walking to school. Less school traffic wd help.
Cars – we like them. Security, pile everything in but about 45p a mile. If reduce car use – less pollution and less space for roads means more for open spaces/growing food etc.
Car free high street; Charge for car parking.
Delivery people for those without own cars.
More regular buses, more convenient routes, especially bringing people in from villages. And cheaper/free.
People going back and forth a lot (employment or schooling?).
Fly less.
Food
More local – as with Fife, Todmarton; Be aware of food miles and eat what is in season. Not imports.
Change eating habits.
Challenge of preparing food for small families – community kitchen.
Allotment campaign
Difficult to answer the question with regard to wine – can we do without it?
Shopping
For large goods – require car – but could use delivery services
Use the High Street and other local facilities more. Need for more ideas to develop local shopping area and get it used more.
Thornbury has potential to be market town.
Bring produce to people. On-line hot-seated shopping barn?
Group purchasing power.
Housing
Better insulation - better wellbeing at home. Problem, especially with old buildings, is efficiency vs. conservation.
New buildings with insulated panels pre-assembled in factory.
Solar panels.
(Still erecting houses with inadequate insulation/solar water).
Community
Problems of ‘North Bristol fringe’, reduces soul/heart of community (e.g. shipping children back and forth for school, children from Bristol coming in (suggestion that catchment areas come back in); shopping Tesco vs Mall.
Inclusivity/fragmentation
Could get to know neighbours better.
Possibly families will be less scattered, more extended.
People like living in Thornbury – older people stay put in big houses, makes it more difficult for young people/families to be able to buy affordable homes.
Increase homeworking, even if only some days (not possible for all office occupations). Req high technology for better e-communication –. Campaign for 100Mb broadband. This should benefit the whole community not just businesses.
Serviced offices for homeworkers – helps to meet others (and reduces individual costs, duplication of facilities). (Perhaps more isolation but could mean talk with neighbours more).
Need for more entertainment in town.
Need to ‘rebuild’ our history.
People taking back power – developing local initiatives.e.g. plastic bags, responding to challenge to adapt.
Guerrilla gardening could occur around here (as in London etc - http://www.guerrillagardening.org/)?
Full time radio station.
Health
Need to get/keep fitter.
Problem that because hospitals and specialist services/centres are scattered people using them usually need to travel by car.
People cleaner than used to be – washing increase water use and detergents, skin problems, use of chemicals and creams. (Nappy debate – non-disposables use a lot of energy washing and drying).
Resilience
What is meant by resilience? – embracing change, pro-active, with our feet on the ground. Need to be informed in order to make choices. Some will be inspired by change but others don’t like it. How to be positive rather than fearful? Dissemination so that all know what is going on.
Is change good or bad? Less dependent on world systems – banks, food - LETS (Local Exchange Trading Systems or Schemes – “local community-based mutual aid networks in which people exchange all kinds of goods and services with one another, without the need for money” see http://www.letslinkuk.net/).
Requires community because then people can talk and work together. (Homeworkers’ offices/barns again mentioned – gather around coffee machine/water cooler/photo-copier).
Paradox – personal power/community (corporate) – pool of talents. A few are active, majority not.
Imp of local media e.g. Thornbury magazine. Thornbury FM – gives us a voice.
Vision – what can we do? “This is where we are going.”
Politics – tendency to swing back and forth – today not tomorrow, concern re what will garner votes.
People won’t change unless forced to.
Pedestrianisation of High Street – traders possibly initially resistant but eventually benefit.
Need more affordable housing. Where?
Inventions not used because bought up.
No more making quick bucks.
More trees, more productive land, more allotments. Less commercialisation. Reduction in use of out of town shops.
Cost of fuels and concern re CO2– electric cars.
Car sharing schemes developed, companies putting on buses (they used to before post people owned cars).
Difficulties for elderly – large numbers in the area. Isolation. Helped by community buses (Mike’s travel/S Glos Council).
Tendency to demonise authority.
Problem of crime but dislike of CCTV – ‘police state’.
Does Thornbury need a night club?
Comments made that people may not mix much in current work situations, and when they get home they are too tired to do much but put feet up in front of TV, and spend w/e shopping and doing DIY. City living more efficient – flats easier to heat, people can live and work and shop locally.
