What is “Local Agenda 21”?
Local Agenda 21 is an opportunity to improve everyone's quality of life. It emerged from the Earth Summit held in Rio in 1992 where over 170 world nations signed up to a voluntary agreement called Agenda 21. This was made up of numerous chapters each detailing the role that different parts of society should play. Each local authority has been asked to prepare a Local Agenda 21 Strategy by 2000 to encourage communities in their area to think locally, act globally.
What is “Sustainable Development”?
The term sustainable development is often used to describe what it is that Local Agenda 21 is trying to achieve. This is to balance economic growth with social and environmental considerations. This is to ensure that activities carried out now do not compromise future generations’ ability to have a good quality of life.
Why is it important to me?
The problems that are highlighted through the media such as climate change and deforestation can seem overwhelming and remote from everyday life. However, unchecked, these problems will affect everyone around the globe. The aim of Local Agenda 21 is to encourage people to think about what small actions they can do locally in their own homes and lives to have a wider impact across the globe. Everyone a part to play in making progress toward sustainable development. It cannot be achieved by any one sector of society alone and it requires everyone to “do their bit” in their lives.
What is being done in Cheshire?
Cheshire has been developing it's Local Agenda 21 programme since 1994. Both Cheshire County Council and the six district authorities in Cheshire have all developed Local Agenda 21 Plans. Cheshire County Council invited over 40 representatives from public, private and community organisations to develop a county-wide plan. This partnership is called the Sustainable Cheshire Forum. Cheshire's Agenda 21 Strategy and Action Plan was launched in 1996. Smaller topic groups within the forum were established to focus on particular issues within the overall strategy.
Each group is chaired by a representative from an independent organisation and facilitated by a member of staff in the County Council. Each group developed Action Plans to focus on these issues and help deliver Cheshire's Agenda 21 Strategy. These action plans have short, medium and long term targets and are reviewed annually by the Sustainable Cheshire Forum. Progress against key indicators is published annually in Cheshire's Check Up, made available through Cheshire's libraries and on the internet.
Who’s involved?
The Sustainable Cheshire Forum is made up of representatives from private businesses such as Manchester Airport, Scottish Power and United Utilities, public services such as the fire, police and health authorities, voluntary organisations such as British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV), Cheshire Landscape Trust and Cheshire Wildlife Trust, community organisations such as Cheshire’s Association of Town and Parish Councils, Cheshire Community Council and Cheshire Federation of Women’s Institutes. In addition, higher education establishments, district authorities and government agencies are all represented.
How does this fit in with Cheshire’s Community Strategy programme?
The Local Government Act 2000 has formally required all local authorities to work in partnership with other public, private and voluntary sector bodies to produce community plans that promotes economic, social and environmental well-being in their area. Since March 2001 a wide range of organisations (The Cheshire Partnership) has been working together to produce Cheshire’s Community Strategy which was launched in February 2002.
This work builds upon the success of Cheshire’s Agenda 21 programme and the Sustainable Cheshire Forum. These programmes remain to act as a focus for environmental issues in Cheshire, and to help promote the links to social and economic benefits from environmental work.
The Community Strategy will focus on issues requiring a county wide or cross-district response or where a co-ordinated approach can reduce duplication of effort or save resources. Complementary work is also being undertaken for each district to develop Community Plans that identify more specific local priorities and actions.
For further information please contact John Eley on 01244 603334, or visit The Cheshire Partnership.
What sort of “Local Agenda 21” projects are you actually doing?
New projects are developed constantly. Some projects which Cheshire’s Agenda 21 programme has been involved with recently include;
- the establishment of Cheshire’s Real Nappy Network, to promote alternatives to the use of disposable nappies
- the production of a set of Biodiversity Recording Cards (adobe file) to promote awareness and increase recordings of Biodiversity Action Plan Species in Cheshire
- the production of a Faith In Action (adobe file) Leaflet, to engage with religious communities in how their parish can “do their bit”
In addition, a number of initiatives are on-going, such as the Eco Audit 21 , Eco Schools and Life EcoNet projects.
Future projects include an updated State of the Environment Report for 2002, a revised Local Agenda 21 Strategy and Action Plans for 2002 and a guide to Education for Sustainable Development in Cheshire schools.
What is Cheshire County Council doing?
As part of Cheshire’s Agenda 21 programme, Cheshire County Council aims to lead by example and get it’s “own house in order”. This is centred around our own environmental management programme. There are two members of staff dedicated to this within the authority. Also see Eco.
What can I do?
There are numerous organisations which you can join, become a member of or contact to either support environmental issues, carry out local environmental projects or initiate your own project in your area. Click here (link contact organisations) for a list of contact organisations.
Where can I find out more information?
These pages contain some information on our Local Agenda 21, and each of district councils have their own pages too. Click here (link district la21 contacts) for details of District Council contacts in your area. In addition, visit the Sustainable Cheshire Forum website for more information. Alternatively, contact Michele Burrow (Environmental Co-ordinator) on 01244 603125.
|