The Town Council has declared a Climate Emergency on behalf of the town.
At its Full Council meeting on Thursday 20th August, Seaford Town Council resolved to declare a Climate Emergency in order to identify this Town Council's recognition of the climate and environment crisis facing the world.
At an earlier meeting held in 2019, the Town Council created a Climate Change Working Party (CCWP) consisting of Town Councillors. CCWP was tasked with considering the climate change situation in Seaford and bringing forward recommendations for climate change actions/amelioration measures. CCWP presented a detailed report to Full Council on 20th August.
The CCWP’s report recommended that the Town Council declare a Climate Emergency and highlighted key areas and ideas to support climate change in Seaford. Although the Town Council is currently unable to start any new projects until more is known about the direction of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Town Council’s recovery, the Town Council declaring a Climate Emergency is the first step towards supporting Seaford in raising awareness and making necessary changes.
As soon as it is able, the Town Council will be reviewing its Strategic Objectives which form the skeleton of the Town Council’s plans over the coming years. When declaring the Climate Emergency, the Town Council agreed to create a Climate Change specific Strategic Objective as part of this review where it hopes to include actions which will support the town in being more sustainable, environmentally aware and energy efficient.
Until then, the CCWP will continue to research and work with community groups to prepare actions for this Strategic Objective ready for consideration and adoption by the Town Council.
Cllr Meek, Chair of the CCWP has said: “The CCWP is delighted that councillors unanimously voted for this declaration and I would like to thank my fellow councillors on the Working Party who put a lot of work and consultation into the report. There are voluntary groups forming in the town keen to work towards a sustainable future, such as SEA (the Seaford Environmental Alliance) and the Seaford Community Partnership linking with Martello Rotary Seaford to address resilience, and it is so important that Seaford Town Council and the community come together with these groups so that as a town we can do whatever we can to help solve this world situation which will affect us all.”