Renewed commitment and support for Transition Marlborough and its projects has come from Marlborough town council following a detailed report presented to the council at its last meeting.
An update of the group’s work carried out by volunteers has been given in a report to councillors by Dr Sam Page, who chairs Transition Marlborough, a group formed by concerned local residents in September 2011.
Their aim is to “address the rising costs of fuel, energy and food” and the group has already been given financial assistance by the town council towards the running costs of the Communities Market events held on Sundays.
“Since then we have been working with local and county councillors on several projects that will help to improve the self-reliance of our town and help Wiltshire to meet its carbon reduction targets, its renewable energy targets, its vehicle emission targets and its waste reduction targets,” said the report.
“Councils who do not reach these targets may be fined and such fines are inevitably passed onto council tax payers. It is therefore in all our interests to work together in order to ensure that Marlborough plays its part.”
Transition Marlborough’s cycling group is currently working with the Marlborough Area Board and Wiltshire Council to improve the provision of safer cycle paths around Marlborough.
“This will improve the health of our children and reduce car use, in line with Wiltshire’s pro-cycling poicy,” the report pointed out.
“Fuel poverty is another issuer highlight in the Marlborough Area Plan. Wiltshire Council estimates that more than 1,000 families in Marlborough are in fuel poverty. Many of these families live in old, poorly insulated houses and converted flats, use oil or night storage heaters for heating and are on low incomes.
“In order to address this problem we arranged a meeting with Claire Perry MP, who is also the government’s Green Deal Ambassador, to discuss how Marlborough’s residents can benefit from the new Green Deal.”
Councillor Stewart Dobson, told fellow councillors: “We share many of their concerns and objectives in creating a sustainable environment. We value their input and the help of all organisations in the town in making our decisions on behalf of all those we serve.
We look forward to discussing their projects on a case by case basis and, if we agree, will give them our full support.”
His motion was passed with one abstention.
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