PEOPLE in Wellington had the chance to air their views about climate change and other issues with authority officers at the Quaker Meeting House in High Street on Thursday.

Somerset West and Taunton Council is committed to creating a more sustainable future for everyone, putting climate and environmental responsibility at the heart of everything it does.

The council has demonstrated its commitment by declaring a Climate Emergency and is working towards achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience by 2030.

As part of the process to develop an engaging and inclusive district-wide plan, SW and T Council would like to hear from individuals, businesses and groups about climate and sustainability issues that are important to them.

Cllir Peter Pilkington, Executive Member for Climate Change, said: “We aim to use all our powers to action, enable and support everyone to work towards achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience by 2030.

“However, we won’t be truly effective if we don’t create something that we all feel involved with and that will inspire each of us to take action.

“SWT is keen to ensure any future strategy has the widest possible ownership and involvement so we want to hear your views on what the issues are and how we can solve them.”

Last Thursday’s event at Wellington enabled the public to find out more about the challenges around climate change and potential issues the council has identified going forwards. There will be a series of informal consultation events.

The Mayor of Wellington Janet Lloyd stressed that such events involved more than just climate change. “It is what we as a community think about everything that concerns us, what we want Wellington to look like and achieve, whether it is a railway station, do something with Fox’s Mill, the conservation of Cornhill, etc., etc.,” She said. “How do we want to see Wellington in the future?”

Footnote: While welcoming such consultations, Cllr Mark Lithgow felt last Thursday’s event was not publicised very well and he will be pressing council officers for more publicity and such events to be longer, as opposed to 10a.m.to 3p.m. “Those who work all day did not have the opportunity to attend,” he said.

The SWT’s district-wide plan is to be discussed at the next meeting of Wellington Town Council this coming Monday, February 3.