DRAFT North Somerset Sustainable Community Strategy 08 - 26.pdf

Aim:Sustain and enhance NorthSomerset’s natural environment.‘Maintaining an attractiveenvironment by keeping existinggreen spaces, and not developingimportant green spaces withbuilding - either commercial orprivate’ – Clevedon.related photo to be inserted?Improvements we want to see include:• Planning policies used to protect and enhancethe unique landscape character of NorthSomerset.• Existing habitats are adequately protected andopportunities to create new habitats in bothurban and rural areas are taken to supportbiodiversity.• Agri-environment schemes taken up.• Sustainable patterns of land management (e.g.by designing new developments in a sensitiveway and adopting land management practicesthat protect biodiversity).Aim:Encourage more sustainablepatterns of travel and tackleroad congestion.‘What about environmentalissues, including transport andensuring there are efficient busservice so people areencouraged to leave their carsat home and more cyclingnetworks? – Long Ashton.related photo to be inserted?Improvements we want to see include:• Reduce the need to travel through a range ofoptions including use of innovative technologyand joined up development planning processes.• Realistic alternatives to travel by car by improvingpublic transport networks and encourage walkingand cycling.• Work with businesses and other organisations topromote sustainable transport options thatrespond to work/school travel patterns (forexample by adopting Green Travel Plans).• Work with sub regional and regional partners toencourage improvements across all transportnetworks.Partnership Priority: Living within Environmental Limits and TacklingDisadvantage and Promoting Equality of OpportunityAim:Develop understanding andtaking action on environmentalinequalities in North Somerset.Consultation Quote/relatedphoto to be inserted?Improvements we want to see include:• Capacity and skills of communities suffering fromexclusion, pollution and environmental crimedeveloped so their voices are heard.• Understanding of how poor environmentscontribute to poor health through joint workbetween health and environment organisations• Reduced number of people living in fuel poverty;better energy efficiency of our existing housingstock.• Better access to facilities and services for thosewithout private transport.• Any action to improve environmental qualitydoes not effectively penalise those on lowerincomes.48