ECO-CONSCIOUS residents are being urged to have their say on plans to combat the climate crisis and save the environment at a series of upcoming workshops.

Essex County Council is working in collaboration with parish and town councillors from Stisted, Tiptree and Wivenhoe as part of a scheme to achieve net zero.

The Local Nature Plans are being developed within a Climate Focus Area, located in the Blackwater and Colne river catchment areas. 

The pilot project aimed at accelerating and showcasing best practices in sustainable land stewardship is the first of its kind in the UK.

It has been launched after recommendations cited in the Net Zero: Making Essex Carbon Neutral report were found to be challenging, but achievable.

Residents from each area are now being encouraged to help shape the proposals through a variety of Talking About Nature community workshops.

 

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Councillor Peter Schwier, climate czar at Essex Council, said: "We want to ensure that the public can input to climate decision-making, enabling us to build a deeper understanding of residents' wants and needs.

"This also supports the development of policy that is more likely to achieve public support, building trust and moving forward in achieving a balanced transition to net-zero."

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Chris Tuke, an associate at Involve, added: "We are proud to be working with Essex Council, parish and town councils and residents to develop plans to protect and enhance nature.

"To tackle issues as big as nature restoration and climate change, we need the experience, energy and ideas of people from all walks of life.

"This project is a great example of how to do just that.

"We look forward to helping communities in Essex to build Local Nature Plans in the coming months."

The workshops are taking place on May 13 in Wivenhoe, May 14 in Stisted and May 20 in Tiptree.

The deadline to register to take part in the workshops is April 11, after which up to 30 participants will be selected from each parish to ensure there is a fair representation of people from the community.

To register for a workshop, visit essexclimate.org.uk/talking-about-nature.