[T]he Alston Moor Greenprint has just marked its first anniversary. This three-year project aims to help the area overcome some of its biggest challenges with green solutions.
Low-energy homes, greener transport, renewable energy, reducing waste, land allocation for local food and a Repair Café have all been on the menu during the first year of the Greenprint, which is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and run by Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS).
For the Greenprint manager, Roe Baker from CAfS, it’s been a year of getting ducks in a row and some are already starting to take flight.
“The biggest early success was being able to marry up the Greenprint with the new community plan being created by Alston Moor Partnership (AMP),” Roe said. “They both got under way around the same time and, thanks to AMP’s support, the Greenprint vision and actions will be threaded through the community plan. We’ve been able to work hand in hand and join up the consultation we each need to do with the community.”
Roe has also linked in with Alston Moor Parish Council so that the outcomes from the Greenprint project link to policies within any future Neighbourhood Plan they develop.
The challenge for the Greenprint project and community planning teams was to listen to and engage with Alston Moor residents and understand the issues the area faces. Local community groups, partner organisations and individual residents have all taken part in discussions, surveys, public meetings and events – from film nights to community art installations.
“It’s absolutely crucial that the views of the community on Alston Moor really shape the Greenprint, so that the path it takes us down reflects what local people want and need,” Roe said. “Nobody wants to see another project’s funding come to an end without there being a tangible sustainable legacy that really benefits the community on a practical level.”
Gathering and understanding the community’s views and ideas has taken different forms, to encourage people to take part. One particularly creative consultation was the Alston ARK art installation during the Greenprint Festival in September. Nearly 40 groups and individuals contributed offerings, from poems and music to found objects, reflecting the culture, history and natural environment of the area.
“The ARK captured what people feel is special about the area,” Roe said. “It was a completely new kind of engagement, which tapped into people’s emotions – what they love, what’s valued, what needs to be preserved. This worked on a different level to a survey or an interview and we will reinvent the ARK as a way of engaging creatively as the project develops.”
Another innovative event helped draw out people’s priorities for developing Alston Moor, based on how they’d spend their allocation of ‘bank notes’ designed by a local artist, Jules Cadie and poet, Josephine Dickinson.
Consultation will continue to be a big focus early next year. A comprehensive house-to-house survey will be going out, covering all the themes in the community plan, including the Greenprint.
Looking back over the first year, Roe’s particularly heartened by progress towards setting up community energy schemes on Alston Moor.
“Community-owned renewable energy is a way for the area to secure its own energy supplies, generate income and even help prevent climate change,” Roe said. “Our first year got off to a great start, with Alston Moor Community Energy’s (AMCE) official launch last winter and the Greenprint project has been able to help them explore community solar energy schemes and we should be able to share more details shortly.”
The Greenprint and AMCE took another stride forward during this first year, thanks to research that has given them a clear understanding of energy use by Alston Moor residents. A questionnaire was delivered by hand to 2400 homes and businesses, as well as being available online.
“The results have shown just how challenging it is for people here to heat their homes or power their businesses, and they’ll guide the actions we could take to alleviate that,” Roe said. “The survey has also given us something to measure against in the future, so we can track the impact of any actions.”
As a next step, Roe and AMCE want to create an energy strategy for Alston Moor, and they’re exploring ways to fund the work during the next phase of the Greenprint.
As well as consultation and fact-finding, the Greenprint is already starting to drive actions, based on the views people have shared so far.
“It’s very clear that the lack of affordable social housing and work space is a real issue for Alston Moor, and we’ve begun exploring ideas for low-energy homes with offices or workshops incorporated into them. We’ll be tapping into the support offered through Eden District Council’s Community Led Housing Grant” Roe said.
Looking back at the progress on the Greenprint, Roe thanked all the partners, local organisations and residents who’ve contributed so far for their enthusiasm and support.
There’s more information about the project at cafs.org.uk/alston-moor-greenprint.
