Environment - Sancreed Parish Council

The world is changing, and we need to change with it. The impacts of climate change are already being felt all over the world. In the last few years, here in Cornwall, we have experienced unprecedented weather with back-to-back named storms, heatwaves, flash floods and unseasonable weather. This more extreme weather poses a challenge to how we travel and feed ourselves and also impacts on keeping Cornwall safe for future generations.

In light of this Sancreed Parish Council has declared a Climate Emergency and Biodiversity Emergency.

Cornwall Council has asked all Parish and Town Councils in Cornwall to adopt a Biodiversity Action Plan by December 2023. We have worked hard to produce a plan that we and our residents can enact to facilitate meaningful biodiversity net gain and connectivity of Nature Hot Spots in the Parish. SanPC Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-27

Our first steps are to phase out the use of herbicides on any land we manage; evaluate contracts with regard to the environment; and procure ecologically sound equipment and materials.

As a start we aim to be part of the county wide change in grass cutting and implement a No Mow period in areas around the Parish which will be cut twice a year and raked (the extra work for our contractors compensated through less cutting time). We will also offer training to our teams to help them improve our land management to support greater biodiversity. There will be a transition period where things may look ‘scruffy’ as wildflowers re-seed, re-establish, or are planted and we ask that residents be patient during this transitional phase.

We aim to move towards mixed pollinator supporting grassed areas (a larger example pictured above) and hope the community in Sancreed will support the work as it unfolds. Join us in making a speedy and successful transition towards increased biodiversity in the spaces we manage. If you would be interested in working with us on the No Mow and other projects, please join the Sancreed Nature Action Group.

We would like to encourage members of our community to get involved, if you would be interested in joining Sancreed Nature Action Group led by the Parish Council please email the clerk clerk@sancreed-pc.gov.uk or call 07719 399685.

It is important that we work as a community to ensure that a meaningful and effective Biodiversity Action Plan is woven in with the needs of people in the Parish. We need a team of residents who are willing to work alongside the Parish Council to form a Nature Action Group and make the Biodiversity Action a reality for our Parish.

We have set up a Sancreed Nature Action Group webpage and social media platforms
We will facilitate the use of a meeting place
We will hold ‘ring fenced’ funds for Sancreed nature Action Group
We will provide information and advice about projects and funding
We will provide a Councillor/s to act as direct liaison with the Parish Council

The Parish Council has a statutory responsibility to conserve biodiversity in the Parish detailed in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 which can be seen here.