Sustainable Communities

In order for me to compare my hometown with a sustainable community, the definition of what a sustainable community is needs to be considered and why it was introduced by the former government. In 2003, former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was ‘determined to put an end to poor housing and bad landlords, to deliver more affordable housing especially for key workers and young families, and to develop new sustainable communities in regions of high demand.’ (Sustainable communities: building for the future, Pg. 5) The UK needs more and better housing to accommodate the needs of existing citizens and for the future generations.  As well as building better, efficient and economical houses the government believes that a range of other facilities, such as schools, health centres, parks and shops are needed to create a carbon efficient community.

What makes a sustainable community?

• A mixture of different housing types for instance, shape and size that people can afford.
•  Good public transport and links to other regional areas.
•  High quality local public services for example, health care, education, shops and community centres.
• A range of employment opportunities and a good local economy to enable job prospects and wealth for citizens in the community.
• A safe open public environment, such as parks that allow citizens to interact with others whilst feeling secure.
•  Have the right and ability to have a say on how the neighbourhood is run.
• A good effective relationship between the community, local government and businesses.

I recently moved to Northampton from my hometown of Whaplode. My house back home is located within the ward Whaplode and Holbeach St. Johns, which is located in the centre of South Holland. Running through this ward is the A151 going from Spalding to Holbeach. The lower layer super output area for this location is South Holland 004D. This is the area I will be comparing to a sustainable community, such as Upton. 

In my neighbourhood there are a total of 1,457 people, 697 are male and 760 are female. Statistics from the 2001 Census states that 81.8% of this population is Christians, less than 1% is Jewish, Sikh and Buddhist, 11.4% stated no religion and 5.9% did not specify a religion. Many would believe that a community with the majority being Christians would produce a place of identity or sense of belonging however; this does not comply with the government’s plan to create sustainable communities. Professor Peter Latchford said ‘a community is not a category of people with the same racial heritage, religion or sexual orientation.’ (www.urbanliving.org.uk pg. 3) A community that accommodates citizens from various backgrounds and experiences will produce a diverse community meaning that everyone will feel respected, valued and have a sense of belonging to the area.

The houses within this area are mainly bungalows and detached houses suited more towards parents whose children have grown up and left home. In this area 40.5% of the houses are owned outright, 37.6% are owned with a mortgage, 0.5% is shared ownership, 13.1% are social rented and 8.4% are privately rented. (Whaplode and Holbeach St. Johns Ward Profile, Pg. 3)

In my local area you will find two local shops, a park for young children, two pubs, a village hall, two petrol stations, a bicycle shop and a primary school. In relation to the definition of ‘what makes a sustainable community’ I believe that Whaplode meets some of these requirements. The area may not have a doctor’s surgery, a secondary school or leisure facilities but is on a direct bus route. The bus service runs every half hour therefore, makes commuting to other areas easy. The bus service enables citizens of Whaplode access to a leisure centre with a swimming pool, various secondary schools offering different employment opportunities to suit the needs of individuals, several doctor’s surgeries, public libraries, a cinema and other parks. Also, a short walk away from the bus station in Spalding there is a train station, which allows citizens to go to cities such as Lincoln and Peterborough. 

In 2008, a Place Survey was conducted to assess what local residents thought about services and facilities in their neighbourhood and if there was any local issues. The most important issue in the area was the provision of health services and the level of activities for teenagers was seen as the most in need of improvement. 77.6% of residents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their immediate area as a place to live and 62.5% felt they belonged to their immediate neighbourhood. (Whaplode and Holbeach St. Johns Ward Profile, Pg. 2)

Considering all these points I believe that Whaplode has good transport services that everyone can access, good quality education systems and training opportunities within a short distance, good effective relationships with each other and outside groups and a variety of different houses. However, you could argue that although there are a variety of different houses the area does not account to the needs of some individuals for example, families and young people. In relation to local job opportunities the area has very few businesses to offer job prospects within the community. 

References

• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (2003) ‘Sustainable communities: building for the future’ (Online) Available from: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/146289.pdf (Accessed 10/11/10)
• Sholland.gov.uk (2010) ‘Whaplode and Holbeach St. Johns Ward Profile’ (Online) Available from: http://www.sholland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B06318F8-D397-415E-A1F4-3314CFC6C6FC/0/WhaplodeandHolbeachStJohnsWardProfile2010.pdf (Accessed on 10/11/10)
• Urban Living (2008) ‘Sustainable communities: An overused buzzword or the key to delivering community cohesion in Birmingham?’ (Online) Available from: http://www.urbanliving.org.uk/downloads/25June08F.pdf (Accessed on 10/11/10)

How sustainable is your lifestyle?

‘Climate change is the most significant environmental threat facing the world today. There is overwhelming scientific evidence the climate is already changing and it is very likely that most of the warming is attributable to human activities.’ (Theccc.org.uk, pg.17)

Individuals now days are living a different lifestyle compared to previous ancestors with an estimated 1.7 trillion tonnes of CO₂ being emitted into the atmosphere since 1990. As a result of creating new technology, changes in land usage and waste disposal the environment has experienced events such as the summer floods in 2007 and the heat wave in 2003. Therefore, urging the former government to implement The Climate Change Act 2008 to help reduce the amount of emission released into the atmosphere.

Climate change has occurred due to the increase in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Since the 1970s temperature rates have increased on average by 1°c causing more heat waves, rainfalls and raising sea levels. In a recent report published by The Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee of Climate Change it stated that ‘sea levels around the UK have risen by around 1mm per year during the 20^th century.’ (Theccc.org.uk, pg.20) Data found from research such as the above has caused an increased concern in the extinction of the world’s animals. For example, the International Arctic Science Committee believes that ‘polar bears won’t survive if there is a complete loss of the Arctic’s summer sea-ice cover.’ (charityguide.org)

Guidance and solutions created by the government to help minimise the amount of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere to help protect future generations of human beings and animals has influenced me to think about my lifestyle choices. As a result I currently recycle cans, bottles, glass, plastic materials and cardboard to reduce the amount of waste being taken to landfills. ‘By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually’ (www.eastgwillimbury.ca) however, individuals still continue to dispose of domestic waste incorrectly. The Young People’s Trust for the Environment found that ‘almost 90% of domestic waste in the UK goes directly to landfill or dumping sites to be levelled and covered with earth.’ (ypte.org.uk)

After watching television, listening to the radio or using a laptop and other electrical appliances I make sure they are switched off. To further save energy I use florescent light bulbs and make sure I switch lights off after usage, as well as plug sockets. When buying new electrical products I tend to look for products with the energy star label and correctly recycle the old product. Also, when disposing of any product I look for the recycle symbol to see if I can recycle it.

Since moving to Northampton I have recently started to use public transport again or if possible walk to get around. Although this is more efficient then using a car, whilst back home I tried to car share as much as possible for instance, when travelling to work or college I offered lifts to colleagues and friends. Finally, I also try to wash clothes in warm or cold water to reduce the amount of energy produced.

References

·         Charity Guide (2007) ‘Reduce your impact on the greenhouse impact’ (Online) Available: http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/fifteen/greenhouse-effect.htm (Accessed 14/10/10)

·         Committee on Climate Change (2010) ‘How well prepared is the UK for climate change?’ (Online) Available: http://downloads.theccc.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/ASC/CCC_ASC_Report_web_1.pdf (Accessed 14/10/10)

·         East Gwillimbury ’10 ways to reduce greenhouse gases’ (Online) Available: http://www.eastgwillimbury.ca/Environment/10_Ways_to_Reduce_Greenhouse_Gases.htm (Accessed 14/10/10)

·         Informedvote.ca (2009) ‘Climate-change-cause’ (Online) Available: http://trendsupdates.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/climate-change-cause.jpg (Accessed 15/10/10)

·          Northwestern.edu (2009) ‘Green’ (Online) Available: http://www.it.northwestern.edu/ecommunicator/2009_fall/images/green.png (Accessed 15/10/10)

·         Sciencekids.co.nz ‘Recycle’ (Online) Available: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/images/pictures/biology/recycle.jpg (Accessed 15/10/10)

·         Young people’s Trust for the Environment ‘Recycling’ (Online) Available: http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/recycling/93 (Accessed 14/10/10)