Sustainable Wrexham Project Plans
These plans were developed through a day of activity facilitated by TYF and attended by a wide range of stakeholders from across Wrexham and beyond.The day took people through a business planning process designed to encourage creative thinking. Each table had a specific theme or project idea which had been identified in previous work. People where free to move between tables and each group was under the time pressure of presenting their ideas to the Minister when he joined the meeting at the end of the day.
Groups were asked to design their projects using the following headings:
Vision: In less than 30 words, describe what are you building
Mission: why does your idea need to exist?
Objectives: what are the successes that you’ll measure?
Strategy: what are the activities that will make your project successful?
Results: who will benefit most and how?
Supporters: who do you need to get on board who could otherwise be threatened?
Presented here is a brief summary of each plan.
Energy
Vision: Help residents to switch from looking down to looking up, developing pride and optimism and demonstrating local engagement seen on a worldwide scale.
Mission: The opportunity exists to introduce community renewable energy resources for environmental and anti-poverty benefit and prevent problems worsening in the future and stimulate energy efficiency.
Objectives:
- Make community facilities more sustainable by installing renewables.
- Engagement with communities and help them understand about how energy efficiency and renewable energy generation contribute to a sustainable future.
- Use Photovoltaic’s on community buildings to power community projects such as lighting up the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct or charging up electric cars and bikes for community transport.
Strategy:
Micro Hydro
Identify 6 sites with potential for Micro Hydro within three months.
Gain resources for feasibility studies.Screening for 6 sites could take 6 months and cost £10,000, followed by 4 studies on sites (£150,000) with a time scale of 6 months to 1 year
6 sites running 99Kw schemes could produce 3.6mKw/h and generate £720,000 per annum.
Photovoltaic’s
Potential for 200 arrays on community buildings in Wrexham. 200 4kw arrays could generate approx 2mKwh per annum with a yield of approx £260,000.
Wind
Explore whether there is potential for wind in anywhere in the borough.
Anaerobic Digestion
Explore possible sites in Wrexham, potential business models, how sites would be run and how the heat and power would be used.
Energy efficiency
Street ambassadors programme to encourage home energy efficiency linking to skill development and timebanking.
Develop a research programme with Glyndwr University to undertstand behaviours around home energy in Wrexham.
Demonstration project
A highly visible project to spread key messages about the energy project – such as lighting up the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct using low energy LED lighting powered by a hydro plant. Also links to the community engagement and development work with communities around Cefn, and with the aims to develop the tourism potential of the area.
Results:
For communities – better, more sustainable buildings and more projects developing Sustainable Development in Wrexham.
Local businesses will also benefit from tourism income.
Supporters:
WCBC, Community Groups, Community Councils, Canals and Rivers Trust, AONB officers, Natural Resources Wales, Robert Owen Bank, WG Agencies, Planners, other agencies with advice and experience.
Children, get them involved and they can help get parents on board. Schools, University, voluntary sector. The wider community.
Businesses and landlords.
SP Networks – Grid operators, to allow us to sell our electricity to our communities and lower connection costs and to upgrade the grid to ensure capacity to receive more power locally.
Food
Vision:
We want everyone to have good access to fresh affordable local food in their local community, to understand nutrition and eat well.
Mission:
To deal with the challenges of: food security, affordability of fresh local food – getting worse into the future, poor nutrition, lack of education around growing and cooking, lack of secure fair markets for producers and lack of co-ordination impacting on effectiveness.
Objectives and strategy:
- Well Fed Wrexham: A vision for a sustainable Wrexham including community growing, supply chains and education, which is well communicated. Locally produced food mapped and easily available. All agencies on board to remove barriers to communities, producers and consumers.
- Access to land and support: Local commitment to making public land available. Map land in the Borough, in public and private ownership. Provide support andadvice for accessing land – including legal advice for accessing private land. Make the process easier and quicker. Land for growing is available in every local area of Wrexham.
- Supply chains : Base line data for local food availability available in Horticulture Wales report. Make secure local markets for suppliers and consumers using incentives like making sure local food is available in Wrexham market and having network of local food shops (who do not have to pay business rates)
- Education: Every school has a school garden and every child has the opportunity to learn to cook that fresh food. Mentor system in community growing. Courses available in growing and local support available on demand. Cooking facilities on growing sites. Communal cooking facilities available in community centres
- Other ideas for delivery – Food charter, local food brand
Results:
Local producers will benefit from secure markets and fair trade principles – supporting a sustainable local economy.
People who can’t currently afford or access fresh local food will benefit.
Communities will be strengthened.
Children will have improved health outcomes for life.
The local environment will benefit and reduced carbon footprint.
Supporters:
Invite everyone to the table – including Donna Hughes – Local Food Matters, CLAS, Horticulture Wales, Glyndwr, Retailers/markets, National Food Centre for Wales Bodnant, WRASSG, FUW/NFU, RRU, EW, FCFCG, Local authority – all depts., FoE, Housing Associations, Ty Mawr – parks generally (Brena John), Public bodies and big employers, Schools and colleges, Community Councils, Churches, Tenants groups and community associations, Fareshare, KWT, Groundwork, TCV.
Capacity Building – Caia Park
Vision:
All organisations and community groups in Caia Park work closely together and more cohesively to increase the opportunities for the community to participate in their community
Mission
- To support existing projects, groups and the community in becoming more sustainable and enabling growth in individuals, groups and organisations
- To enable groups and the community to meet their full potential
Objectives (how will we measure success?)
- Use existing KPI’s
- Have any of the organisations or groups expanded and grown?
- Financial reports of organisations, social enterprises
- Use personal development plans of volunteers
- Carry out future asset mapping to see what has changed and if the gaps had been filled.
Strategy
The first stage would be to involve the Caia Park Communities First Steering Group and the other groups and organisations that are not represented on this group to get their buy in. Context building would be required as well as the need to keep everything simple. An existing pre-planned steering group meeting could be used with other groups and organisations invited and the meeting could be run as a facilitation event/open space style meeting. There would be a need to introduce the Place Co-ordinator/facilitator of the asset mapping and possibly the student at this meeting so that they are able to meet the groups and to gain an understanding of the community. Groups and organisations present could be given a wish list of 3-5 areas that they would like to develop skills in/areas that are lacking in skills.
The second stage would then be to carry out the asset mapping with the help of the student/university professionals which would focus on the skills/equipment/spaces that groups already have and would establish the skills gaps.
Once this map has been established, local businesses could then be involved with filling the skills gaps such as in marketing, finance, I.T etc. A help request form could be developed to give to local businesses so that they know what is exactly required and needed. Timebanking could be used if these businesses/individuals offer regular help such as I.T servicing and networks. These time banking credits could also be linked to the local social enterprises and other volunteers to ensure there is no loss of newly skilled volunteers/employees. Local Government connections could be used to get local businesses on board and to donate time banking credits. This could also allow different groups and organisations to draw on the expertise and skills in other groups so that there is an exchange of resources.
Finally it will be important to monitor by carrying out a follow up asset map to see what has changed and if there are any new gaps.
Results:
Everyone who participated in training and skill development would receive a direct benefit as they will upgrade their skills, increase employability and gain a sense of empowerment and social inclusion. This would have a knock on effect as the groups and organisations that they represent will be more sustainable and have increased effectiveness. The wider community will ultimately benefit if community groups and organisations are more skilled as the delivery of these services will be more efficient and cohesive.
Supporters:
The main people to get on board are the steering group and the other community groups. It will also be important to get the support of the local authority, local businesses and local members.
The research needs could be met through involvement with the local universities.
Cefn
Vision:
Cefn is a fantastic location with the potential to become a destination. We will unite the community again to create pride of place and maximise the potential of the area using the World Heritage Site to create a unique destination. To create jobs and turn apathy in to aspiration so that the future of Cefn can be secured.
Mission:
Objectives:
Success would be that people are mentally and physically well, happier and feel that they have opportunities. 5% of all visitors to the aqueduct come in to the town, spend money, and enjoy themselves.
Strategy:
- Get all the groups and organisations currently working in the area together – there is lots of great stuff going on already.
- Inspire local people to open their eyes to the options available to them.
- Get the tourists in by creating a place people want to visit and by providing for them.
To help achieve these we need to:
- Work with local landowners at Ty Mawr Country Park to create a community farm/allotment project
- Combine the Ty Mawr project with food growing around the town – orchards, fruit trees, vegetables – as part of an overall plan to make the town look more appealing.
- Provide the basics for tourism – toilets, signposting, interpretation, B+Bs, outdoor pursuits, picnic areas.
Results:
Supporters:
Need to engage all from local groups to large organisations.
Need support from Welsh Government – to support heritage at a national scale, and to encourage joined up working between local authorities.
LEQ
Vision:
In 5 years time we want to see an improved environment in Wrexham and a better quality of life for its residents.
Mission:
To tackle environmental issues faced by the communities of Wrexham.
Objectives:
To improve the KPIs of LEQ in Wrexham, for example:
- Fly tipping
- Litter
- Graffiti
- Drug related litter
- Land contamination
- Chewing gum
- Arson
- Dog fouling
Strategy:
Develop a framework to identify key issues within each community. Identify the solutions to tackle these issues by working in partnership to deliver sustainable action through existing groups and networks. Develop a deliverable workstream to tackle these issues.
Results:
Measurable improvements in quality of life of the community through improved LEQ. For example, using baseline data on health, flytipping, arson and anti social behaviour.
Supporters:
WCBC, businesses, Schools/Universities, community groups, Natural Resources Wales, LSB, Fire Service, Police, Keep Wales Tidy, Welsh Government, Environment Agency.