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Addingham’s  Environment

About The Addingham Environment Group

The Environment Group, set up by the Civic Society in April 2016, is a 50-strong group of villagers committed to protecting, enhancing and, in some cases restoring the natural environment of the village and surrounding countryside for the enjoyment and well-being of both residents and visitors.

We aim to raise awareness about environmental issues within the village by organising events, engaging with other village groups and organisations, designing walks and providing leaflets and web-based information.

The group has agreed an agenda to be used to develop a village environment plan and guide the work of the group over coming years.  Progress towards the delivery of that agenda can be judged from our news and progress reports available here.

We aim to take action to protect and enhance the natural environment of the village and surrounding countryside in the following ways:   

Committee Reports

Invasive Himalayan Balsam

New building - Side Beck Road

Town Beck reserveHima layan Balsam

Himalayan Balsam

Solar panels reserveHimala yan Balsam

Himalayan Balsam

Liaise with other village groups:

One of our chief objectives, and one of the chief objectives of our parent body, the Civic Society, is to seek the involvement of all village residents and groups and thereby help to raise awareness about the energy and environmental issues we all face

Liaise with organisations outside the village:

Outside the village we are in contact with organisations that have a statutory responsibility for, or charitable interest in, our village environment. Many have provided help, advice and, in some cases, data-sets. These organisations include:

• Bradford Metropolitan District Council
•  West Yorkshire Ecology Services  
• Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust
•  The Wild Trout Trust
•  Wharfedale Naturalists Society
•  The Environment Agency
•  Leeds University  
• Pennine Prospects

Land management and biodiversity:

• Help protect and enhance local wildlife habitats, especially in size and continuity and control invasive non-native species.

• Encourage sustainable and wildlife friendly management of farmed land and publicly owned open spaces.

Housing and the built environment:

• Assess environmental impacts of building proposals and seek to prevent building on land of high ecological and cultural value

• Seek to ensure that new building aspires to the highest design standards with respect to its environmental impact and encourage owners of existing residential and commercial buildings to adopt energy efficiency and other green measures

Climate change:

• Reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by adopting energy efficiency measures and adopting renewable sources of energy
• Reduce greenhouse gas concentrations by tree planting to sequester carbon
• Adapt to climate change by increasing the connectivity of wildlife habitats and by protecting water courses from runoff and soil erosion
• Minimise local and downstream flooding by using natural flood protection measures

Pollution:

• Minimise water pollution by ensuring polluting substances are not discharged into water courses
• Minimise nutrient pollution by improving bank-side vegetation cover
• Minimise air pollution by reducing use of fossil fuels for heating and transport
• Minimise use of toxic substances such as pesticides and herbicides
• Reduce waste and minimise the need for landfill by recycling