VILLAGERS in Suffolk have taken a bold step today by becoming the first parish in the county to commit to green living.Sproughton, near Ipswich, is now an environmental trendsetter after it committed itself to reducing its combined carbon footprint when its parish council became the first in Suffolk to sign the Nottingham Declaration, a document designed for local authorities that want to take the lead in the battle against climate change.

VILLAGERS in Suffolk have taken a bold step today by becoming the first parish in the county to commit to green living.

Sproughton, near Ipswich, is now an environmental trendsetter after it committed itself to reducing its combined carbon footprint when its parish council became the first in Suffolk to sign the Nottingham Declaration, a document designed for local authorities that want to take the lead in the battle against climate change.

Simon Curl, chairman of Sproughton Parish Council, said: “The parish council is to take the lead in raising community awareness and action on this issue.

“Now is crunch-time: either we care for our planet and our children or we turn our backs on climate change and continue consuming resources in an unthinking way.

“We would like to actively contribute to the Suffolk Strategic Partnership's aspirations to create Suffolk as the 'greenest county'.”

And Simon Lavington, chairman of Sproughton Transport Panel, added: “I think that Sproughton Parish Council has taken quite a bold step!”

The move follows a workshop on climate change in March which got many villagers interested in the topic. The Green Sproughton group was then founded with the mission statement of cutting the village's carbon footprint.

Then on Tuesday the group was merged with the parish council and the Nottingham Declaration was signed.

The declaration commits the council to examine the causes and effects of climate change at a local level, to monitor progress in reducing carbon footprints and to publish the results of the community's activities.

To meet their new obligations the council has already organised a low-mileage food market, where food can be sourced from local providers and it is planning to use energy-efficient lightbulbs in council buildings as well as spending money on insulating their Tithe Barn rather than heating it.

A survey will also be carried out involving all homes in the village to discover the village's total carbon footprint.

n Are you pleased Sproughton has signed the Nottingham Declaration? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.

The Nottingham Declaration

n The Nottingham Declaration was launched on October 25, 2000, at a conference of local authority chief executives and managers in Nottingham.

n Its aim is to encourage local authorities to respond to the threat of climate change.

n By signing councils pledge to actively tackle climate change in their area and work with others to reduce emissions throughout Britain.

n More than 100 local authorities have already signed the declaration countrywide.

SOURCE: Energy Saving Trust