Switched on town making big transition

3:44pm Thursday 3rd April 2008

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It's good to have a goal. Reducing waste and use of fossil fuels by an entire town to zero is, admittedly, an ambitious one.

But since the Kirkbymoorside Environment Group launched their Transition Town project, they haven't looked back.

"The group had been going for four or five years, raising a bit of awareness. But in September 2006 we decided we needed to do something more active and dished out energy saving light bulbs provided by Ryedale District Council, " explained one group member, Petra Slangen. "We've really got a lot more people involved since then."

With the momentum rolling, key member June Emerson did some research and came up with the Transition Towns model, originally developed in Kinsale and since replicated in several UK towns and worldwide.

"It seemed like a good formula for us to work to, since it was aimed at towns, not necessarily big ones, and not villages, " she said.

So the venture was launched last September with an open meeting in the town's memorial hall. More than 100 people showed up to hear the plan to bring waste and energy consumption down to zero over the next 20 years so that it is a viable town when oil runs out.

"There were business people, a police officer, people who work in agriculture, people who were enthralled by the idea of being self sufficient, and representatives from the town council and Ryedale District Council, " said June.

"It was great. I just remember this big police officer in his uniform smiling away, " said Petra. "He was just about to go on duty, but we found out later that he is really keen on growing his own produce, so wanted to get involved.

"We also had a wide age range, with a 12year-old asking very pertinent questions which were dodgy ones to answer!" added June.

There are now sub-groups set up to work on specific themes, ranging from food, health and transport to arts and entertainment.

"We're looking for people who want to take it forward and everyone has their own particular interest, " said Petra.

There are all sorts of ideas and initiatives, from opening up cyclepaths and trading home-grown produce to setting up an independent electricity company which can use sustainable energy and be linked to the national grid.

A big push recently has been the banning of plastic bags, and Kirkbymoorside-branded organic cotton shopping bags have become something of a must-have fashion accessory around the town, which the group is attempting to make a plastic bag free zone.

"We had a bag day on market day and gave out leaflets to tell people what harm plastic is doing over the world, " said June.

"The week after we did it the Daily Mail did a big feature about it - I thought they must have been in Kirkbymoorside!"

And, on a local scale, the knock-on effect can be seen in neighbouring towns. "It's good because people in Pickering and Helmsley are looking at the bags and saying 'We should we be doing this', " said Petra.

On October 4, the food group is planning a food festival, or town feast, to encourage all the local shops to promote local produce. Everyone will be asked to bring a plate of local food and children and young farmers are growing food especially for the event. Local grocery shops are going to have some promotions on local products, too.

And shopping locally is another major drive. "There is a myth that has been perpetuated that if you live in Kirkbymoorside you have to drive to a supermarket for your shopping, " said June.

She is compiling a town shopping guide, to raise awareness of exactly what can be bought in Kirkbymoorside. "We have to use local shops so they don't die out and have to be started again, " said June.

And that is what is so striking about the transition town project. Planning for no oil is not just a theoretical idea, it is an eventuality that underpins everything they plan for, and that's what makes the scheme so dynamic.

"We're not setting ourselves up as paragons of virtue, " said June. "It's not about judgement, and people within our group shop at Tesco and fly to India. If we get over excited then we need slapping down. We're here to listen to all views."

In fact, it is the sharing of ideas that seems most revolutionary about Kirkbymoorside Transition Towns. There's old fashioned word of mouth - still a wellused medium in a small town, plus a very active email forum, with more than 90 people on the distribution list. "People say we don't want to go back to the olden days, but it's not the olden days, it's common sense, " said June. "Or another way to look at it is it's the olden days plus the internet. The best slogan we like to keep in mind is keeping the best, creating the rest."