On Monday 9 November, Nottingham City Council passed a motion from Cllr Sam Lux committing the city to a “grey to green” future. For everyone involved in the Nottingham Climate Assembly, it was a proud afternoon.
Where it started
Becoming a “forest city” was one of the recommendations our Assembly delegates made. They are ordinary Nottingham residents from all walks of life, who gave their time to learn, debate and agree what they wanted for their city. That ambition is now written into the Council’s new City Vision. Sam’s motion is about making it real, with a joined-up, citywide approach in place of piecemeal projects.
What the Council has committed to
Greening as standard: whenever public land is developed or maintained, asking whether hard surfaces are needed or could be replaced with vegetation
Grey to green in existing programmes: building it into Streets for People and Parks for People, and encouraging ward councillors to use their funds for new green spaces
More investment: seeking extra public and private funding on top of the £1.5m already set aside for “grey to green”
Working with our delegates: continuing to work closely with Nottingham Climate Assembly delegates to shape the plans across the city
Safe spaces for everyone: prioritising the safety of women and girls in new and existing green spaces
Creative solutions: piloting community gardens to tackle fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour, green social prescribing, greener transport routes, food growing in schools, and local horticultural skills, jobs and apprenticeships
A shared identity: a recognisable “grey to green” / “forest city” banner so residents can take pride in nature as part of who Nottingham is
Voices from the chamber
In her speech, Sam spoke warmly about the Assembly and the work our delegates put into the Manifesto. Cllr David Mellen, who volunteered with us during the Assembly, said that watching such a diverse group of people working on the Manifesto together was “a delight”.
This is what the Assembly was for: everyday people in Nottingham setting out what they want for their city, and the people who make decisions listening.
Access the full recording here: https://nottinghamcity.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1136262
