A year ago, Harden Village Council became one of the first rural councils to declare a climate emergency. We joined Bradford and hundreds of councils, and the UK Parliament, in recognising the urgency of turning the tide on rising carbon emissions, reducing pollution and protecting nature.

We wanted to highlight that rural communities can play an important part in moving towards ‘net zero’ emissions, building local resilience and creating a greener future. Our declaration also fits with what local people have been telling us about how much you value our green spaces and our character as a rural community.

Gerwyn Bryan, our Chair, said: “It has become clear that action is required locally as well as globally and we believe it is right for Harden to play its part. There is a lot we can do individually and together. We will be looking at how we can make it easier for people to walk, cycle and use public transport, reduce waste, and enhance green spaces and biodiversity.”

While Covid-19 has turned everything upside down, we have still been working to incorporate sustainability into our decision-making and our Neighbourhood Plan, starting to take steps to make Harden greener and healthier. This includes discussing with neighbouring villages how we can make the area better for walking, cycling and public transport, reduce traffic and pollution, and safeguard the local environment.

We’re encouraging you to get involved and put forward ideas on: –

  • Trees & biodiversity – where might we plant trees and hedges and help nature thrive? How can we contribute to this as volunteers, gardeners and guardians of green spaces?
  • Sustainable travel – how can we enable more people to walk, cycle and use public transport and reduce driving as much as possible?
  • Reducing waste – how can we help people and businesses to reduce packaging, plastics and waste?

We’re especially keen to hear from local community groups, clubs and businesses who want to work with us. Get in touch via our contact page.