Local Economic Blueprints for Sustainable Communities

2. What’s the problem? Richard Heinberg – Muse letter 265 http://richardheinberg.com/museletter-265-want-to-change-the-world-read-this-first Societies are deeply dependent on their environment Our environment has been cheap fossil fuel Our society is due for imminent change

3. REconomy • Local economy for local people • Most of the money spent by local people goes to national and international companies • Local business leads to local prosperity • And is usually more energy efficient

4. Local economic blueprints Economic Blueprints Totnes and District Herefordshire Brixton Food Energy Retrofit Needs local stakeholders

5. Actions – Hereford • Write the Blueprint, then attract the stakeholders! • Meeting in July 2013 took place as Hereford was turning into a clone town! • Meeting in mid May 2014 well received, but still no stakeholder group

6. Actions – Totness and District • Establish Reconomy CentreIncubator for 30 enterprises, new ventures, community projects • Food for the Future – event to link local food businesses • Health and Welfare Network • Energy and Retrofitting Network

7. Actions – Totness and District - ATMOS M

8. Actions – Brixton • Open meetings • Feedback, questions, ideas, omissions, needs, etc • Strategy • Develop existing Food partnership, Brixton Energy, TTB Draughtbusters, • Funding • Project co-ordinator to maintain momentum

9. Achievements – Brixton • Brixton Energy has three rooftop solar farms, generating ??, and contributing funds to CEEF (Community Energy Efficiency Fund) Young people have had training and work experience • TTB Draughtbusters gained the contract to draught-proof Lambeth Town Hall • Lambeth Food Partnership brings together residents, community organisations, businesses, local government and the NHS, to promote local healthy food

10. Meanwhile – Brixton • Residents – spend and invest locally • Retailers and businesses – source locally • Landowners – don’t sell to house builders, work with community and local developers • Commercial landlords – allow local small business to ‘try-out’ at low rent • Schools and colleges – identify local skill gaps and train for those • Local government – support local business when contracting

11. Letchworth – Where are we? • Stakeholder group? Letchworth Sustainability Forum • Currently small group comprising • LGCHF, TTL, Letchworth Society, NHDC, independent expertise • CIBSE was represented, but not currently • launch October 16th • Very brief data set in Parsons Brinkhoff paper • No engagement with NHDC as yet • They have not been pro-active

12. Letchworth – Work Lounge • BizSpace Work Lounge – Pixmore Centre • For freelancers, start-ups, homeworkers and mobile workers • Work alone, but as a part of a supportive community of business people • Flexible premises and secretarial support

13. Local pounds – local sense • Local Dollars Local Sense – Michael Shuman • USA based but some read-across • Very easy to invest in multinationals (including oil companies, miners, supermarkets) • Triodos invests in planet friendly enterprise • Very hard to invest in local business • Crowd funding, P2P, local currency • Bank of Dave - http://www.channel4.com/programmes/bank-of-dave

14. Local entrepreneurs • Some at LALG have a vision • Local enterprise – in town, locally funded • Who?

15. Comments, please