Category Archives: Chippenham Development

Solar panels in a field

Will Lime Down Solar pay back its Embodied Carbon?

I’ve posted before on the proposed Lime Down Solar farm expressing the reasons why large scale solar is needed. I’m not connected with the developers behind Lime Down in any way, and I do understand some of the concerns the local opposition group ‘Stop Lime Down’ have regarding scale, construction traffic, and the nature of […]

Matthew Short

Four years on – What did I achieve?

It’s four years since i stood for election and as i’m standing down in May I thought it worth a reflection on the achievements over the past four years as Town Councillor. It’s certainly been one of the hardest things i’ve ever done. As a young apprentice at Rolls-Royce I was fortunate to attend several […]

County Hall Trowbridge Wiltshire

I speak at County Hall in Favour of Solar Farms

This afternoon I spoke at County Hall, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, on the absolute need for Solar farms on low grade agricultural land in addition to rooftops to meet energy security and climate goals in Wiltshire. As the lead administrator for Zero Chippenham on the Community Rooftop solar scheme i’m doing everything I can to facilitate the […]

Feather Footed Flower bee on Lungwort

Chippenham Neighbourhood Plan Referendum 23rd May 2024

On Thursday 23rd May 2024 there is a referendum in Chippenham for the Chippenham Neighbourhood Plan with the question Do you want Wiltshire Council to use the Neighbourhood Plans for Chippenham to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood area? Chippenham residents will have the choice of voting Yes or No. For transparency, as […]

Rowden development at Patterdown

Showell Development Site objection

One of the reasons I became a councillor in Chippenham was to try and prevent the ongoing environmental destruction around Chippenham through cumulative large scale development. Where i’ve failed to prevent the development, i’ve tried to push for the highest possible sustainable construction standards. So I once again experienced that sinking feeling when I saw […]

Island Park Trees Chippenham

Island Park Motion

I was pleased to receive unanimous support for my motion to try and protect the historic trees on Chippenham’s Island Park against potential future development. Here is my motion.. it was unanimously supported at Full Council Wednesday 21st June 2023. To write to the Chief Executive at Wiltshire Council requesting any future development which adjoins […]

Wiltshire Cabinet answers my Future Chippenham Questions

Today I received written responses to my questions to Wiltshire Council on the Future Chippenham HIF bid. These were sent before last weeks new ‘Half a HIF’ proposal. When presented with the Half a HIF proposals on Friday 16th July, I put it to Wiltshire Cabinet’s leader Richard Clewer that the proposals still failed to […]

Bus

Bus Route Improvements Suggestions

As part of the Bus Back Better Strategy Wiltshire Council has received a grant for £ 671,000 to improve bus services across Wiltshire. This obviously isn’t a huge amount when spread across the whole county. A consultation has already taken place last year (long before I was elected!) and apparently ideas were received. However with […]

Yes Climate change is real

Wiltshire Conservatives backtrack on 2030 Carbon Neutrality pledge

It’s interesting to see that on the Wiltshire Conservatives candidates leaflets delivered this week they say under the environment section… Pledged to become Carbon Neutral by 2030 with a tick. Well actually, that was the Conservative led councils original pledge – to make the County of Wiltshire Carbon Neutral by 2030. Unfortunately they have now […]

Solar panels on a low carbon build

How do we build Zero Carbon?

For almost all of us we rarely have the opportunity to change the fabric of our home or business premises. But given we need to be carbon neutral by 2050 and ideally a lot quicker, the new buildings we construct today, be they homes or business premises will last a very long time. We also […]