In what was described as a ground-breaking event, the Bude Area Community Jury on Climate Change presented its recommendations to a large audience including prominent figures from the Environment Agency, Cornwall Council and town and parish councils, on 15 January 2024 at Falcon Hotel, Bude.
Justin Ridgewell, Senior Advisor (Coast), Environment Agency, said: “It’s not an overstatement to say this was a ground-breaking event. To have 100 or so people from a rural community gathered in a public space on a cold Monday night in January to talk about sea level rise and seriously think about the future is really remarkable.
“Of particular importance was the demographic spread and variation of the Jury. It’s so important to have that multi-generational representation in these kind of conversations, but historically it’s been so difficult to achieve when we go out into communities to talk about climate change and shoreline planning. So this feels like a real step change.”
Regional directors from the Environment Agency, Cornwall Council and National Trust, alongside 18 town and parish councillors, business figures, community groups and local stakeholders attended the event, demonstrating a collaborative effort to tackle climate change at various levels of governance.
The event generated more than 40 actions and commitments from those who attended.