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Introduction
TN welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made.
Apologies
JN gave apologies which had been received prior to the meeting (see above).
Minutes of Last Meeting
The group were satisfied with the minutes of the previous meeting.
Matters Arising
Actions from the previous meeting were reviewed:
Make up of sub group – Several organisations and personnel were identified at the previous meeting who this group would like to be involved. All the requested organisations have been contacted and are aware of the Devon Sustainable Energy Network.
Prioritisation of action plan – This item would be addressed further down the agenda.
Local Authority working group – The formation of this group would be addressed later
Transport – The issue of including transport in the remit of this group was discussed at the steering group meeting, and it was decided they would include biofuels in their actions.
Feedback from DSEN Steering Group Meeting on 2nd September
TN outlined the minutes of the steering group meeting, please see minutes attached for details.
– revised Terms of Reference and Aims and Objectives
TN advised the group that the Terms of Reference and the Aims and Objectives were under review. These reviewed documents were circulated and it was agreed members would consider the revisions and return any comments or suggestions to JN within 3 weeks.
Action: RESG to consider revised Terms of Reference and Aims and Objectives documents and contact Jo with amendments by Monday October 3rd.
RESG Action Plan - Prioritisation
PB gave an overview of how the action plan was originally developed, and explained that it now needed prioritising to give a clearer view of which tasks could be actioned first. The group then took part in a 15 minute prioritisation exercise, where key actions were prioritised as high, medium or low, and then scored for achievability between 1 (easily achievable) and 5 (more challenging / need resources). This information will be collated by the DSEN secretariat and fed back to the group in due course.
Action: JN to analyse information and return to RESG.
Local Authority Sub Group - Formation and Meeting
At the last RESG meeting, it was decided that a Local Authority working group would be established, as many of the key actions involved working with LA’s / planners. Some members had volunteered to be part of this group at the last meeting, and additional persons offered support this time. It was agreed that planning issues relating to local authorities would be best taken forward by combining the public sector sub group meeting on the 11th October and that all those who are interested or had expressed an interest in the LA working group at the last should attend.
Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) – Cheryl Hiles, Regen SW
CH outlined the RSS timetable and advised there may be an opportunity in Nov / Dec to influence policy as part of the consultation. Following this the strategy will be submitted to the ODPM in March 2006. Cheryl summarised Revision 2020’s aims and objectives, and showed how DSEN could be involved and support the process. For details see document attached.
Annual Conference – Fiona Swan
FS introduced the idea of an annual conference and gave an overview of the outcomes from its discussion at the steering group meeting. A discussion ensued around what the theme, target audience and venue for the conference should be. Several suggestions were made concerning the theme, including concentrating on climate change, highlighting the opportunities for the people in Devon created by renewable energy / energy efficiency and possibly setting milestones as we head towards 2010 to make progress measurable. It was pointed out that if the conference was to be aimed at the general public that it needs to be very glamorous and professional. There were also some good suggestions for a venue, in particular using a sustainable venue such as Roadford Lake dam.
Renewable Energy in Devon (RED) – Paul Baker
PB gave an overview of the RED bid and explained how it would support the development of renewable energy businesses in Devon and help this group to achieve its aims. For details please see the executive summary attached. Paul read a letter of support for the RED bid from John Sunderland, chair of the DSEN steering group and Chief Executive of North Devon Chamber of Commerce, and suggested this group should write a similar letter to support the bid.
Action: JN to send a draft letter with the summary of RED to the RESG for consideration; all responses must be received by Friday 23rd September.
News and Upcoming Events
Forthcoming events for the month of September were highlighted and are as follows:
September 20th – SW biofuels event near Wincanton – contact Paul for details
September 27th – Energy Technologies in New Developments @ University of Exeter – see www.ex.ac.uk/energyseminar for details
September 28th - Sustainable Energy for Planners @ Thistle Hotel, Exeter – see www.est.org.uk/housingbuildings for information.
September 30th/ Oct 1st – Wood 4 Energy – www.swwf.info for info.
It was also mentioned that the DTi consultation of low carbon technologies and buildings is ongoing until the end of September.
A.O.B
JH spoke about the proposed power plant at Langage. He advised that it looks to be going ahead and that the proposed site is far bigger than would be needed by the plant and therefore this could possibly be an opportunity for a renewable energy development.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Tuesday 29th November
Committee Room A, Northcote house
Exeter University
1.30pm - 4.00pm
