Last chance to have your say on the Climate Strategy and our Natural Environment Plan consultations

Wiltshire Council is reminding residents, businesses and organisations in the county to have their say on its Climate Strategy and Natural Environment Plan before the consultations end at 23:59 on Sunday 17 October.

The Climate Strategy will shape the next five years of the council's journey to becoming a carbon neutral county, while the consultation on the council's Natural Environment Plan, the Green-Blue Infrastructure Strategy - which also ends on Sunday - will set out the future for enhancing Wiltshire's natural environmental assets for the benefit of people and nature.

Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, said: "We've had a good response to both strategies so far and I thank everyone for getting involved, but as there are just a few days left, it's really important that anyone who hasn't yet had their say takes the time to complete the surveys on our website and lets us know their views.

"We've made great strides forward to reduce our carbon emissions, but we must do more, and these strategies will help us do that.

"The consultations have been live since the start of September, but we're not waiting for it to be implemented to reduce emissions and make a difference. Indeed, since then, we have announced funding for tree planting in partnership with Bradford on Avon Town Council, we've progressed our electric vehicle charging strategy, and we've launched a social media campaign to help people make small changes to reduce their carbon emissions. These projects complement all we're already doing as a council, such as reducing carbon emissions on 2014-15 by more than 80%, and investing more than £88m into environmental projects.

"We all need to do more to tackle climate change, and these two strategies will help us to do just that - so please have your say before the consultations end."

During the consultation period, the council held drop-in sessions in libraries around the county, plus three online events to enable people to find out more about the strategies and ask questions.

To find out more about the two strategies, and to take part in the surveys, people should see www.wiltshire.gov.uk/green-economy-climate-change for the climate consultation and www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planning-bio-green-blue-infrastructure for the Natural Environment Plan consultation.