In what was described as a ground-breaking event, the Bude Area Community Jury on Climate Change presented its recommendations to an engaged audience including prominent figures from the Environment Agency, Cornwall Council and town and parish councils, on 15 January at Falcon Hotel, Bude.

The Jury’s recommendations, which were drawn up following more than 1,000 collective hours of deliberation and debate by jury members, encompass a wide range of measures. There is a particular focus on natural responses to sea level rise and the need to raise awareness about the far-reaching impacts of climate change. They recommendations address both immediate and long-term concerns and call for a strategic, collaborative response from authorities and the wider community to these challenges.

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 full Community Jury report and all the recommendations can be found at www.budeclimatejury.org