By Derek Robertson, CEO
I am delighted that Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP) has confirmed that the Green Action Trust will be its Charity Partner for 2022 – building on the strategic partnership forged between our two organisations earlier this year to rebuild from the pandemic with an increased focus on place.
As STP’s 2022-23 Charity Partner, the Green Action Trust will provide its expertise in environmental regeneration in Scotland’s towns, helping STP in its mission to build healthier, fairer and more sustainable communities.
The recent Town Centre Action Plan Review Group Report, A New Future for Scotland’s Towns, identified that enhancement of town centre resilience against climate change must be a priority for building healthier, greener and more sustainable places. It identified various measures, including micro-generation, retrofitting of town centre buildings, active travel, and expanded green space as being key to these ambitions.
The Green Action Trust is well placed to assist STP on this journey. As STP’s Charity Partner we look forward to putting forward our practical expertise to make Scotland’s towns and places more sustainable and resilient places to live and work. And, building on the Scottish Government’s recently-released draft National Planning Framework 4, we will be supported by the policy framework too as we put concepts such as 20-minute neighbourhoods into reality.
There is no better time to accelerate this vital work as Scotland plots its green recovery from Covid-19 and works towards Net Zero targets, and by strengthening our joint work with STP, I believe we can ensure that the environmental regeneration of our towns has the same strategic value as their economic recovery.
Find out more about Scotland’s Towns Partnership and its work with the Green Action Trust here.