140911

1)Planning the next TS Cafe event:

We can use this as an opportunity to prepare for the Sheffield Climate Alliance's engagement with the couuncil the following week (SCA's agenda may already be full, but we'll see). So we came up with various ideas to use as questions for a world cafe type event - some of these could be discussed at parallel tables depending on interest.

a) Food growing land: Food prices are going up.... access to allotments is improving but can the council help to release more land for community based food growing?

b) Peak Oil: is the council aware of peak oil? Shouldn't they be coming up with a city wide plan to address the likely issues?

c) Economic Growth: isn't it time the country stopped focusing on economic growth? Ask Sheffield's MPs to push for a debate in government?

d) Planning Reform Proposal to help councils fight large planning proposals: Ask Sheffield MPs to support the campaign to amend planning proposals http://www.localworks.org/node/135. (Chris already forwarded this to the TS discuss list as well)

e) Creating routes/shortcuts for bicycles that provide an incentive to cycle. Creating routes away from roads and that take shortcuts that cars cannot take. This would be beneficial because it would: decrease the problem of air and noise pollution, increase health, decrease congestion, make Sheffield a more attractive city, reduce Sheffield's carbon footprint and oil dependency.

f) Population Growth: Sheffield had a 5.6% increase in population over 2005-2010 which will affect the city's ability to feed inhabitants - see http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2011/jun/30/uk-population-mapped. When will the Council take population seriously enough to campaign for limiting family size? Will the topic remain taboo forever?

Tables should come up with a specific request - what do we expect the Council to be able to do to help, and what compelling arguments can we put forwards? Maybe also acknowledge risks/limitations of the idea? The entire Cafe could also choose one or two ideas to push forwards with the council. Anyway, hope everyone gets to enjoy the evening.

2) Other things we discussed:

The North Futures conference with Rob Hopkins on Weds 2nd Nov. People from Transition Sheffield could offer accommodation and arrange a trip to the pub the night before. (Action: Susannah - I've posted something on TS website and to the Transition Network news editor.)

Find out about the Free School planned for October. (Action: Susannah. It's on Oct 15th. I've offered a workshop about Transition.)

The council is coordinating a food conference in spring with a theme of health and wellbeing. Would be good to get sustainability issues on the table. (Rick to follow up)

Transition Rotherham contacted TS. (Susannah followed up, but has not heard owt back.)

Bank Accounts. Have considered Co-op and Smile. (Rick followed up with info that Coop won't allow multiple signatories online though Unity Trust will so I'm looking into that. Hazelhurst Coop simply use the Coop with two people signing cheques and have found that OK).

[Not sure if I said this or not, but...] Getting volunteers. We can't sign up to university volunteers fairs until we have insurance. (Action: Susannah - next up on my list.)