A step closer to being plastic bag-free

The Chilterns town looks set to follow in the footsteps of campaigners in Wycombe who want to see the new shopping centre development Eden ban or discourage retailers from providing carriers.

Chesham Town Council will adopt the principles of pressure group, the CarryAbag Team' to incorporate the group's aims of making the town plastic-bag free into its environmental policy, a meeting of Chesham Town Council's policy and resources committee decided on Monday.

Speaking at the meeting Councillor Noel Brown said: "If an island off the coast of France like Corsica can do it, I think we can do it."

Cllr Justine Fulford added: "France have completely banned free plastic bags. They're dished out willy-nilly here because that's what we are used to."

Chairman Roy Abraham said the plans were environmentally acceptable and the council should take the initiative.

Speaking after the meeting Julia Brammer chairman of the CarryAbag Team' said: "It's really important to our campaign that the council do support it. That's really good news and we can go to them for support when we need it."

She added that the endorsement would help to educate people to take their own bags for shopping and that the team were working on it.

At the same meeting the councillors also agreed to reduce the town's carbon footprint by forming a steering group with the aim of becoming a transition town'.

A total of 30 UK communities have already adopted the model to increase their self-reliance.

In December Wycombe District Council (WDC) announced it will back the plan to clear the new Eden shopping centre of carriers and would be pushing to banish them from the entire town.

This followed more than 1,000 adding their names to a petition championed by High Wycombe's Environment Centre and Wycombe Friends of the Earth in support of a plastic bag free Eden.

The decision will rest with the 106 shops, which are moving into the centre when it opens in March.