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Cornwall's NVDA Assembly to Local Government Representation

Cornwall local XR group were the first to really get success in using NVDA as a tactic, running alongside community assemblies to achieve support from the local authority, initially, then later representation on the District Council.

What follows is the background for everyone to delve into and follow the example of to empower your local community to be heard by local government decision makers and be invited to participate in the statutory decision making process.

How Escalation From Assembly to NVDA and Council Decision Making Inclusion Began

In this video, Myghal Rual talks about Cornwall's Community Assembly here

Prior to the Festival of Resistance in 2022, in his own words, Myghal wrote the following summary of how their escalation process from assembly to NVDA began:

"In September 2021 we held a large protest of community coalition groups including Greenpeace, Green Party and XR, outside of our Cornwall County Council building. We decided to go inside the building to hold a People's Assembly on a climate related theme.

We then established contact with the Leader of the Council and other leading Council officials, with the aim of creating constructive dialoge with them.

We now have regular meetings with these council officials and present the feedback from our regular People's Assemblies at County Hall to council officials.

Some councillors have also joined us at our Peoples Assemblies inside the building, in recognition of the spirit of deliberative democracy.

We have also have a working group who engage with the council's carbon neutral team.

In June 2022 we set up a Marquee on Council grounds for a two week occupation.During these two weeks we camped in the County Council grounds and offered an extensive programme of educational events made available to the public and councillors.Initially we were asked to leave. We held firm and eventually Cornwall Council accepted our decision to stay.

These two weeks were an outstanding success, the Leader of the Council even gave a speech as did the Director of Public Health Cornwall, in the marquee.Extensive publicity was generated, largely positive.

Cornwall Council have an aim of Cornwall as a whole reaching net zero by 2030.We aim to ensure that by action, accountability and transparency this target is met."

People's Assembly Held on 29th November 2022 - Summary

PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY AT COUNTY HALL, TRURO ON TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29th 2022 Attending: 48

  • QUESTION 1: Where do we go from here?

  • QUESTION 2: How can we work effectively with other groups?

Six breakout groups selected their top priorities.

QUESTION 1

  • Make People’s Assemblies more accessible and get the Coalition out into communities
  • Work better with the media, get regular coverage
  • Complete the survey on the Council’s 2023-24 draft budget here: Cornwall Council Draft Budget 2023/24 |
  • Let's Talk Cornwall Closing date Sunday January 8th
  • Also complete the survey on shopping, energy use and attitude towards climate change here: Council launches survey to understand residents’ travel, energy use and shopping choices - Cornwall Council
  • Investigate alternative funding methods for community energy schemes
  • Support regenerative farming and more self-sufficient food production
  • Establish an open access register of habitat/greenspace loss
  • Transfer financial support from Newquay Airport to local bus/train transport system
  • Individual actions count and the Council need to be shown what action is needed; we lead, they follow
  • Divestment of any Council assets which are not environmentally friendly
  • Local campaigns for local solar/wind energy projects
  • Develop more active relationship with the Carbon Neutral Team
  • Scrutinise and challenge “green washing” by the Council
  • Form groups to monitor key indicators and publicise the results
  • Have an “Insulatometer” with a St Piran’s flag, showing progress on home insulations
  • Do more visual imaging to get the message out to the public

QUESTION 2

  • Climate centres to be facilitated by the Council; could Warm Hubs be used for this?
  • Work with Acorn Community Group on unfair evictions and other housing issues
  • Build links with other groups such as Wildlife Trusts and Trades Unions
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