‘Working together to combat climate change’ was the theme of the stall run by North Somerset Labour Party at Nailsea Farmers Market on Saturday 20 September.

With the climate crisis being a topic of concern for most people, local Labour Party volunteers ran a stall at Nailsea Farmers Market to learn more about people’s concerns and share information on the Government’s policy goals.

The volunteers enjoyed engaging with a range of people to listen to what was important to them — a vital part of the party’s ongoing work representing local communities at all levels of government. Hildegard Dumper, one of the volunteers, said, “I was struck by the readiness of young people to engage with the topic. School age children were particularly knowledgeable and thoughtful.”

Passers-by were asked to indicate with a sticker which of the Government’s policy goals they felt most strongly about. The six goals — clean air, net zero, tackling waste, clean water, supporting farmers, and green spaces — were derived from a report the Government published in July 2025 detailing progress towards the Environment Improvement Plan 2023.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given North Somerset’s semi-rural nature, there was overwhelming support for farmers in their role as protectors of the countryside and producers of food. Fly-tipping and litter were also acknowledged as a problem everyone needs to take responsibility for.

Protecting green spaces was the second biggest area of concern for Nailsea shoppers, with some residents sharing concerns about housing development in the area. Clare Hunt, Labour’s District Councillor for Nailsea Youngwood and Chair of North Somerset Council (NSC), was at the stall talking with residents.

Cllr Clare Hunt, Labour’s District Councillor for Nailsea Youngwood and Chair of North Somerset Council, said:

“It was a pleasure to meet some of the residents who have moved into the newly built homes and hear how happily they are settling into our town.”

“NSC has been given a target to build almost 25,000 new homes by 2040. My colleagues and I are working tirelessly to ensure these are built in the correct places with respect for green spaces, infrastructure requirements, and other concerns of local people.”

Tackling waste was the third biggest area of concern for local people. Several praised North Somerset Council’s waste collection service and how it encourages us to recycle. NSC’s partnership administration — which is run by councillors from the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and independents — has recently implemented an improved recycling scheme which aims to recycle 70% of waste by 2030 and will save more than £1 million to help fund vital local services.

Clean air was the next biggest area of concern, with passers-by indicating high levels of support for measures such as Clean Air Zones and increasing use of public transport. One person asked for help with electric vehicles (EVs), pointing out charging points at home would be difficult for some people. The Labour Government recently announced £63 million in funding for EV charging infrastructure and £650 million in grants to reduce the cost of EVs.

Another concern raised was the effect Bristol Airport’s expansion could have on local air quality. Sadik Al-Hassan, the Labour MP for North Somerset, has made championing research into new, clean hydrogen fuels to tackle this problem one of his priorities in office.

Sadik Al-Hassan, Labour MP for North Somerset, said:

“I understand the concerns raised by local people, especially after holding a town hall event in Winford dedicated to the issue. Any airport expansion must be accompanied by a mass transit system to take traffic off our roads and Government road maps to reduce the aviation industry’s climate impact — including greater adoption of sustainable aviation fuels and hydrogen.”

Finally, there was also widespread support for the goals of clean water and net zero, with most people who stopped to share their views believing all six goals were important.