Thirsk could have a great future as a centre for sustainable tourism, but to attract people who are looking for that kind of experience, it needs to establish a clean, green, climate-friendly image. For starters, how about the town council working with HDC and NYCC to insist that all new homes built in Thirsk are zero-carbon? The government dropped this requirement back in 2015.
All homes should now be built with solar as well as using ground source heat pumps.
This would help to build Thirsk's green reputation and hopefully create more local jobs in low-carbon industries such as solar PV installations.
New homes should also be designed with the benefit of wildlife in mind e.g. swift bricks. This Wildlife Trust document gives excellent guidelines: "Homes for people and wildlife - how to build housing in a nature-friendly way" https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/files/2018-05/homes_for_people_and_wildlife_lr_-_spreads.pdf
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