Two events have been planned to support St Neots Town Council’s aims to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The council's climate emergency working group, headed up by deputy mayor, Cllr Christine Green, has organised a public meeting in March and the planting of one thousand trees.

St Neots Town Council voted to back Cllr's Green's motion calling on the Government to declare a 'climate emergency' at a meeting last February.

The public meeting, with guest speaker Chris Smith, who is the director of Gamlingay Community Turbine Ltd, is in the Guest Hall at the Priory Centre on March 14.

A group of residents, headed by Phil Sandells, has been researching the viability of turbines on the Ouse at Eaton Socon and Little Paxton locks and is forming a company with a view to accessing funding for feasibility studies Cllr Green says liaison with Cranfield University has so far produced promising results.

The group is seeking two more volunteers- someone with secretarial skills and someone with a legal background for scrutinising documents. If you can help contact Phil on: 07949077397.

The tree planting day is on March 29 and the two sites earmarked for this are land at Willow Bridge, Eynesbury at 10am and The Pightle, in Eaton Socon, at 2pm.

"Scouts and guides have already committed to helping, along with Grow Wild, a group of residents seeking to 'rewild' areas of the town and involve children in caring for nature," said Cllr Green.

"The Woodland Trust is sending us almost 1,000 saplings, with protective covers and after-care information."

Species include Silver Birch, Field Maple, English Oak, Hazel, Grey Willow, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Rowan and Wild Cherry. Rangers from Paxton Pits Nature Reserve have agreed to lend their expertise on the day.

"This is a really exciting venture for the town, but we need the public to support us. Since the meeting a year ago things have really moved on and people have told us it has made them think about their own carbon footprint."

Other initiatives include a Switch It Off Campaign later this year, to warn against stationary vehicles leaving their engines running unnecessarily - this will involve a schools.