Local Agenda 21 (LA21)

Glossary and Abbreviations

Agenda 21
Action plan for the next century, endorsed at UNCED (see Earth Summit).

ALG
Association of Local Government (a national body of which Tameside MBC is a part).

Ashton Renewal Area
A designated area of Ashton-u-Lyne, including the West End and town centre, that is the subject of special measures to improve housing, the environment, transport, jobs and training opportunities.

Association of Greater Manchester Authorities
Comprises of representatives of all local authorities in Greater Manchester (including Tameside).

Biodiversity
The variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations.

BRECSU
Building Research Energy Conservation Unit.

Brownfield Site
a previously developed area of land.

Business Link Tameside
Part of Manchester Business Link, this is a single point of contact for business support services.

CAP
EC Common Agricultural Policy.

Carrying Capacity
Capacity of an ecosystem to support healthy organisms while maintaining its productivity, adaptability and capability of renewal.

CFCs
Chlorofluorocarbons (Ozone depleting gas widely used as aerosols and refrigerants).

Character Statement
Identification of those features of the different towns of the Borough which distinguish them from others.

Citizen's Jury
A group of people chosen at random that are brought together to give consideration to a topic of public interest, in order to obtain the views of the general public. A form of citizen consultation.

Climate Change
This is the phenomenon that results from the 'greenhouse effect' (see Global Warming) whereby the heating of the surface of the Earth is causing changes in weather patterns.

Community Economic Development
This refers to schemes aiming to establish businesses which are based in local communities e.g. credit unions, co-operatives, etc.

Create
The Centre for Research, Education and Training in Energy.

Deforestation
The destruction of large areas of trees.

Development Plans
Development plans are statutory land-use plans, which include policies and proposals showing how a local authority intends its area to develop.

EA
Environment Agency (a national body regulated by Central Government, responsible for environmental management)

Earth Summit
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

Ecosystem
A system of plants, animals and other organisms together with the non-living components of their environment.

Environmentally Sensitive Area
An area of land designated by MAFF to encourage eco-friendly farming practices.

ETSU
Energy Efficiency Enquiries Bureau.

EU
European Union.

Finite Natural Resources
those substances that occur naturally in the Earth, which once used cannot be renewed, e.g. oil, gas and minerals.

Fossil Fuels
Non-renewable natural resources that are used for energy production e.g. oil, coal and gas.

FWAG
Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (involving statutory and voluntary organisations).

Global Warming
The warming of the Earth's atmosphere due to the emission of certain gases e.g. carbon dioxide and methane (greenhouse gases), which is resulting in global climate change.

GMBIC
Greater Manchester Business Innovation Centre.

GMEU
Greater Manchester Ecology Unit.

GMP
Greater Manchester Police.

GMWA
Greater Manchester Waste Authority.

GONW
Government Office for the North West.

Green Commuter Plan
A scheme, usually organised by an employer, to encourage employees to travel to and from work using environmentally friendly modes of transport.

Greenfield Site
A previously undeveloped area of land.

Green Purchasing
Buying products that are sourced and/or manufactured in an environmentally friendly way.

Groundwork
Groundwork Tameside is an organisation sponsored by central and local government, which works with local communities to bring about environmental improvements.

Hattersley Regeneration Partnership
A partnership involving the public, private , and voluntary sectors with a high degree of community involvement, that aims to regenerate the Hattersley area.

HBF
House Builders' Federation.

'Human scale' development
This term describes built development that is in proportion to human beings i.e. relatively small scale.

ILM
Intermediate Labour Market (a subsidised employment opportunity which is usually created in the not-for-profit sector as a stepping stone between unemployment and a job in the mainstream labour market).

Integrated Pollution Control (IPC)
The approach to pollution control being implemented in Britain through the Environmental Protection Act 1990. IPC normally concerns industrial processes with the greatest potential to pollute. It recognises the need to look at the environment as a whole (air, land or water) ensuring that a solution to a pollution problem does not lead to problems elsewhere.

Land Use
Land use means the type of use to which land is put, e.g. industrial, residential, agricultural.

LEA
Local Education Authority.

Local Agenda 21 Panel
the Council's sub-committee which had responsibility for co-ordinating the LA21 work programme. It is made up of councillors from the Environmental Services Committee and the Strategic Planning and Transportation Committee.

MAFF
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Manchester TEC
Manchester Training and Enterprise Council.

Medical Model
Health services based mainly on providing health care once people are ill, rather than focusing on a more preventative and holistic approach (social model).

Mersey Basin Campaign
A twenty-five year Government sponsored project to clean up rivers and canals in the area through which the River Mersey and its tributaries flow.

MIDAS
Manchester Investment Development Agency Service.

National Automatic Urban Monitoring Network
The network consists of a series of pollution monitoring stations in main towns and cities across the country, which provide information on the levels of air pollution.

NFU
National Farmers' Union.

NWDA
North West Development Agency - The new regional development agency for N.W. England which took over the N.W. regional functions and responsibilities of English Partnerships from 1.4.99

North West Partnership
A region- wide partnership of business organisations, local government, public sector agencies, education and training bodies, trade unions and co-operatives together with the voluntary sector, working to promote the economic and social well-being of the North West.

North West Regional Chamber (formerly Association)
Consortium of North West local authorities covering Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire (including Tameside MBC).

Ozone Depletion
The reduction of the ozone layer, which filters ultra violet rays from the sun, due to the release of certain gases e.g. CFCs.

PTA
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority.

PTE
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive

Quality of Life Profile
A statement that identifies the geographical areas of the Borough which are in greatest need and the issues to be addressed to satisfy that need.

Renewable Fuels
A range of sources for generating energy which will always be available e.g. wind, solar and wave power.

Social Economy Initiatives
These are usually projects in the not-for-profit sector often involving some form of social care or environmental improvement.

Social Exclusion
This term describes the problem of certain groups which are excluded from the mainstream of society due to their socio-economic circumstances.

Species Poor Amenity Grassland
An area of grass that is closely mown in order to maintain a good visual appearance, but has little value for nature.

Tame Valley Initiative
A co-ordinated programme of action, involving the private, public and voluntary sectors, to regenerate the Tame Valley.

Tameside Housing Needs Survey
A study of the Borough's housing that assesses current and future requirements and is used to inform housing and planning strategies.

Telematics
The convergence of computing and communications technologies to send and receive information.

Tidy Britain Group (TBG)
Government sponsored organisation that focuses on the problems of litter and fly tipping.

TMBC
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

Traffic Calming
Traffic calming is the use of legal and physical measures to reduce traffic speeds and improve safety and the environment. It is an approach to urban design, which makes streets more attractive, enjoyable and safer for those on foot.

Traffic Management Initiative
see Traffic Calming.

TVCT
Tame Valley Community Trust.

UDP
Unitary Development Plan (see Development Plans).

Urban Green Space
Open land within the built up area of the Borough.

Urban Village
A concept of town planning whereby the characteristics of a rural village are applied to a district of an urban area.