West Sussex Growers’ Association Selsey Town Council Growing Together 15 th April 2015 mob:
Established 90 years ago in members: One man bands – Family businesses – SMEs – Internationals Highest winter light levels in UK £1 billion in annual sales at retail prices 7,000 + FTE Employees Largest industry after tourism (ADC + CDC) 180 hectares = 432 Acres of Glasshouses West Sussex Growers’ Association
Strategic Priorities Ensure that planning and land use policies support the sector and identify suitable locations for development a)Identify and develop horticultural sites:- Level and well drained land + good access + services (gas, water, electricity, broadband) b)Identify and develop energy hubs:- Conventional and alternative energy Combined Heat & Power (CHP) + Solar Farms (PV) Anaerobic Digesters (AD) + Bio-Mass (wood chip) West Sussex Growers’ Association
Horticulture + Energy Centres Anaerobic Digestion (AD) – Green Waste Solar Panels – Photovoltaic (PV) – Solar Farms Bio-Mass – Wood Chip Combined Heat & Power (CHP) CO2 Extraction
West Sussex Growers’ Association
Benefits Food and plant security Energy security and efficiency CO2 consumption Green waste management Powering the National Grid Community heating schemes Socio-economic benefits
West Sussex Growers’ Association Additional Benefits Training & Education – Apprenticeships Ancillary Technologies All Year Round Production Carbon Footprint – Climate Change Food & Plant Miles Import Substitution – Balance of Payments
West Sussex Growers’ Association
Meeting the Needs of the Customer Customer Demand (Sainsbury’s 20:20 vision = Double British Fresh Produce by 2020) Research and New Product Development Planning – Development – Production