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Environment
The real Green Deal… please stand up
9:58, 15 April, 2011 | 
Author Is grant support for home insulation soon to be replaced by loans? The government’s latest proposals certainly imply this.
Photo courtesy of www.cocoonyourhome.co.uk
The Green Deal proposes to spread the cost of new home insulation across future energy bills associated with a property. It is hoped that this will remove any obvious barrier to getting the work done. A guiding principle is that insulation installed must save the householder more money than the extra charge on their bills.
However, we don’t yet know how much loan interest repayments will add to the cost. Currently cavity wall and loft insulation cost under £100 each in some areas thanks to Council grants. The Energy Saving Trust estimates households can save £115 each year with cavity wall insulation. This is a remarkable return on investment.
Get insulation installed in 2011 and you’ll benefit from a grant. Beyond March 2012, when energy supplier grants are up for review, this is much less certain. So, for householders with savings, no intention of moving home and no desire to pay interest on a loan, today’s best offers arguably represent the real green deal.
Taking advantage of grant offers is easy. You can compare insulation deals at www.cocoonyourhome.co.uk or on 0800 8048 777, or check with the Council.
Cocoon is an independent comparison service operated by United Sustainable Energy Agency, a not-for-profit organisation.
Discounted loft and cavity wall insulation is available to all local residents who own their homes or rent privately. If you receive income or disability related benefits, you may be able to get it done free.
Councils in Chiltern, Cherwell, Milton Keynes, Southampton, South Bucks, Watford, West Oxon and Vale of White Horse are all providing grants to support low price insulation. Wycombe will launch a £99 insulation offer in June 2011.
Posted in Environment, News | 
Tags: Cavity Insulation, grants, green deal, United Sustainable Energy Agency, usea | 
1 Comment »
Walk in sunshine at Shocott Spring
Shocott Spring is 52 hectares (128 acres) of former arable farmland between the communities of Shortstown and Cotton End. It was purchased in 2005 by the Marston Vale Trust for creating new community woodland. Over the next 5-10 years it will be planted with trees and shrubs, to create a large new woodland for people and wildlife to enjoy.
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| How To Get There By Public TransportBY BUS: Telephone Bedfordshire Bus Information Line : 01234 228337, 8.30am – 5pm open 5 days a week or Travel Line 0870 6082608. BY TRAIN: For timetable information, please telephone National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950. Click here for the National Rail Enquiries website |
| How To Get There By CarTake the A600 south from Bedford. Shocott Spring is found on the right after passing through Shortstown and just before reaching Cotton End. There is limited off road parking at the site. |
| Access and General InformationSurface Types: You will walk across surface types ranging from hard but variable surfaces with loose, variable sized stones, to grass or uncultivated earth paths with and without mud and ruts. Linear Gradient: All linear gradients are of 1.18 or less. Cross Falls: There is a cross fall of between 1:10-1:15 and of 1:16-1:20. Width Restriction: There are no restrictions less than 1000mm. Steps: None recorded. Barriers: There is one kissing gate at the entrance to the site. Refreshments: There is a pub at Cotton End and a shop in Shortstown. Public Toilets: None recorded. Picnic Tables: There are two picnic tables at the site. Seats: There are 8 seats located throughout the site. |
| Why Shocott Spring?The name Shocott Spring comes from two sources; ‘Shocott’ was derived from combinations of Shortstown and Cotton End suggested by local people when we asked for their views, whilst ‘Spring’ is an old term used locally for an area of new woodland. |
| Creating The New WoodlandAs the first phase of creating Shocott Spring, around 25 hectares were planted during the winter of 2005/6, with the help of local people and schoolchildren. Over 40,000 trees and shrubs have been planted here so far, such as oak, ash, field maple and hazel – most grown from seed collected from ancient woodlands in the area. A few areas have been planted with different mixtures of oak, pine, larch, ash and wild cherry. These will demonstrate how community woodlands can produce timber, as well as improving the landscape, providing valuable new wildlife habitats and being great spaces for people to enjoy.
The surrounding landscape has been shaped by farming and industry over many decades. Today, new developments around the urban fringe of Bedford are shaping the local landscape. By working with government, developers and local people we are using trees and woodlands to improve this landscape, making it more attractive for current and future generations. The countryside around Shocott Spring does not have a good network of public footpaths and bridleways. As a result, this new woodland is a very important natural space where local people can walk, cycle and enjoy being outdoors. Over time, we hope to improve access links between the local communities and the growing young woodland. Shocott Spring is one of many areas of community woodland that we are creating across the Marston Vale. They are all helping to improve the landscape, produce a sustainable supply of timber and provide valuable new wildlife habitats, as well as being great natural spaces for people to explore and enjoy. |
| AcknowledgementsShocott Spring is owned by the Marston Vale Trust, the independent charity delivering the Forest of Marson Vale and was created with the help of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, The Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, Berkeley Homes, The Carbon Neutral Company, BTCV, Bedford Borough Council and the Forestry Commission. Our challenge is to use trees and woodlands to repair a landscape scarred by decades of clay extraction, brickmaking and landfill. We are working with local communities, government and businesses, to create new woods and other wild places for everyone to enjoy. For further information call the Forest Centre on 01234 767037. |
Posted in Environment, News | Tags: eastcotts, New Cardington, Shocott Spring, Shortstown | No Comments »
A421 Design disaster
Highway Agency, could not do a good job first time. If you ever driving back from Milton Keynes on A421 parallel to M1, you probably have been stuck on the new roundabout. It firmly holds traffic by not allowing free flow for the vehicles joining new bypass, it simply stops every one, no matter which way you go.
Simple solution would be to make separate lane for vehicles going east. There is a room for it, as they have left 10 meters wide hard shoulder!!!
Planting day for final phase of Eastcotts’ new woodland project
The start of the third and final phase of the creation of a 52-hectare (128 acre) community woodland in the parish of Eastcotts, Bedfordshire will be on Sunday 5 December 2010 with a community tree-planting day
The event, which will run from 11.00am and 3.00pm, will take place at Shocott Spring. It will give people from surrounding communities the chance to take part in the creation of this community woodland.
The Marston Vale Trust, the charity creating the Forest of Marston Vale, is running the event as part of its ‘Shocott Spring Community Woodland’ project. The third phase will use a £24,900 grant awarded by The Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund to plant around 20,000 native broadleaf trees and shrubs to create the final 13 hectares (32 acres) of the community woodland.
The event on the 5 December 2010 is being supported by the Big Lottery Fund. Shocott Spring is halfway between Shortstown and Cotton End, near Bedford. There is no parking at the site and those attending are advised to go to the Forest Centre in Marston Moretaine off the A421, where there will be free parking and a free bus to transport them to the site.
Posted in Environment, Events, News | Tags: Cotton End, Eascotts, Shortstown, Woodland Project | No Comments »
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