Transition Town Shrewsbury

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Feb 152010
 

Transition Town Shrewsbury is part of the growing international movement seeking to tackle the twin challenges of diminishing oil and gas supplies and climate change. We want to imagine and create a future that addresses these problems, and creates the kind of community that we would all want to be part of here in Shrewsbury.

The challenges presented to us today by global warming and peak oil (and gas) are perhaps the greatest that humanity has faced. This time brings a great opportunity for rethinking the way we live and making conscious choices about what kind of community and world we would like to live in. Change is coming whether we like it or not – and a planned response to the change will leave us in a much stronger position than if we wait until change is upon us. To find out more about Transition Culture, visit: www.transitionculture.org.

This change will affect every part of our lives, so we’re forming groups to look at the issues. So far we have groups working on food, energy, the economy, change and why we don’t like it, buildings, education, transport and local government. The idea of these groups is to identify what needs to change to make it easier to live a low-carbon lifestyle here in Shrewsbury and give us the skills and confidence to make that change happen.

Potential Self-Build Project

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Apr 162013
 

As some of you may have seen, the council are seriously considering selling off a parcel of land on London Road for up to 56 plots for self-build projects.

The council are currently taking note of interested parties, and would particularly welcome interest from groups who might develop several plots together.

It is all very early days, they are currently having the various required land surveys done etc, but there is a very real chance that this will happen.

Who would be interested in forming a self-build group and potentially taking this further?

Please contact James Smith – james@j3buildingfutures.co.uk

Sutton Grange Development Proposal

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Apr 092013
 

Regarding the proposed South Shropshire ‘sustainable’ urban extension – the first phase of which has now been submitted for planning and would have a major impact on the Rae Brook valley. The proposals have not been well advertised and are not aware of the scale of what is being proposed. The closing date for comments on the application is Thursday!

http://planningpa.shropshire.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=details&keyVal=MJB0W1TDF0000

The thoughts of Mike Streetly, whom we broadly agree with:

1) Visual impact – there has been no visual impact assessment of either the SSSUE or Sutton Grange proposals. Given the scale of the development, this is a major omission and it’s hard to assess how big the impact will be without this assessment being carried out
2) Impact of development as a barrier to access to the countryside from Belle Vue. As Shrewsbury grows these green corridors will be more and more important. The proposed development does not give adequate attention to these important features.
3) Impact on the Rae Brook
4) Transport for school children – this is supposed to be a sustainable development but, given the distance to local schools, it seems likely that most primary age children will travel by car. School transport is not specifically addressed in the transport assessment.
5) The proposed housing only meets the minimum energy efficiency standards – for a sustainable development we should be demanding the highest standards
6) The mix of housing: more than half is allocated to 4/5 bedrom houses whereas the clear message in the SSSUE consultation was that local people want starter homes and small family houses. The proposed houses are for affluent commuters not for local familes.

http://planningpa.shropshire.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=details&keyVal=MJB0W1TDF0000

Please do log on and leave your comments – we can change proposals like this for the better!

Shrewsbury Green Doors Website

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Apr 042013
 

WelcomeMat

The SGD Website has migrated and been up-dated – now with added local suppliers list!

If you know of and can recommend any local suppliers or tradespeople who specialise in green building and energy efficiency measures, let us know via here or the SGD website, and we’ll add them to the list!

Green Doors – Event Round-up

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Mar 272013
 
Shrewsbury Green Doors Headquarters

Shrewsbury Green Doors Headquarters

Many thanks to all our Homeowners and those intrepid visitors amongst you!

Last year was so warm people were too busy outside having barbecues to think about cold houses – this year was so cold people stayed in trying to keep warm! But we carry on regardless in our quest to raise awareness of domestic energy efficiency and to promote cosy, healthy houses undeterred!

We’ll be keeping all the info on the website, as well as expanding to include local, recommended suppliers, tradespeople, and artisans. Please send your recommendations to info@shrewburygreendoors.co.uk – we reserve the right to refuse! Our policy is broadly in line with the AECB (http://www.aecb.net/), we’re only interested in tried & tested quality..

We plan on having a presence at local events throughout the year, so come and say hello and ask all the questions you like! SGD.

End of Winter Newsletter

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Mar 022013
 

Dear Salopian Transitioners

Welcome to the winter (and first!) edition of the TTS newsletter, where you can find out about what’s going on in Transition Town Shrewsbury. There is lots happening, so be inspired, come along and get involved!

If you have something you would like included in the next newsletter then just drop me an email. Kerry on kezereky_the_first@hotmail.com

Shrewsbury Hydro

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Mar 022013
 
Hydro

Shrewsbury Hydro has been set up by Transition Town Shrewsbury to develop a hydro electric scheme alongside Shrewsbury Weir after winning £15,000 as one of the 4 winners of the national Energyshare competition in December 2011. 646 groups entered the competition and Shrewsbury Hydro won its category when 1,984 people voted for the group which made it the sixth most supported renewable energy group in the country! In March 2012, it then received a further £42,725 under the LEAF (Local Energy Assessment Fund) scheme. This funding has allowed it to commission a number of environmental surveys including a Flood Risk Assessment, a Protected Species Survey and a FishPass report. It has also worked with turbine manufacturers and civil engineers to produce a viable landscaped scheme which fits in with the local environment. By using the water of the River Severn, it is expected that over 1.5 million kWh of electricity can be generated each year which will save up to 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions going into the atmosphere every year.

A 1 in 100 model of the proposed scheme was exhibited to the public at six different locations in 2012. Over 1,500 local residents visited the exhibitions and the design (see image) reflects the local opinions put forward. A video about the scheme can be found here.

The Shropshire Rubbish Diet Challenge

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Mar 022013
 

We did a trial before Christmas with about 15 households- which was great fun and showed us the potential for the concept – and now we plan to launch it with 100 households across Shropshire.

Do the Rubbish Diet because it really works – you end up slimming your bin permanently!

The key is in getting to grips with exactly what you can and can’t recycle in your local area. The idea is that by working together and sharing information we come up with local solutions to avoiding waste.

The Rubbish Diet is like weightwatchers for your bin! By shrinking what you send to landfill you save money, have a bin that doesn’t smell and you’ll never have to worry about missing bin day again!

The Rubbish Diet is really easy to do. You set your own targets and track your progress. Doing the Rubbish Diet makes a real difference – making your council tax go further, capturing all those useful resources that can be made into new stuff, as well as saving landfill space.

All you have to do is weigh your bin bags and make a note – identify your top 5 wastes are and then find ways of making that waste disappear -  by recycling it, finding other uses for it or just avoiding it all together. You won’t be on your own. You’ll find solutions that work for you with the help of other Dieters in your group and the Bin Doctor, Ali Thomas.  Ali runs a blog to share your highs and lows, the solutions you come up with and get the team to come up with answers for problems you can’t crack  www.rubbishdietshropshire.blogspot.co.uk .

Every week we will set ourselves challenges: Finding out what you can recycle where; Shopping with waste in mind; Reducing food waste; Composting; Ditching the disposables; Declutter week; All building up to an attempt at a Zero Waste Week.

For more details contact Ali Thomas alison.thomas08@gmail.com 07972 858313

Shrewsbury Green Doors

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Mar 022013
 
green doors

Following the success of last year’s Transition Town Shrewsbury ‘Shrewsbury Green Doors’ event, homeowners who have made improvements to their properties will again be throwing open their doors on the 23rd and 24th of March for everyone else to come and get impartial advice on what they’ve done, why & how, and what difference it has made to their homes.

All of the properties that are opening up their front doors have taken practical measures to make them more Energy Smart – cheaper to run, more comfortable, and better for our environment.

From simple steps, such as draft-proofing, through to more complex installations such as bio-mass boilers, Shrewsbury’s Green Doors display a large range of modifications that we can all benefit from - modifications that are now being covered by the Green Deal scheme.

The Green Deal has been set up primarily in order to try and tackle the issue of hard-to-heat properties, owned or occupied by people who cannot readily afford to undertake the measures required to make their homes more energy efficient and more comfortable. The Green Deal has the potential of not only increasing thermal comfort and reducing energy use through retrofit measures, but also of benefiting the local economy through specialist job creation.

At this stage we are still looking for homeowners that have made energy efficiency improvements, however slight, to get involved with the scheme and open up their doors for others to come and be inspired – if you are able to put up posters or include information about the event in your newsletter in order to attract anyone who would like to be involved that would be great, we’d love to hear from them. Please contact info@shrewsburygreendoors.co.uk or go to our facebook page.

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