Tue, 19 Dec 2023 07:33:49 +0000 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=188 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=188 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 10:15:34 +0100 fostertom The world's remaining rainforest is the size of America and is being destroyed at the rate of one Florida a year. When that's gone - no more oxygen.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=121 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=121 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:47:58 +0000 Graham Bond The latest 'Fifth Fuel Special' newsletter from the Association for the Conservation of Energy states examples of what happens in practice.

E.g. "When drafting their latest Planning Policy, Milton Keynes Council tried to specify energy efficiency requirements covering all aspects of building construction, including insulation, central heating, etc. The Government Inspector objected to this saying that the Council should confine itself to matters like building layout and orientation. The Inspector also removed completely the requirement for carbon neutrality on site or contributions to the Council's carbon offset fund. The newsletter stated "In doing so the Inspector was ignoring the Govenrment's own Regional Planning Guidance, which urges local authorities to "encourage the use of energy efficient materials and technologies by using all the tools at their disposal".

And another...
Cambridge City Council was required to water down its planning policy requiring large developers to 'provide evidence of how they have minimised energy consumption, maximised energy efficiency and considered the feasibility of using CHP systems'. This was becuase, to quote the Government Inspector, it was 'unreasonable to the extent that it imposes more onerous requirements than the Building Regulations'.

The Draft Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change - Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1
appears to overturn Government policy making Ministers' 'minimum' into the maximum.
Para 31 of the Draft PPS states "Planning Authorities should not need, however, to devise their own standards for the environmental performace of individual buildings as these are set out nationally through the Building Regulations"

The Local Planning Authorities: Energy and Efficiency Bill would enable local authorities to include in their local development energy efficiency standards higher than those required by Building Regulations, along with targets for generating energy from renewable and low carbon sources. The Bill will allow local authorities to impose similar requirements when determining individual planning applications.

DCLG Minister Phil Woolas. acting on behalf of his Secretary of State, Ruth Kelly MP, deliberately blocked the The Local Planning Authorities: Energy and Efficiency Bill.

Please write to your MP and ask them to:
* Take up the matter with Ruth Kelly - Secretary of State and Phil Woolas - Minister of State
* Sign Early Day Motion No 471 in support of the Bill
* Support the ACE's response to the consultation on the new draft PPS which has been sent to them.

You might also like to write to Ruth Kelly and Phil Woolas at Hosaue of Commons, London SW1A 0AA demanding that they support the Bill when it returns to the House of Commons

Further details at www.ukace.org/]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=176 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=176 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 22:10:25 +0100 biffvernon
(Just in case you'd forgotten what it's all about.)]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=168 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=168 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:03:17 +0100 arthur Renewable energy is seldom a free lunch and it seems to me that opportunities to increase it are fairly limited.]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=122 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=122 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 17:17:52 +0000 Rosemary http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=66 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=66 Sat, 24 Feb 2007 19:25:10 +0000 biffvernon
***THIS IS AN URGENT CALL OUT FOR ACTION!!***

300+ YEAR OLD WALLED GARDEN AND 15 TREES ABOUT TO BE DESTROYED ANY DAY NOW IN SALISBURY!!

In Salisbury this week, trees are about to be felled any day now to make way for the new Council Offices development and ridiculous glass office extension, that will not only be costly to built but very bad for the environment and CO2 levels. This will destroy forever a WALLED GARDEN THAT’S MORE THAN 300YEARS OLD, with two 18th Century walls, many beautiful big trees aging from 50-150 years, and inside the garden is a Victorian fountain at the centre of SALISBURYS ONLY PUBLIC POND!!

Tree’s to be felled include: Hornbeam, huge triple trunked tree, estimated 80years but grown up from an even older stump that’s possibly 150 years old. Also home to soon to be nesting bats. Sweet Chestnut, huge, about 70years old, Goats Willow, Pussy Willow, Sycamores, Hawthorn, 3 Yew trees, 3Apple trees, A Pear tree, Prunus and a Wellingtonia. There are also two other Hornbeams, one already cut down to a stump and the other half felled. Also an Oak and an Atlas Cedar / Cedar Atlantian will alledgedly be “saved”, but we cant see that they will remain unscathed as they are right in the centre of what will be the main works access to the soon-to-be building site.

The project seemed to be on hold, but now they are pushing ahead to fell the tree’s JUST IN CASE the development project goes ahead. It’s a great shame, as this garden is very old, more than 300 years and has fondly been known to Salisbury’s children as “The Secret Garden” for generations untold.

Please please come and help if you can, apparently they may have to cut down the remaining Hornbeam before next Thursday as that’s the DEFRA deadline as after that the bats will start nesting, so it may not even take that long. There are only 2-3 of us here, we desperately need more numbers- however many for however long/ short could really mean the difference of success/ failure. They were clearing bushes today and will fell the trees any day now or next week.

Thankyou,
Please contact
07790418023
oni@riseup.net
rainbowhalo@msn.com]]> http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3 http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=3 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 20:32:20 +0000 GBP-Keith