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Tuesday 31 October 2017

On the River Otter: Radio 4's Natural Histories goes in search of East Devon's beavers

Beavers are being reintroduced to Cornwall:
Futures Forum: Reintroducing beavers to Cornwall - to mitigate flooding - to filter water - to enhance biodiversity

They've now been well-established for some time in Devon:
Futures Forum: On the River Otter: Beaver Trial awarded the ‘Wildlife Success Story of the Year’

Bret Westwood has popped down to the River Otter to see:



Beavers are back in the UK, hundreds of years since they last lived among us. 
Brett Westwood asks if we can recover our cultural links with these architectural animals, as well as remember how to live with thechanges they bring to the landscape. 
Nature writer Jim Crumley talks about their green engineering skills and writer Rachel Poliquin brings the Canadian perspective on what she calls the four great human romances with the beaver: with its castoreum, its musk, its architectural skills and its ecological abilities. 
With readings by Lia Williams of extracts from Castorologia and Winter by Geoffrey Ursell, and The Beaver by Vernon Watkins.


Rachel Poliquin

Rachel Poliquin is a Vancouver based writer concerned with all things orderly and disorderly in the natural world.
Her book Beaver was published by Reaktion in 2015. 

Jim Crumley

Jim Crumley is a nature writer, journalist and poet. His book Nature's Architect: The Beaver's Return to Our Wild Landscapes, was published by Saraband in 2015.
He is a passionate advocate of species reintroductions, especially of wolf and beaver, the widespread restoration and expansion of native habitats, and a radical reappraisal of the relationship between the people of Scotland and the land. He writes columns for the Scots Magazine and The Courier and now lives in Stirling. 

Stephen Hussey and Jake Chant of The Devon Wildlife Trust

The Devon Wildlife Trust is home to England’s only known wild beaver population on the River Otter in East Devon.


BBC Radio 4 - Natural Histories, Beaver
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“We know the effects of poor air quality run from cradle to grave. It's a lifetime threat to human health.”

We've got an air pollution problem in the UK:
Futures Forum: "The UK government is “flouting” its duty to protect the lives and health of its citizens from illegal and dangerous levels of air pollution."

Bristol might well be trying to encourage its green lungs:
Futures Forum: Pocket parks

But it is the twentieth most polluted city in terms of air quality:




Why Eastbourne is among the most polluted towns in Britain

East Devon is not too bad - but still not good enough:


AIR POLLUTION STATISTICS IN EAST DEVON


31 OCT 2017

Particulates: 6.8 per cubic metre (should be lower than 2.5 but not amongst the worst offenders

Deaths: 3.9% of deaths attributed to air pollution.

Interestingly, Exeter is only slightly worse than East Devon:

Particulates: 7.4 per cubic metre and 4.2% of deaths.


Air pollution statistics in East Devon | East Devon Watch
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Plans for Port Royal: anticipating a Regeneration Board >> Town Council not to consider report as yet...

The consultants at Port Royal need more time to clarify a few points:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: 'further investigations in respect of flooding and covenants' needed

Meanwhile, the Reference Group has made its position clear:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: anticipating a Regeneration Board >> Reference Group asserts its independence

And the campaign group 3Rs has also made its position clear:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: delivering petition to full District Council > further reports

It has sent out a reminder that the Town Council will not now be considering the report on Port Royal next Monday:

As the study report regarding Port Royal has not been finalised, please be advised that Port Royal will NOT now be on the agenda for the Sidmouth Town Council meeting next week (Monday, 6th November).

The East Devon District Council’s press release issued on 16th October states:

“Having heard the debate and views of the Reference Group in connection with the draft, the consultant has requested further time to refine the study report and in particular to detail recommendations about further investigations in respect of flooding and covenants. The final report will be considered by the councils jointly at which time it will be made public.”

For further information on when the meeting will be held (and to ensure that you can have your say), please visit our website www.retain-refurbish-reuse.uk


Revive Port Royal for all | a community initiative
3Rs Update

See the Town Council agenda:
Agenda_STC-061117.pdf
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Brexit: and Halloween... again

There have been a few Halloween takes on Brexit.

From last year:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and Halloween...

And from today:




David Schneider on Twitter: ""Halloween means Halloween". Theresa May goes trick-or-treating to the EU. https://t.co/wNf1i4Q1OO"
Theresa May's Brexit Halloween alternative: 'Trick AND Treat' The Poke

The Guardian gives a very Guardianesque take on Halloween and Brexit:

It’s important not to romanticise the past, otherwise you end up like a cut-price, leftist Nigel Farage marching to a whinier, less exhilarating drumbeat. But I distinctly remember, this time 20 years ago, it being normal to object to Halloween: not because it was satanic, but because it was American. It was the festival of consumerism and excess, unmoored from any deeper significance, but most of all – being expressly conceived as fun for children, and entailing talking to strangers and asking for things – it was un-English...

I am reconciled to the import of Halloween. Tomorrow I will dress as a Person With Nits, exactly like a regular person, except with nits, and my trick will be to stand really close to people. I cannot, however, reconcile myself to this post-English politics, pumped-up, self-regarding and humourless. If our national identity meant anything, Brexit is its opposite.

Irony used to define the English. In Brexit Britain, it’s self-importance | Zoe Williams | Opinion | The Guardian

There is absolutely no irony here from the Express:
No deal Brexit is ‘NO nightmare’: Experts warn transition deal could become ‘PERMANENT | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

Meanwhile, a letter to the Independent takes us to Transylvania:

If, according to recent polls, most Britons now believe that Brexit is a huge mistake, then why is this country still pursuing it?
It reminds me of one of those spooky, thunderstorm scenes in an old Dracula movie, where a young naive couple are desperately looking for somewhere to stay for the night and decide to head for the creepy-looking castle on the top of the hill.
Despite numerous warnings from horrified locals pleading for them to “Turn back now – while you still have the chance!”, the couple determinedly carry on regardless, ignoring all logic, instinct and their better judgement because they have previously been assured by “Farage”, the local village idiot, that the “Count’s B&B” is the best in the area. 


Brexit is starting to resemble a grisly Halloween tale | The Independent
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Monday 30 October 2017

Pocket parks

Bristol is very much a 'green city' because of its green spaces 
- many of them very small spaces indeed:
Street Pockets: Create change in your community - Bristol Green Capital

For example:




RESEARCH QUESTION: 

HOW CAN ABANDONED POCKETS OF URBAN SPACE BE RECLAIMED FOR COMMUNITY USE THROUGH PARTICIPATORY DESIGN PROCESSES?


Ebenezer Gate Pocket Park — Hands-On-Bristol
The "Hands on Bristol" project transforms the Bedminster district

There's even a bearpit in Bristol:
pocket park Archives - Incredible Edible Bristol

Even these small spaces are vulnerable, though:

The end of parklife as we know it? The battle for Britain’s green spaces

Britain’s parks are in crisis. With councils such as Bristol cutting spending to zero, and land being lost to developers, what’s happening to our public gardens?
The end of parklife as we know it? The battle for Britain’s green spaces | UK news | The Guardian

Even though the UK government is trying to sound encouraging:
Green light given to over 80 pocket parks - GOV.UK

Which gave us something in Honiton:
THG garden gains Pocket Park status | Thelma Hulbert Gallery

Meanwhile in Sidmouth:
Futures Forum: A sensory garden for Sidmouth >>> funding to help project revitalise a rather tired part of town

Finally:
Pocket park - Wikipedia
Chasing Pavement: Why Cities Are Big on Pocket Parks - TIME
Amanda Burden: How public spaces make cities work | TED Talk | TED.com
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World Vegan Day: Weds 1st November in Exeter

This Wednesday marks World Vegan Day:



World Vegan Day - Home | Facebook
World Vegan Day | Veggies

With lots of things happening everywhere to raise awareness.

The latest newsletter from Exeter Friends for Animals has details of up-coming events:

Time for another round-up of forthcoming events...

WORLD VEGAN DAY
As you probably know, November is World Vegan Month, and we'll be kicking it off with a street stall on World Vegan Day itself (1 November). Fairfoods will be providing their tempting food samples for passers-by to try, and we'll have all the usual information and recipes, so if you're not already vegan or have friends and family who would like to give it a go, this is a good place to start! Animal Aid also run a Vegan Challenge throughout November for the vegan-curious, and other organisations such as Viva! and the Vegan Society of course offer similar schemes throughout the year - just visit their websites to find out more and sign up.

ANIMAL AID SOUTH WEST CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CRUELTY FESTIVAL
The big event is creeping up already! Nearly 50 stalls this year, plus the usual cafe, world music choir, talks  and even a comedy show fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe. A great day out and ideal for getting all your Christmas shopping done early! .

LACS/EFFA CHRISTMAS MEAL AT HERBIES
If you'd like to join us for our annual joint celebration with the League Against Cruel Sports on Friday 1 December, don't forget to send a non-refundable deposit of £5 per head by 18 November to Peter Reeves at "Comptons",18 Dart Bridge Road, Buckfastleigh, Devon TQ11 0DY (cheques made out to "HERBIES"). Or if you prefer to pay by bank transfer, please contact us and we'll send you the account details.

DIARY DATES IN BRIEF:

- Saturday 28 October, 10 am - 4 pm: iAnimal experience at the Kind Grind coffee shop, Torquay (congratulations to them on becoming the town's first fully vegan business!) Martin will be there all day with the headsets, so send your vegan-sceptical friends his way - participants get a free vegan brownie!

- Wednesday 1 November, 11 am - 2 pm: World Vegan Day stall with Fairfoods, Exeter High Street by Bedford Square.

- Saturday 18 November: ANIMAL AID SOUTH WEST CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CRUELTY FESTIVAL, Exeter Corn Exchange, 10 am - 4.30 pm. Event page here.

- Friday 1 December, 7 for 7.30 pm: Joint LACS/EFFA Christmas meal at Herbies (event page here).

- Saturday 2 December: Barnfield charity car park. Running the car park to raise funds for animal causes.

- Saturday 16 December: TAUNTON VEGAN FAIR, 11 am - 4.30 pm, Wilton Church Hall, Fons George, Taunton TA1 3JT. The vegan festive fun continues! With over 20 stalls (including EFFA) and 3 caterers, cafe, talks, etc. See the event page for details.

EFFA: Welcome to Exeter Friends For Animals
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Sidmouth Science Festival: a look-back over drone races, exploding volcanoes and sky-high fun...

Fun was had by all during the multi-event, multi-venue Science Festival:
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Science Festival: finishing with a bang this weekend
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Science Festival: the first six years

The Herald gives us a look-back over the ten days:


Drones races, exploding a volcano and sky-high fun - a look back on Sidmouth Science Festival

PUBLISHED: 12:30 29 October 2017



Inflating weather balloons at the Norman Lockyer Observatory as part of Sidmouth Science Festival


It has been really great to see so many people enjoying the events at this year’s Sidmouth Science Festival, writes Liz Bramley, one of the organisers.



Inflating weather balloons at the Norman Lockyer Observatory as part of Sidmouth Science Festival
On Saturday, the dinosaur-themed trail took you to various venues where children and grown-ups could take part in lots of activities, many demonstrated by enthusiastic young people and students.
These included looking at your brain waves, making a tornado in a bottle, giving yourself an electric shock, exploding a volcano and being a weather forecaster.
There was also a spectacular drone race at the cricket club.
This year’s talks were of very high quality, ranging from serious talks about tropical diseases to the more entertaining science behind the movies.


The winners of a jet car race at Sidmouth Science Festival. Photo by Andrew Winterbottom
Adults enjoyed the trips to Lyme Bay Winery and the ever-popular Otter Brewery.
Sunday’s family event at the Norman Lockyer Observatory (NLO) was extremely popular, with more than 400 people enjoying the various activities, which included talks by Adam Hart Davis and Dallas Campbell, and pre-school fun as well as the planetarium, domes and telescopes.
One exciting aspect of the day was the launch of two weather balloons, sponsored by the Keith Owen Fund, which had been programmed by students from Sidmouth College to receive data back at the NLO. They eventually landed near Wincanton. The information collected will be available on our website.
All this could not be achieved without the generosity of the festival’s sponsors and supporters and those who have helped by donating time and materials.
The festival is run by volunteers so if you would like to help with next year’s festival, please contact info@sidmouthsciencefestival.org, through the website or on Facebook. www.facebook.com/sidmouthscience/

Drones races, exploding a volcano and sky-high fun - a look back on Sidmouth Science Festival - Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
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Climate change: optimism and Blue Planet II

Last night's opening episode of Blue Planet II was stunning:
Blue Planet II TV Guide from RadioTimes

David Attenborough had a lot to say:
Blue Planet 2 – presenter David Attenborough talks vital conservation - Radio Times

Here he is being interviewed by Unearthed:




David Attenborough: Climate change, optimism and Blue Planet II from Greenpeace Unearthed on Vimeo.

With more here:
David Attenborough: On climate change, optimism and Blue Planet II - Unearthed
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Sunday 29 October 2017

Sidmouth Civic Arboretum - celebrating five years

The Arboretum has been active over the summer:
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Civic Arboretum - summer newsletter

And so into the autumn and winter...

This is the piece from this month's 'Resident' magazine from the Herald:


THE NEED FOR TREES


27th October 2017

SIDMOUTH ARBORETUM is celebrating 5th anniversary – originating from a Chamber of Commerce idea, the Arboretum was officially ‘adopted’ on 10 May 2012. Sidmouth Arboretum will be a civic arboretum for the entire Sid Valley:
  • a celebration of our tree heritage
  • a commitment to plant more trees for future generations
  • a determination to improve the visual welcome

Later in 2012 The Arboretum planted a colourful maple Acer rubrum ‘Brandywine’ in Long Park, under the guidance of dendrologist Hugh Angus, formerly of Westonbirt, the National Arboretum and Cllr Stuart Hughes. 

This was joined in 2014 by a silver maple, donated by Chris Wale and M to mark their silver wedding anniversary. Trees are a long term project – both these maples are doing well in Long Park and show the importance of planting Right tree, Right place.

We have begun to record our veteran (old and interesting) trees, such as the gingko and dawn redwood in private gardens on Sidmount/Elysian Fields, or the oak teetering on the edge of the Sid river near Margarets Meadow, and the Cork oak at Sidbury.

In 2014 we undertook the iTree survey on a valley wide basis. This was a huge undertaking of volunteers who were trained and guided by Kenton Rogers of Treeconomics, and we had the treat of gaining access to some wonderful landscapes and private woods further up the valley. This work is on-going as we have not managed to extract a full report, but should repeat the process in 2024 to really understand the range and changes to our landscape which will be enjoyed by future generations.

We have begun to record our veteran (old and interesting) trees, such as the gingko and dawn redwood in private gardens on Sidmount/Elysian Fields, or the oak teetering on the edge of the Sid river near Margarets Meadow, and the Cork oak at Sidbury.

With the help of Rotary, through Sandy McFadyen, we have involved children in planting trees. One year we created the group of shrubs and trees on the triangle opposite Waitrose on East Devon DC land. Then we work with land owners – gaining permission from Highways to plant on the Sid Road, from the Town Council on various sites, from the District Council on the Knowle for instance. Not to mention a planting of unusual fruit trees in a sheltered corner in anticipation of warmer summers. A hawthorn in Market Place, Wollemi pine in the garden of Belmont Hotel where we occasionally visit on guided walks. A lime in Knowle parkland, a mulberry on Knapp Copse.

At the January 2017 AGM Jon Ball became chairman of Sidmouth Civic Arboretum.

"I read Environmental Science at university and have had an interest in environmental issues throughout my working life. I am now semi-retired and as a result have more time to give to these interests. I am a volunteer for the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, participate in conservation work for EDDC on their reserves and became involved with the Arboretum through the tree survey carried out a few years ago.

"Trees have always been important to me, being such an integral part of the scenery in the Sid valley. Trees are very important to the landscape, to our well being and in keeping the atmosphere clean. Sidmouth has a wonderful tree heritage which the Arboretum is seeking to maintain by good maintenance and new planting. Getting the message over about trees to the local population, particularly the children, is key to making the Arboretum a success."

This year we introduced a new children’s event, which took place at Sidholme Hotel gardens. The year 5 children had a great day out – learning about leaf shapes, and touching the bark of different trees – a great success to be repeated in 2018. Kevin Croucher of Thornhayes Nursery has generously led walks in Sidbury and this year in Sidmouth, where Powys invited us into their lovely grounds on the corner of Station Road.

The Tree Trail leaflets – which have been a feature of the Arboretum work since its inception – are to be relaunched this autumn. The Sid Vale Association Keith Owen Fund have been a major sponsor of these leaflets, which are distributed free by volunteers; and offer circular walks in Sidmouth, Sidbury and Salcombe Regis – with special attention paid to the trees of course.!

The visual welcome must be maintained whether through the good work of Sidmouth In Bloom, or in private gardens or public spaces. Young trees need to be planted to replace the aging Monterey pines so characteristic of the urban roof line, and self-sown sycamore that sometimes invade.

This winter further planting will take place and a maintenance programme organised to include monthly work parties. With a strengthened committee the Arboretum will attend more events – meet us at Science Festival on October …. 

And pop in to Kennaway House on 24 November for the annual Celebration of Trees – music and gifts and fun with trees.

Sidmouth and Ottery breaking news and sport - Sidmouth Herald
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A solution to our housing problems: offsite manufactured homes

A technology which is raising increasing interest is CLT:
Futures Forum: A solution to our housing problems: CLT > cross laminated timber

This is very much connected to the idea of manufacturing housing units 'offsite' - otherwise known as 'prefabrication':


Can prefab homes solve UK's housing crisis?

Modular developments in Manchester and Liverpool are energy efficient and built in quick time, but can they spark national interest?
 

Urban Splash’s factory-built homes on the canal at New Islington, Manchester. Photograph: PR

Joey Gardiner

Thursday 26 January 2017

“I’ve always believed there must be a way to get better quality and build quicker,” says Tom Bloxham, chief executive of Urban Splash, a property development company best known for pioneering trendy loft living in Manchester and Liverpool.

With the launch last year of the company’s factory-built homes, shipped to site by lorry, Bloxham thinks he’s found the answer.

Urban Splash is part of a small but growing number of organisations looking to change the way homes are built through the adoption of off-site – also known as modular construction or prefab homes. From businesses to policymakers, there is growing interest in off-site-built housing as a possible solution to the UK’s critical housing shortage.

While timeframes are project dependent, most estimates are that off-site-built homes can be produced in about half the time of traditional construction as the house itself can be built in the factory while foundations are being laid on site. Developers also cite the reduced requirement for scarce skilled labour, fewer construction accidents and more consistent quality of build compared to traditional construction.



FacebookTwitterPinterest Initial concept sketch for Urban Splash’s factory-built homes by Shedkm architects. Photograph: PR

There are also sustainability gains to be made. A report by Systemiq and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, launched at Davos last week, highlights several potential environmental benefits from off-site construction, including more energy efficient homes.

So is now the time for off-site construction to hit the mainstream?

Bloxham thinks so, saying production line precision means his homes are both “extraordinarily” airtight, which improves their energy efficiency, and highly customisable. With his 43-home scheme in New Islington, Manchester, all sold and occupied, he is now aiming to ramp up production to several thousand a year. “We’ve shown there’s a demand for it, we’ve shown the quality is really good, and now it’s building the capacity,” he says.
Prefab’s bad image

But the off-site manufacture of homes and buildings has been the future of construction before – most notoriously in the 1950s and ‘60s.

New Labour’s John Prescott attempted to revive the idea following a review of the construction industry in the late 1990s but it was killed off in the recession, due largely to its comparatively high cost at the time. Its biggest advantage – speed of construction – wasn’t valued by housebuilders who had no interest in building houses any faster than they could sell them.

“For traditional housebuilders that sell homes on the open market, the one thing they don’t need is speed,” says Richard Jones, partner at building consultant Arcadis. “While that business model has dominated, off-site has always remained a cottage industry.”

The sustainability argument is not straightforward either. Prefab homes may be more energy efficient but critics such as Mike Leonard, chief executive of the Building Alliance, say their components are overwhelmingly imported, which adds air miles. In contrast, says Leonard, traditionally-built houses source 80% of materials domestically.

While there is no reliable data on uptake, the most recent estimate by the National House Building Council suggests fewer than one in six homes uses off-site technologies, and maybe one in 20 the kind being pioneered by Bloxham.

There is also the contentious issue of employment. “What you’re getting with off-site is not superior, it’s imported and it’s costing British jobs,” says Leonard.
A UK industry

There are, however, examples of a UK off-site construction industry emerging. Last year insurance giant Legal & General set up L&G Homes in a factory near Leeds to build up to 4,000 prefab homes a year. Nick Frankland, L&G Homes chief executive, says the first home will run off its production line in the next three-to-four weeks, dispelling any lingering preconceptions about prefab housing in the process.

“[It] is quite a sexy product,” says Frankland. “We are building precision-built homes that are millimetre accurate, that work differently in regards to heat loss, airtightness. We’re trying to push what you’re able to deliver, and we believe this can be a contributor to the housing supply gap in the UK.”

L&G Homes’ ambition is to produce the houses as far as possible from domestic materials.

Acting in favour of off-site is a buoyant housebuilding sector which has pushed up traditional construction costs to comparable levels. The growth of a new class of developers building homes for rent, for whom quick construction means they can start making money earlier, is also helping. The Creekside Wharf scheme in Greenwich, London, by build-to-rent developer Essential Living is one example.

The expansion of off-site construction is expected to be a key theme in the government’s long-awaited housing white paper, due to be published soon. The report will draw on last year’s government-commissioned Farmer Review of construction that warned the industry to “modernise or die” – that the rapid retirement rate of UK construction workers meant it had to embrace new building techniques, not least off-site construction.

“The housing crisis is about production capacity, and innovation is the most important piece in solving this,” says report author Mark Farmer.

For Andy Dix, chairman of trade body Build Offsite, innovation in modular housing – and who’s doing that innovating – will determine the future of the UK’s built environment sector. With virtual construction software (with which designers draw up precise digital models of buildings) being integrated into automated production line processes, Dix thinks the time is ripe for a disruptive new entrant such as a Google or a Tesla to radically rewrite the way the construction industry operates.

“Frankly, if we don’t do it quickly then foreign firms will pour in and we’ll have lost our domestic industry,” he says. Whether the UK industry will be in time, is still open for debate.



Offsite manufactured housing offers an innovative way for housing associations to build more homes

The Accord Local Homes factory demonstrates how we can develop the capacity to build more high quality homes at lower cost


Alan Yates is Executive Director of Regeneration at Accord Group

9 November 2016

The Government has committed to increase housebuilding from 130,000 by at least another 100,000 homes per annum.

Their interest in Offsite Manufacturing follows the publishing of the Farmer Review of UK Construction. This report, produced by the Construction Leadership Council, considers how to reduce the vulnerability of the construction industry to skills shortages and looks specifically at the potential role for offsite manufactured housing in the private rented sector.

The Accord Local Homes factory demonstrates how we can develop the capacity to erect more high quality homes at lower cost than traditional building, with added advantages of reduced waste, fewer defects, speed of construction, fewer vehicle movements and lower running costs.

The Government has been interested in this agenda for some time, as evidenced by visits from former Housing Minister Brandon Lewis MP – who witnessed a pair of semi-detached houses being erected on site in a day – and more recently from current Housing and Planning Minister Gavin Barwell MP, who visited the factory and one of our live sites. Prior to that, I attended round table discussions with Kris Hopkins MP and a number of manufacturers and developers, and he was particularly keen to see an increase in offsite manufacture following the publication of the Offsite Housing Review by the Construction Industry Council in 2013. This report suggested that when a step change in housebuilding is required, this offers an opportunity to do things differently – in fact in order to meet higher build targets you are compelled to do things differently.



For Accord, we had been importing a highly insulated panellised system from Norway and with our own in-house design team now familiar with the product, five years ago we decided to move into offsite manufacturing ourselves. Feedback from our tenants has been great and with such low running costs they are better able to keep warm and healthy – and of course it leaves more money to help pay the rent, so it makes good business sense for a landlord to build these efficient homes too.

Having the ability to design and manufacture our own homes, the last piece of the jigsaw was to erect them. We embarked on this with the establishment of a Construction Team two years ago and the net result is that we are now building higher quality homes for a lower cost than traditional build – a good example of value for money.



In addition to selling homes from our factory to other housing associations and councils, Accord has now developed a replicable ‘factory in a box’ concept that would result in more factories being established across the country. We can support other developing organisations to quickly move into offsite manufacturing, gaining the benefit of the ten years' work we have put into developing this concept.

The potential market is huge and with the L&G factory in Leeds reportedly able to manufacture 3,000 new homes per year, that leaves another 97,000 still to be manufactured in order to provide the 100,000 additional homes required to meet government aspirations.


Offsite manufactured housing offers an innovative way for housing associations to build more homes | Blog | National Housing Federation
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Encouraging tourists to stop using plastic water bottles

The campaign to bring in bottle deposits is gathering momentum:
Futures Forum: "Bring back bottle deposits to stop plastic pollution in our oceans" >>> Surfers Against Sewage to deliver petition to Parliament tomorrow
Futures Forum: "Bring back bottle deposits to stop plastic pollution in our oceans" >>> consultations, campaigns, petitions

And it's not just in the UK.

Here is a comment received earlier this month on what's happening in the tourist industry in Kenya:

1 comment:

Carol Smith said...
It is now changing. Tour Operator in Kenya just announced it will stop offering its clients [tourists] free bottled water and will instead insist that tourists bring along their refillable plastic water bottles and in turn the company will supply water from 20 liter containers placed in the vehicle.

https://www.facebook.com/ShoorSafaris

http://www.prunderground.com/shoor-safaris-stops-offering-plastic-bottled-water-on-its-kenya-safari-holidays/00106131/


Futures Forum: "Bring back bottle deposits to stop plastic pollution in our oceans" >>> Surfers Against Sewage to deliver petition to Parliament tomorrow

The industry is showing initiative:
A great new initiative for the tourism... - Word of Mouth Kenya | Facebook
Embracing the Plastic Bags Ban for Tourism Facilities – Ecotourism Kenya

As is the government in Kenya:
Ministry bans plastic bottles from park, forest - Daily Nation

Meanwhile, in the rest of the world...

In the UK, it's back to water fountains:
Calls for more water fountains to stop people using plastic bottles | Metro News

It's happening in other parts of Africa:
The issue of plastic water bottles on safari and our need to protect wildlife from human impact

In South East Asia, the pressure is mounting:
​Here's how this campaign aims to stop millions of plastic bottles entering Cambodia's landfills | 1 Million Women

But meanwhile in the US, it's managed to become highly politicised:
That National Park Water Bottle Ban Trump Killed? It Was Working - adventure journal
Plastic Water Bottle Policy at Some National Parks Was Revoked by Trump Administration | Teen Vogue

Finally, here's some good advice on how to make it happen:
Tapping into a Successful Reusable Water Bottle Campaign
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"Bring back bottle deposits to stop plastic pollution in our oceans" >>> consultations, campaigns, petitions

Our oceans are really quite something:



Blue Planet II : The Prequel - YouTube

Plastic in our oceans is not a good thing, though:
Futures Forum: How plastic gets from your hand to your plate - via the sea

David Attenborough has been speaking about this in the run-up to his seminal series starting on BBC 1 later this evening:
David Attenborough on Blue Planet II: 'We are poisoning our oceans at an extraordinary rate' - The i newspaper online iNews
David Attenborough: filming Blue Planet 2 was a triumph and a tragedy - Telegraph

And here is something we can do about it:
Futures Forum: "Bring back bottle deposits to stop plastic pollution in our oceans" >>> Surfers Against Sewage to deliver petition to Parliament tomorrow

Although the industry is not too sure about it:
ACS voices fears over bottle return scheme
Michael Gove signals government backing for deposit return scheme
Plasteurope.com - PLASTICS RECYCLING UK: Government investigates bottle deposit return scheme / Move could help boost recycling rates for plastic containers

With a campaign and petition from Avaaz:

Every day 16 MILLION plastic bottles go un-recycled in the UK.

It’s a plague of plastic that's choking our rivers and suffocating the ocean -- it's even in our drinking water! But finally there's hope.

The Environment Secretary is considering a revolutionary plan to give people a financial incentive to recycle. It’s a complete no-brainer, but industry lobbyists and even supermarkets are fighting back, hard -- and there’s just one day left in the consultation.

The plan is super simple: a small deposit is paid with every plastic bottle, which you get back when you recycle the bottle. In places like Germany and Denmark this same plan has taken recycling rates to over 90%.

More recycling means new plastic production would plummet. We’d use less oil, our beaches, birds, and brooks could breath again, AND our councils would actually save money from lower garbage collection and landfill costs. Complete no-brainer.

There’s no time to waste -- every minute another 10,000 bottles go un-recycled

Secretary Gove: End the Plastic Plague Now!

In the wild, a single plastic bottle can take 450 years to break down. Winning this would be a victory felt for centuries. Our great, great, great, great grandchildren will walk on their beaches, birds circling overhead as the waves roll in, smiling back at us. Let's make this happen now, for us, for them, and for our world.

More information:

Plastic bottle deposit return scheme could save England's councils £35m a year (The Guardian)
Michael Gove suggests plastic bottle deposit scheme (BBC)
We are all choking on plastic pollution -- it's time for the UK to act (The Telegraph)
Sir David Attenborough Calls For Action Against Plastic Pollution (Futurism)


Avaaz - Secretary Gove: End the Plastic Plague Now!
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