Brixton Energy Co-op share launched

From Inside Housing:

A Brixton-based co-operative has launched a share issue, to fund the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on a Lambeth estate, using an innovative model which it hopes to roll out to social housing across south London.

Brixton Energy is selling 75,000 shares, each worth £1, in Brixton Energy Solar 1, a co-operative society set up to install 50kW of solar PV on the roof of a block on the Loughborough estate. The building is owned by Lambeth Council and run by arm’s-length management organisation United Residents Housing.

The co-op, made up of investors in the project and which sprang out of community climate change campaign group Transition Town Brixton and Brixton Low Energy Carbon Zone, decided to go ahead with the offer despite cuts to the feed-in tariff - the subsidy payment made to generators of renewable electricity - which has seen the returns fall from around 10 per cent to 5 per cent, leading to warnings from the solar sector that investor confidence has been shattered.

Investors in Brixton Energy Solar 1 will earn about 3 per cent a year, the offer document predicts, with another 2 per cent diverted into a community energy efficiency fund which will invest in greening the estate.

The co-op decided to push on with the plan regardless of the FIT reforms, which will see the tariff fall by 10 per cent every six months, because of the community benefits set to emerge from the fund.
The panels will earn a FIT of 15.2p/kWh, plus 3.1p/kWh from the sale of the electricity back to the grid, and the co-op plans to sell some of the electricity at a discount to URH.

‘It’s a beta model [a prototype] for re-powering South London,’ said Agamemnon Otero, one of the directors of Brixton Energy, a Stockwell resident and former analyst at investment bank Better World Finance.

Lambeth Council has installed some solar panels on some of its housing stock, however, Afsheen Rashid, who is part of the co-operative and works for the council, said that there wasn’t enough funding for the Loughborough Estate.

In the first five days, the share issue had raised £14,000 from 17 investors.
The co-op hasn’t yet signed a lease with Lambeth to rent the roof, but according to the offer document, this should be agreed by March when the co-op also hopes to install the panels.

The offer is open until 10 March.

https://brixtonenergy.co.uk/

http://www.transitiontownbrixton.org/

Victoria's Green Matters - 23rd Feb 2012

Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury:

 A mixed reaction this week to the news of the construction of eight, new nuclear power stations in the UK. There is good news in this item because it involves work for one of our oldest and most renowned engineering companies, Rolls Royce. This deal is worth some £500 million and can create 1,500 new jobs in the UK. It is a joint venture with France, a country that has many years of experience in producing nuclear power.

Nuclear power is very expensive and these power stations will not be generating electricity for between ten and fifteen years from commencement. We need alternatives to fossil fuel generation much sooner than this if we want to reduce our carbon emissions.

What we really need is the installation of many solar photovoltaic (PV) systems so that more and more buildings can generate electricity. How many south-facing roofs could have PV systems in place for £500 million? In addition to this we need to cut our energy use by reducing waste. It is sad that so few buildings have adequate insulation in roofs and walls. Together with other renewable energies such as wind, wave and tidal the UK is ideally placed to generate its own energy from renewables.

If we have to make a choice between electricity from nuclear on existing sites or by gas produced by hydraulic fracturing (fracking), the carbon emissions that will produce, the possible contamination of ground water and the disruption of the countryside, the choice looks like nuclear.

Jumble rumble at Fowlmead 31st march

There will be a Cycle Jumble organised by Deal Tri - At Fowlmead Country Park, North of Deal on Sat 31 March Bring and sell or Come and Buy !

 

P.S. anybody want a dog cycle trailer that the dog has voted against ??

Deal Beach Clean Sunday 4th March 9am

The next Deal Beach Clean will be on Sunday 4th March at 9am - meet Wendy our beach warden at the Pier.

Equipment and bags will be supplied but please wear suitable footwear and warm clothes.

As it is Fairtrade Fortnight in the Town there may also be a Fairtrade treat at the end!

DEAL FAIR TRADE FORTNIGHT 27th Feb-11th March

DEAL's FAIR TRADE FORTNIGHT: 27TH FEBRUARY TO 11TH MARCH 2012
The theme this year is “Take a Step for Fairtrade”.

1. 21st February 2012. Pancake Evening at Trinity Church, Deal. Delicious pancakes served with Fairtrade lemon juice, sugar, honey, jam, chocolate spread etc.

2. Friday 24th February. We plan to have a stall at Café Eden in St. Richard’s church hall from 10am to 12noon.

3. Monday 27th February, Friday 9th March, Saturday 10th March - information stall in Deal Sainsbury's. 10am to 1pm.

4. Monday 27th February to Sunday 11th March. Deal Library - information stall.

5. Monday 27th February to Saturday 10th March. Skylight Cafe in the new Golf Road Community Centre is promoting Fairtrade and selling cakes and biscuits made with Fairtrade ingredients. We are having an information table here.

6. Wednesday 29th February. As this year is a leap year Happy Walkers are dedicating their Wednesday 29th February walk to Fairtrade, taking a step rather than a leap. They are finishing at the Skylight Cafe afterwards for some Fairtrade refreshments.

7. Friday 2nd March. We are supporting the Women’s World Day of Prayer taking place at Walmer Baptist Church.

8. Saturday 3rd March. Walmer Baptist Church is having a coffee morning from 10am to 12noon. We plan to supply Fairtrade biscuits for this and they are using Fairtrade tea and coffee.

9. Sunday 4th March. Wendy Boorman who is our beach warden for the Marine Conservation Society is working with Deal With It and Fairtrade to have a beach clean, meeting at Deal Pier at 9am. All are welcome for this and we pray for fine weather.

10. Thursday 8th March. We are working with Cllr. Eileen Rowbotham to celebrate International Women's Day.


Sue Delling 

Co-ordinator 

Deal Town Council Fairtrade Working Group

Dover District Cycle Forum Greenway & Times Campaigns

(1) RIVER DOUR GREENWAY Phase 2


The consultation for phase 2 of the River Dour Greenway cycle route between Ladywell and the seafront in Dover has just opened. A lot of thought has gone into how to skirt Pencester Gardens, approach and cross the Market Square, nip through the alley past the Museum, and use the precinct and the underpass to reach the far side of the A20 and the seafront.
CLICK HERE
or go to this link:https://shareweb.kent.gov.uk/Documents/roads-and-transport/major-transport/current-schemes/Consultation%20leaflet%20Phase%202%20-%20Proposal%20%20Questionnaire%20and%20Maps.pdf

...for the consultation documents which include maps of the route and a questionnaire.

Please fill this in and return to Traffic Schemes Team, Highways and Transportation, Kent County Council, Ashford Highway Depot, Henwood Industrial Estate, Javelin Way, Ashford, Kent,

TN24 8AD. Alternatively you can email traffic.schemes@kent.gov.uk, making it clear that you’re commenting on this scheme.

Consultation responses need to be received by Monday 5th March.
============================


(2) SUPPORT "THE TIMES" "CITIES FIT FOR CYCLING" CAMPAIGN!

Please sign up to support this nation-wide call for safer cycling on roads. This link shows three ways you can take action and help generate more support for the safer cycling campaign:

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/contact/

Most important is to persuade our local MPs, Charlie Elphicke and Laura Sandys (and as many others as possible) to attend the parliamentary debate on the measures called for by The Times's campaign on February 23.
Please take a moment to click on the link above, through which you can write to them with your concerns.




There's lot's more in the newspaper daily, most also appearing (for free) online, e.g.:

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3307439.ece

best wishes,

Ian

Ian Killbery earlystart@me.com
Chair, Dover District Cycle Forum
representing everyone interested in cycling in Dover District
affiliated to SPOKES East Kent Cycle Campaign http://www.spokeseastkent.org.uk

GP Dover & Deal Meeting 19th Feb

From Sarah:

 

"Invitation to a Meeting for Green Party Members of Thanet and the Dover / Deal areas (and anyone thinking of joining the Green Party )

 

Sunday 19th February @ 4.30 pm -5.30pm in the Black Douglas - Beach Street opp the Royal Hotel, Deal"

Victoria's Green Matters - 9th Feb 2012

Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury:
 We were almost thinking about Spring, with longer days and sunshine leading to thoughts of getting the garden into trim for the coming growing season. But it was not to be and winter is here again with a vengeance to remind us that it isn’t finished yet.

We can think ourselves lucky that we live inside nice warm houses and don’t have to forage for food. Our garden birds aren’t so lucky and many will not survive this desperately cold spell of minus temperatures and heavy snow falls.

We can do lots to help them. Small birds in particular often lose weight overnight with the effort of just keeping warm. Unlike humans, birds need saturated fat to keep warm so suet balls are a good option. (Don’t put them out in the nets that they are sometimes sold in – birds can get trapped in them). Grated hard cheese is another source of fat and is loved by shyer birds such as wrens and dunnocks.

Fruit, such as apples, is good too, and will be quickly eaten by starlings, blackbirds, robins and thrushes. Peanuts are a favourite, of course, but always use a feeder to minimise the chance of birds choking on whole nuts. Shelled sunflower hearts are very popular with lots of birds as they are easily converted into energy.

Water is vitally important for birds, too, for both drinking and bathing so take steps to de-ice your bird-bath or garden pond.

Look after your birds and enjoy their antics!

DWI Meeting 28th Feb - Banish Plastic Bags

Deal With It's Feb meeing will be on Plastic bags and their impact on the environment and wildlife

We have Amber Bytheway from the Deal based 'Banish The Plastic Bag' Campaign (if you have not signed the petition you can find it here ) and Patrick Old Chair of the Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory

The meeting ison Tuesday28th Feb at 7:30pm at Dealability, 43 Victoria Rd Deal.


All welcome

Deal Sea Defenses

Just in case you missed the consultation exercise by the environment agency and DDC at the Deal Town Hall on 3/4 Feb - You can get submissions into before it goes to DDC planning later in Feb

The work seems to be in two parts a) more shingle & rocks on beach between Sandown & Deal Castle b) a new sea wall on the prom between Deal Castle & the Royal.

The work will start in Sept - The main disruption will be the closure of the prom for some of the time between Oct-Dec? Limited money to from either EA or DDC to turn this into something interest on the seafront...

EA Site & Contact: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/135503.aspx

New Transition Film is coming....

New Transition Movement Film [Transition 2.0] is coming!

Here is the inspirational trailer.

Who knows the next one may cover what we are doing here in Deal
http://youtu.be/XKN3RLkEGfM

Great Mongeham Society Meeting 23rd Feb

Christopher Alexander and "The Nature of Order" presentation

The Great Mongeham Society is now in its twelfth year and the scheduled  evening's entertainment is a presentation by Sajjad Afzal-Woodward on  the architect Christopher Alexander, the author of "A Timeless Way Of Building" and "A Pattern Language".

His work has already inspired many of us in the green and transition movements and now in "The Nature Of  Order" he presents the core of a new cosmology that will hopefully guide all our efforts in the future to heal ourselves and the earth.

Great Mongeham Society Meeting, 23 February 2012 Village Hall 7.30pm

thanks to Sajjad for the info.

For more info on Christopher check out Transition Culture or http://www.patternlanguage.com/leveltwo/ca.htm

Dover Council to Charge for Garden Waste from April

Just as the District's recycling is creeping upwards Dover District Council are planning to introduce Garden Waste Charges from April.

This is shorsighted as we can as a community use such waste to produce compost as DDC & KCC has been doing or produce in other green energy initiatives

 From the DDC Website:

"New Garden Waste Collection Service

We are making changes to the way we collect garden waste.

In order to extend the service to all resident we have decided to introduce a chargeable collection service starting in April 2012.

Why are these changes being made?

The current garden waste service is only available to approximately 72% of the district and we continue to get requests from residents who wish to join the scheme but are unable to do so.

When does the new service start?

The new service will start in April 2012. You will need to subscribe to the service by April 2012 to continue to receive a garden waste collection.

How do I subscribe to the new service?

We will be sending an information leaflet to every resident at the beginning of March which will explain how the new service works and how you can subscribe. We will start taking payments for the new service in March.

How do I get more information on the new service?

We are in the process of finalising the details of the new service. Full details of the service will be given in an information leaflet, which will be sent to every property in the district, in the beginning of March. Further information will also be available on our website in the end of February."

Outdoor learning for Teachers at Rippledown 1st March

Rippledown is holding a free event for teachers on:  

Thursday March 1st 2012 between 4pm - 8pm

At Rippledown Environmental Education Centre and we'd be delighted if you and your colleagues would attend.

Find us here on Google Maps: http://g.co/maps/c7ssc

The event is for all: Head Teachers, Teachers and Classroom Assistants interested in Outdoor Learning.

As well as fantastic home cooked food, campfire and activities there will be a wealth of interesting talks on Outdoor Learning for schools as well as a tour of the facilities available to your school at Rippledown.

For more information and to book places online see: http://rippledown.com/march-1st-a-free-event-for-teachers/ or call us on 01304 364854.

We sincerely hope you and your colleagues can make it.

Kind regards

Dave Jones & Carol Hopkins

Human Powered Vehicle Champs at Fowlmead

Fowlmead Country Park will be hosting the very exciting "2012 - Human-Powered Vehicle World Championship" 8-9-10 June". 

 

The 2012 WHPVA World Championships will be held in England at Fowlmead country park in Deal, Kent on the 8th, 9th and 10th of June 2012. 

This is an event where people from all over Europe and possibly further afield will race some of the world's most efficient and advanced pedal cycles in existance.  We have only a very minimal rule-set for basic safety but none of the restrictive and arbitrary rules so often imposed by most cycling organisations which stifle innovation.  Here amateur cyclists will be achiving speeds in excess of 40mph on the flat riding machines at the cutting edge of bicycle technology.

The event is open to anyone, there is no pre-qualification needed and you can ride pretty much any pedal cycle you wish, bicycle, tricycle, quad, foot powered, hand powered, race a unicycle if you really want.  There will be several races over the 3 day period ranging from a 100 meter flying start sprint to a 2 hour mass start circuit race.  Points will be allocated to the racers for each race and the rider with the most points at the end will be declared world champion!
 

I understand this has recently been held in Italy and the cycling participants are looking forward to a "nice, smooth, fast, swoopy race track", great local B+Bs and super East Kent ale and breakfasts (not in that order!) 

 

Full details at http://www.wc2012.bhpc.org.uk/

 

Thank you Sarah for the report

Victoria's Green Matters - 2nd Feb 2012

Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury:
Investment for the future has come to light this week, both at home and abroad. The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced a prospectus for the development of a marine energy park in the South West. Further parks are envisaged in Scotland at the Pentland Firth and in Orkney.

Marine energy is thought to have the potential to generate between 150MW and 300 MW by 2020, contributing £15bn to the economy by 2050 and in doing so creating thousands of jobs and a source of low carbon electricity.

It is good to hear that the ‘greenest government ever’ is doing something tangible at last to maintain its image even if that image has been tarnished by statements such as George Osborne’s claim that environmental policies might hold back economic development. It is quite obvious that the opposite is true.

In New York, the Roosevelt Tidal Energy Project, will provide a series of tidal turbines on the East River comprising 35 generators by 2015 if environmental impact studies on people and wildlife prove to be minimal in effect. This is great news alongside US President Barack Obama’s decision to ban the import of oil from tar sands in Canada, the world’s dirtiest fuel.

All we need now is further investment in renewable energy projects, money for the Green Bank to lend, a Green Deal to make homes more energy efficient, strong carbon emission targets and for the government to forget all about a new airport in the Thames!