Thursday, January 29, 2015

Victoria's Green Matters - 29th January 2015

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

The climate is warming; we can all be sure of that and it is up to us to find strategies for coping with these changes. Some European cities have had enough foresight to find solutions that will help their inhabitants cope with the expected warmer temperatures.

Cities are generally warmer than the surrounding areas due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI), an effect caused by the large amount of concrete and asphalt present. Planting trees and bushes provides shade, reduces temperatures, reduces air pollution, increases biodiversity and improves health and wellbeing.

In Stuttgart, Germany, ventilation corridors are utilised to allow cooler air to flow in from the surrounding areas to the inner city. Because the effects of cooler air are so positive, local inhabitants have been persuaded to keep these corridors free from buildings, a strategy that has been incorporated into the Land Use Plan and resulted in 60% of Stuttgart’s surface area being green.

The city of Nijmegen, in Holland, has included some innovative schemes to create more green spaces. One simple idea was to attach climbing wires to buildings in five streets to enable plants to grow upwards and keep the houses and surrounding areas cooler. So effective was this solution that many other residents have asked for the same in their streets.

There are other, simple solutions to bringing green space into your town or city. Perhaps a car park can become ‘multi-storey’, so freeing up other car parking to create a green space for the enjoyment of all.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Send a Post Card to Deal ....


Have you got an burning idea how we can make Deal and
surrounding locality Greener in 2015 ?


This could be creating more pop-up meadows or small
community gardens on waste land - Organising community litter
picks to deal with a ‘Grot-spot’ near you or a beach clean - It
could be getting a skill-swap between neighbours or looking at
setting up a community energy initiative

Well then … you need to send a ‘Postcard to Deal’.
These will be available at the Landmark Centre, Golf Road
Centre, Platform One Cafe, Sea Cafe on Walmer Green and
other local outlets.

Just write down your idea and how we can contact you

24th -31st January 

Exhibition at Landmark Cafe

 See what Deal With It did in 2014


Saturday 31st January 2-3pm Landmark Centre

Annual General Hoo-Ha 

(Like a AGM but with more cake) - All Welcome


Marine Conservation areas at Deal and Dover under assessment


 

Marine Conservation Society has flagged up that the Government is assessing two local areas off our coast as Marine Protection Areas.


9 Dover to Deal
10 Dover to Folkestone

For more details please see the MCS site here

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Victoria's Green Matters - 22nd January 2015


Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury:We have a vast source of power all around our coastline but lack of investment over the years has meant that tidal power has become the Cinderella of the renewable technologies.

The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon (SBTL) is set to become the largest marine energy development in the world if planning permission is given for the scheme this spring. A tidal lagoon generates electricity by releasing water through turbines in conjunction with the pressure variation caused by water level difference between lagoon and sea. The SBTL can generate electricity in both ebb and flow tides as the turbines can work efficiently in both directions.

The beauty of tidal power is that it is entirely predictable for years to come so that the amount of electricity that can be generated can easily be calculated. It is expected that SBTL will be able to produce enough power to supply 155,000 homes for 120 years.

The SBTL will be the start of a whole new era for South West Wales. The project will mean about 1850 new jobs in the construction phase and 60 long term jobs in operations. There will also be 90 jobs in the leisure industry. There are plans for a water sports centre, an offshore visitor centre and the creation of new wildlife habitats including sea reefs and seabed sanctuaries.

With 86% of the local population of Swansea and the surrounding area in favour of this development, let’s hope that the necessary planning permission will be granted.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Deal Beach Clean 16th Jan


A big thank you to the 30 volunteers who came to our first Beach Clean of 2015. 

In little over an hour we collected some 21 bags of rubbish weighing 91kgs.

There was lot of fishing line found today. We know from experience that has caused the deaths of several sea birds and seals in the last few years.

The next  MCS clean will be on the 29th March. We have had feedback that the Sandown end of the beach is bad at the moment - so we will look at either a pop-up clean down there before or have the 29th down there.




Saturday, January 17, 2015

Workshop: Coppicing with hand tools at West Blean Wood 18th Jan

Coppicing with hand tools at West Blean Wood

Leader: Mark Tuson

Have a go at the traditional technique of coppicing at West Blean wood using hand tools. After felling the tree, stacking logs and clearing brash there will be an opportunity to learn about the different uses of wood and how coppicing plays an important part.

Wednesday 18th February
10.00am - 3.00pm

Meet at Bleangate entrance, Braggs Lane, Herne Common, Herne Bay CT6 7NP

Maximum 20 people, please book beforehand on 07747 474365 or 01227 719506.

Organised by Kent Wildlife Trust

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Solar Farm nr Marshborough Exhibition Sandwich 19th Jan

vogt solar is developing a proposal for a 5MW solar farm on land to the west of the Sandwich Bypass and north of Marshborough. 
 
The solar farm will provide enough renewable energy to meet the electricity requirements of around 1,500 average UK homes per year, for the 25-year lifetime of the project.
   
A mixed species grass meadow would be created beneath and around the solar panels, attracting insects and birds, and improving biodiversity. The meadow will be grazed by sheep, keeping the land in agricultural use.
 
We would like to invite you to a preview of the public exhibition we are holding. This will be held from 2-3pm (drop-in) on Monday 19th January at The Guildhall in Sandwich.
 
You are also welcome to attend the main session of the public exhibition, which is from 3-7pm on the same day. We are posting out an invitation to the exhibition to local residents today.
 
I attach a briefing document providing an overview of the solar farm proposal, and demonstrating how it compares to a larger, previous proposal brought forward in 2013. This document also details the many biodiversity benefits the solar farm would bring to the area.
 
I hope you are able to attend the exhibition preview. Should you have any questions at all, or if you feel a meeting or briefing would be beneficial, please do let me know. Similarly, please feel free to forward this document onto your members, or anyone else you think may be interested in the project

KCC consultation on new 'Thanet Parkway' station 19th Jan

KCC's Strategic Planning have issued a report on proposals to build an extra railway station on the Dover - Ramsgate line which serves Deal, called "Thanet Parkway".

KCC now proposes to go ahead with some urgency. Ais an early stage in their public consultation, KCC's Transport Strategic Planning Team will give a short presentation as part of Deal Town Council's Full Council meeting next Monday 19th January 2015 at 7.15.
As part of the formal meeting it gives only limited possibilities for public participation, especially by non-councillors, so the DTC Transport WG will have an informal discussion of the proposals and any implications for Deal from 6-7pm  to the Council meeting in the Committee Room.
Anyone is welcome to attend and join in.
The main local concerns are that a Station outside Ramsgate with a large car park might attract so many customers from local stations as to undermine the viability of  the current level of train services at Deal and Sandwich.

http://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travelling-around-kent/thanet-parkway-railway-station
 


Victoria's Green Matters - 15th January 2015


Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury: It is interesting to follow the effects of the reduced oil prices that are prevailing at the moment. The most notable, of course, is the price of petrol and diesel at the pumps. It was difficult to imagine such a situation this time last year.

The decreased cost of transport should lead to lower prices in the shops, particularly food but it will also mean that more fuel is being used as drivers travel more. Unfortunately, this means increased carbon emissions which is bad news for the environment.

We all know that the only way we can avoid disastrous climate change is to limit our carbon emissions and the only way to do this is to reduce our use of fossil fuels. A new report from University College London (UCL) states that a large percentage of the world’s reserves of fossil fuels need to be left in the ground if we are to avoid even a 2⁰C increase in global temperatures.

We are often hearing about how much the oil companies are putting into exploration for new oil and gas reserves – £443bn as recently as 2013 – but we must question why they are doing this when we cannot burn known reserves, never mind new ones. If there is to be global agreement at the Climate Summit in December this year, developing countries must be persuaded to leave their fossil fuel reserves in the ground and encouraged to develop renewable sources of energy, with help and investment from the developed world.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

THE GARDEN OF THE POOR OLD WOMAN - Astor 22nd Thursday

THURS EVENING 22nd JANUARY AT THE ASTOR THEATRE DEAL

THERE WILL BE A SHOWING OF '' THE GARDEN OF THE POOR OLD WOMAN ''

A PORTRAIT OF PLANET EARTH IN VIDEO , PHOTOGRAPHY AND POETRY
BY DEAL ARTIST ADRIAN O


THIS PRESENTATION IN AID OF CANCER RESEARCH

WILL BE FURTHER ENHANCED BY THE WONDERFUL HARMONY SINGING OF LOCAL SINGERS SUE WATSON AND LIZZI STEPHENS. SUPERB HARMONICA BY AL CLARK
AND INSTRUMENTAL BACKING MUSIC BY CHRIS TAYLOR AND CHRIS SADLER.

THE EVENINGS STARTS AT 7.30, AND WILL FEATURE A SUPPORT ACT, BY YOUNG EMERGING TALENT, SINGER/GUITARIST SHIOBHA SUMMERS


£5 on the DOOR, ALL IN AID OF CANCER RESEARCH.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SUPPORT IF YOU CAN MAKE IT,
BEST WISHES, ADRIAN O

Monday, January 12, 2015

Deal gathers in solidarity and unity for #JeSuisCharlie


Deal gathered on Sunday at the Pier in a show of solidarity and unity with the massive ‘Je Suis Charlie’ rally in Paris. 


Over 200 people attended at the informal gathering hosted by Deal With It.

Adrian Sullivan, from Deal With It said “We had a fantastic response from the community in Deal with over 200 attended the Gathering and many, many more sending messages of support. It was Deal at its finest.

We had only floated the idea of a community gathering, to coincide with the rally in Paris, on Saturday Lunch time.

I was great to see that many people had made their own posters and placards.

The community really came together on Sunday; we had several churches, local community groups, representatives from all the political parties and many individuals who just wanted to express their quiet support for the victims.

One of the many privileges of living in Deal is that on most days you see France ; in the last week France has been closer to us.”

Adrian Sullivan Photo Harold Wyld





All our photos can be found here

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Victoria's Green Matters - 8th January 2015


Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury: It seems a very sad state of affairs when we find that one in ten of England’s wildlife havens have been damaged or lost during the last five years.

Local Wildlife Sites (LWS)are not like national reserves and sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)which are protected by law; they only have limited protection under planning rules but provide homes for a wide selection of wildlife ranging from frog orchids and marsh gentians to grass snakes, harvest mice and water voles.

These sites are vitally important for both people and wildlife. Local communities find benefits for health, well-being and education by having access to nature in their local area and a network of corridors connects wild spaces.

Many of these sites are quiet, unnoticed wild places where nature thrives but a study of nearly 7,000 of these places found that around 700 of them had been lost between 2009 and 2013.

It is not surprising that these habitats are being threatened when local authorities are under pressure to build more and more houses. There are many brownfield sites around the country that could successfully be used to build new homes near to town and village centres but builders do not want to invest in the clean-up of once industrial sites and prefer the ease of building on ‘new’ land. There is no denying that new homes are needed but permission is being granted for building without proper consideration for all the effects that ensue and much more care is needed.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Deal Gathering Sunday 2pm Je Suis Charlie



Je Suis Charlie.
We want to mark the dreadful events in Paris this week.

In solidarity with the massive rally there on Sunday, there will be a gathering in Deal at Deal Pier from 2pm

One community to another ... for all communities

Please bring posters, candles etc.