Feedback - Gleaning in our area this week

We’ve now got THREE gleaning days coming up for you in Kent - we just discovered TONNES of apples, pears and potatoes going to waste on 3 farms near Canterbury and Sandwich!
We’re going on a trio of epic missions to save as many as possible of those tasty fruits & veggies from going to waste for charity, and we NEED YOUR HELP.

We’re going gleaning on Thurs 20th and Sunday 23rd near Canterbury and on Weds 26th October near Sandwich. Sunday 23rd in particular will be a huge glean - there are 30 TONNES of apples available - so we're opening Sunday's glean to Londoners too!

Each day will run from 10am-4pm (TBC). We’re inviting volunteers to the farms to help save all those tasty apples, pears and potatoes for the fantastic charities FareShare, FoodCycle and Community Food Enterprises. Witness the colossal waste first-hand, and have a great social day out for a fantastic cause!
To join one (or all!) of the great apple, pear and potato gleans, sign up here: ow.ly/5xFT3036eA3
You will then be sent more info on the gleaning day, closer to the time. We cover travel expenses from Kent and nearby – just check with us first.
For more info, please contact kent@feedbackglobal.org

Victoria's Green Matters - Thursday 13th October 2016

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

What a disaster! The decision by the communities’ secretary, Sajid Javid, to overturn Lancashire County Council’s rejection of fracking in our green and pleasant land has surely opened the flood gates for shale gas to be produced in this country.

‘Preston New Road Action Group’ had campaigned vigorously against fracking in this area of Lancashire close to the Fylde coast and within sight of Blackpool Tower. They had convinced Lancashire County Council to turn down the application by fracking company Cuadrilla but the company lodged an appeal and it was upheld. The action group are devastated and commented that it feels that the government neither listens nor can be trusted to do the right thing for local communities.
This decision comes a day after the Paris agreement passed the threshold for ratification. The agreement, signed by the UK, requires countries to phase out fossil fuels completely later this century. The government’s own statutory climate advisers had concluded in a report in July that fracking would break the UK’s carbon targets but this was not considered for Cuadrilla’s appeal. Amazingly, it was thought that shale gas and its relation to the Paris agreement was for future national policy – how can it possibly not matter now?

It is worth noting that fracking, which is climate polluting, gets government backing while overlooking local decisions and with incentives to local people while on shore wind, proven to be low cost and low carbon gets nothing.

Be assured, shale gas will not lower fuel bills.
Victoria Nicholls. Transition Deal.

Victoria's Green Matters - Thursday 6th Oct 2016

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

It is a very disturbing fact that we humans have managed to destroy one tenth of the planet’s remaining wilderness areas during the last 25 years and there may be none left at all by the end of the century if we carry on in the same way.

Nearly one third of the loss of wilderness was in the Amazon where large areas of pristine rainforest are still being destroyed despite the Brazilian government’s action on slowing deforestation rates in recent years. Another 14% of wilderness has disappeared in central Africa, where thousands of species, including forest elephants and chimpanzees live. If the world were to lose its last untouched refuges, this would be catastrophic for not only endangered species but also from a climate change aspect, as these forests store vast amounts of carbon.

There are good reasons why we need to protect these wilderness areas; they are a reference point for pre-human activity even though the poorest of the poor are living there; the biodiversity must be preserved and we need the forests to absorb the large amounts of carbon we produce. If we lose more forests in these areas, world leaders will have an even harder job to try to control our carbon emissions and fulfil their pledges to tackle climate change at COP21 in Paris last year.

While there are strongholds of wilderness in Canada, Australia, Asia and parts of central Africa, they are the jewels in the crown and must be protected at all costs.

Victoria Nicholls. Transition Deal.

Deal With It - Autumn Events 2016

Weds 5th October: Deal Station Meadow - Tidy up 10-Noon

NB this will only go ahead if not raining

Sunday 16th October: DWI Organising Group 11am

Meet at Landmark Garden/Bar - open meeting all welcome

Thursday 13th October: DDC/KCC Neighbourhood Forum on Environment

Astor Theatre 6-9pm - We will be having a stall there so would appreciate some help

please email info@delawithit.org.uk if you can help

Sunday 23rd October: Walmer Beach Clean 10am

Meet at Sea Café on Walmer Green for a pop-up Beach Clean

You can help us by displaying the enclosed window poster ...

Friday 28th October: Transition Supper 6:30-9:30pm

St Andrews Church Hall West St Deal

An evening of music, ideas and community meal

We are very fortunate to have Naresh Giangrande a founder member of Totnes Transition and a Director of the Transition Network with us.
Naresh will do a brief talk on the Transition movement so we can get a conversation going on how to transform Deal and Dover
Food: we will be providing seasonal soup, bread, salad and some rice & pasta.
So please bring a main and sweet to share (please label veggie/vegan/etc + if contains nuts/wheat).
Drink: we will provide a welcome soft drink and teas & coffee - please bring anything else you want
Plates etc are all at the venue

Socialise with inspiring ideas....

MC: Adrian O
Music from the Sunshine Ukes and special guests
The event is Free but we are asking for people contribute what they can on the door to cover costs....

As numbers at going to be limited on this please RSVP as soon as possible to either emailing us at info@dealwithit.org.uk or book at our Eventbrite Site here

Saturday 5th November: Seedy Saturday 10:30-1pm at the Landmark Garden

Last chance to get the fruit press out for 2016 - please bring your autumn apples & fruits.

Thursday 10th November: Deal With It evening meeting 7pm

Dealability, Victoria Rd Deal.

Weds - 21st December: Welcome the Winter Solstice at our Dealwali celebration in the Landmark Garden

Music, Food and good company - Please bring candles and jars

Walmer Beach Clean - Sunday 23rd October 10am

Our next pop-up beach clean will be on Walmer Beach on Sunday 23rd October meeting at 10am at the Sea Cafe on Walmer Green.

Pickers, Bags and Gloves all provided - pick will last about 1-1.5hrs

All welcome

Rippledown Oct Kids Holiday Club

Rippledown Kids Holiday Club  We are now taking bookings for October Half Term Holiday Club. We have created a new timetable of activities. All activities will run from The Pines Garden see the holiday club page for details. Full week @ £100 per child, per week Extra siblings go for just £80 each Single days are £25 per day per child

Dates & Times Mon 24 October - Fri 28 October 9:00AM - 4:00PM

Book Online!

Single Days  - Call 01304 851 737 Monday to Thursday 9.00 till 14.30

Pick up & Drop off Read more about Holiday Club here Kids from 7-11 can join us Pick up and drop off at The Pines Garden Beach Road St Margaret's Bay Dover CT15 6DZ View the map

We look forward to seeing you! Very Best The Rippledown Team

Deal Station Meadow - Tidy up Weds 5th Oct

We have our autumn cut and tidy of the meadow area at Deal Station on Wednesday 5th October meeting at 10am for about 1-2hrs.

No digging but please bring a rake if you have one - we will sow some wild seeds on the bare areas and hopefully cutting some of the more thuggish plants (we have a lot of dock!)

DDC/KCC Neighbourhood Forum in Deal 13th Oct

Community Meeting To Focus On Environmental Projects In The Deal And Walmer Area

Joint Press Release By: Kent County Council and Dover District Council

Residents are invited to come along to a community meeting focusing on environmental projects in the Deal and Walmer area, being held at the Astor Theatre in Deal on Thursday 13 October from 7pm.

This is the latest event to take place in the Dover District under the remit of the Neighbourhood Forums.

The meeting will include a chance to meet local groups and to find out about environmental projects in the area. The event will include information stands and speakers from projects including the Pines Calyx, Rippledown Environmental Education Centre, and Deal With It. There will also be an opportunity to get involved in small tabled discussions on the work of KCC and DDC on environmental projects in the area.

Doors open at 7pm and the event closes at 9pm. Light refreshments will be provided.

Dover District Neighbourhood Forums are a joint initiative between Kent County Council, Dover District Council and Town and Parish Councils, and are a key element in our commitment to continue to inform, consult and involve local residents.

For further information, please email neighbourhoodforums@dover.gov.uk or see the Neighbourhood Forums page or see the KCC Community Engagement page, or sign up for regular updates with our Keep Me Posted email alert service.

Victoria's Green Matters - Thursday 29th September 2016

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

We have written about poor air quality in the past and emphasised how deadly it is all around the world. It kills more people than malaria and HIV/Aids put together and has been linked to heart and lung disease and strokes for many years. Now, toxic nanoparticles from air pollution have been discovered in human brains.

The scientists have called their new research a ‘discovery finding’ which should now lead to further examination into what is potentially an environmental risk factor in Alzheimer’s disease. The recent research, which examined the brain tissue of people from Manchester and Mexico, found many particles of magnetite, an iron oxide. This substance is particularly toxic in the brain and oxidative cell damage is one of the key features of Alzheimer’s disease.

Many of the magnetite particles found in the brain are very distinctive because their shape suggests that they are from molten sources from combustion, such as car exhausts, power stations or industrial processes. Magnetite pollution is everywhere – a survey of roadside air in Lancashire found 200 million magnetite particles per cubic metre.

A study undertaken in 2015 linked air pollution to a significant increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease while other research showed brain damage in children and young people related to Alzheimer’s. Dementia in older men and women has also been linked to air pollution.

Surely it is time to take drastic action to reduce the amount of pollution in our cities so as not to condemn future generations to this horrible disease.



Victoria Nicholls. Transition Deal.

#GreatBritishBeachClean - Deal 18th September

 

All Big Thank You to our 33 Volunteers of today's Deal Beach Clean - part of MCS's 'Great British Beach Clean'

We collected and logged 14 bags of rubbish weighing just over 18kgs - lots of small bits of plastic and fishing line today. 

Our next Deal With It Beach Clean will be a pop-up one on Sunday 23rd October 10am meeting at Sea Cafe on the Walmer Green - All Welcome.

There is also the Kingsdown & Ringwould Parish Council's Autumn Beach Clean of Kingsdown Beach next Sunday 25th Sept from 10am

Orchard Community Energy - Kent's 1st Community Energy Company AGM

5.5% APR 3-YEAR BOND. ORCHARD COMMUNITY ENERGY BOND LAUNCH AND AGM

Event to be held at the following time, date and location: Wednesday, 14 September 2016 from 18:30 to 21:00 (BST) UKP Leisure Club Avenue of Remembrance ME10 4DE Sittingbourne United Kingdom View Map

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Want to find out more about the community energy model? The board of Orchard Community Energy ( OCE) - Kent's biggest community-owned renewable energy project - invites you to its bond launch and first AGM. We have already successfully acquired a £6M solar farm in Iwade Parish, near Sittingbourne, using the community ownership model. This is an exciting step for Kent and just the beginning of our aim to ensure communities have the opportunity to own and control the generation and use of energy. Come and hear about what community investment in this solar array near Iwade in Kent is now achieving. Existing members and shareholders as well as local and Kent-wide residents are warmly invited to join us at UKP Leisure, Sittingbourne. OCE acquired the solar array in June 2016, when the site was already generating and exporting electricty to the grid. The 5 MW array produces enough electricity in a year to meet roughly the equivalent demand of 1250 homes. Using the community energy financing model, we are ensuring that surplus profits are accrued at a highly beneficial rate. Over a 20 year span, Orchard Community Energy aims to build a Community Fund of up to £3M. Supported by Mongoose Energy Limited, the board of OCE, plans to deliver further community energy projects, enabling the people of Kent to literally take power into their own hands. Please book early as spaces are limited. For information about other community energy events in Kent throughout September and October, where you can speak to at least one of the OCE directors, please contact Stephanie Karpetas. stephanie@sustainabilityconnections.co.uk Agenda 18.30   Arrival    Refreshments and a chance to network/ meet the Board 1900    The Orchard Community Energy Bond Offer (The full bond offer document will be available on the evening) 19.45    AGM : Including Chair’s Report – what has been achieved so far and plans for the future – Penny Shepherd; audited accounts, community fund and re-election of Directors. 20.30 Q & A / Networking 21.00  Close

Eastry Community Energy - 10th Sept Open Day

Eastry Energy is a new Community Energy Initiative based in Eastry near Sandwich. 

We are organising our first Energy Information Event in the afternoon of Saturday 10thSeptember 2016 

Name of the Event: “Power to the People”
Location: Eastry Village Hall - High Street - CT13 0HE Date: Sat 10 Sept Times: 2 to 5pm

The aim of the event is to create a dialogue with local residents and raise awareness of products and services that are now available in the renewable sector.

Great British Beach Clean - Deal 18th September

This month sees the annual national survey of rubbish on our coastline run by the Marine Conservation Society - 'the Great British Beach Clean'

Our Deal Beach Clean on the 18th September (9:30am meet at Deal Pier) is part of this and we will be supplying pickers, bags, gloves and logging sheets. Children are very welcome but must supervised by an adult.

The Clean will last for about an hour.

There are about eight other cleans happening around the Kent Coast and nearly 200 nationally see here for full details

Great British Beach Cleans in Kent include:

17th September: Bishopstone Glenn - West. Register >

17th September: Grenham Bay. Register >

17th September: Pegwell Bay. Register >

17th September: Plumpudding (Minnis Bay). Register >

18th September: Deal. Register >

18th September: Beach Walk. Register >

18th September: Dungeness NNR. Register >

19th September: Garrison Point Beach. Register >

19th September: Epple Bay. Register >

You can see the national report from the 2015 Clean here

Victoria's Green Matters - 1st September 2016

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

Zero Waste Week is a campaign dedicated to raising awareness about waste and reducing it around the world. After all, there is no such place as ‘away’. Every time we throw something away, it goes to landfill, is incinerated, it is litter or worse, it may end up in the stomach of an animal.

Zero Waste Week takes place each year and is happening this year from 5 - 9 September. It is concentrating on food waste and the theme is ‘use it up’. Did you know that the average family wastes £50 worth of food a month? It is definitely time we did something about this.

There are many ways that you can aim for zero waste. Avoid the BOGOF! If fresh items are involved in a ‘buy one get one free’ offer, the chances are that you will throw away the extra one. Either only have one item or if you have two, make sure that you share the extra with friends or neighbours if you can’t use it yourself.

How are you on portion sizes? Take note from the packet of pasta/rice and only cook enough for the people you are feeding or make sure you have plans to use any leftovers!

Once in a while, only cook what you already have in the house. See what you have in the freezer and your cupboards – you will probably be really surprised by the meals you can create.
Have you left your fruit and veg too long in the bowl and they’re past their best? Don’t throw them away – make soup with the veg and smoothies with the fruit.

To find out lots more about zero waste go to www.zerowasteweek.co.uk

Kent CPRE Response on Richborough Masts development

We thought the CPRE's response to the planning application was worth publishing - Please see their website at http://cprekent.org.uk/news/cpre-kent-protests-phone-mast-plans/ for further details:

The local campaign against the Masts can be found at here

The company site can found here


CPRE Kent believes that the applicant has not demonstrated that other technologies are not available to meet communications needs.  Establishing the need for the mast will be important during evaluation of the planning balance when determining the application. An identified harm would be more difficult to justify if there are different ways of meeting the same communications objective.  A mast of the size should not be permitted anywhere is East Kent unless it is demonstrably in the public interest, and the least harmful site has been identified.  The case has not been made.

There are clear planning objections to this particular site (see landscape, heritage and ecology impacts below).  It is therefore relevant and necessary to consider whether there are more appropriate sites elsewhere.  Although the Planning Statement and the Technical Operation Report mention consideration of alternatives, it is not clear which alternatives were considered and why they were discarded.  This is necessarily relevant to the decision.  Indeed the similar and current application at Richborough Power Station is necessarily relevant to the decision. 

It has not therefore not been demonstrated that the proposal, by necessity, should be sited in the location proposed.   It is essential that a scheme of this size should make every effort to minimise its impact and site choice must of course be relevant. 

The Planning Statement sets out search parameters at paragraph 3.9.  It is of particular note that the search parameters did not include avoiding landscapes of historical, cultural or archaeological importance.  Furthermore,
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avoiding impacts on habitats and species of principal importance, and designated habitats, should also be relevant to the choice of site.

The consideration of alternatives is critical in this case and a key element of justifying harm.  Weighing public benefits against that substantial harm (in the planning balance) would be inappropriate if that harm can be reduced on an alternative site.  Of course this would need to have regard to site availability and deliverability.

Mast Sharing

The statements associated with the application do not indicate whether they have discussed mast sharing with other operators, with a view to reducing the numbers of masts proposed in this area.  They commit to accommodating other users where possible, but do not appear to have communicated with a prospective alternative provider (such as Vigilant Global) also seeking a similar mast.  In view of the scale of the proposal this would not be an unreasonable expectation.  Questions should be asked such as: Is New Line Learning Networks prepared to share the mast with competitors?   What structural changes, or changes to mast height, would be required if additional dish antennae were to be accommodated?

This point is key.  It has not been demonstrated that there is a need for two masts of this scale.  The proliferation of masts of this size should clearly be avoided where possible and that is in the public interest.

CPRE notes that The Planning Statement explains that it will use mast ‘sharing’ to improve local infrastructure (local telecommunications).  CPRE disagrees with the justification set out at paragraph 7.56.  A mast of this height and in this location is not necessary to sustain the rural economy, nor meet the needs of the community.   This would be a negligible benefit in the overall planning balance.

Landscape and visual impact

The Ash Level Landscape Character Assessment makes the following notable statement:  ‘There is little built development, creating a predominantly horizontal landscape with little to interrupt the view or focus the eye’.   The proposed mast would clearly not protect or enhance the local and wider landscape character of this open and horizontal landscape.   CPRE is of the view that it will have far-reaching and significant detrimental impact.

CPRE believes that this harm to the character and appearance of the landscape is a significant impact, reinforced by its relevance to nearby nationally important heritage assets, and Richborough Fort (and associated features) in particular.  Indeed the Wantsum Channel itself is a landscape of historic, cultural and archaeological importance in its own right and it is inappropriate to assume that the harm to this landscape area is only relevant insofar as it relates to the cultural contribution of the landscape to the understanding of nearby heritage assets. 

Impact on the views from Richborough Castle are also harmful and significant.  CPRE disagrees with the following conclusion (para D8.7) in the Environmental Statement:

“These effects are not considered to be significant due to the visibility of other large scale buildings and infrastructure, the limited physical effects and the reversible nature of the effects on aesthetic and perceptual aspects.  In relation to Richborough Castle, the slender nature of the mast means that whilst visible the proposed development would not affect visitors’ ability to interpret the historic landform and strategic siting of the fort”.   

The proposed mast would clearly disrupt important views across this heritage landscape.  The open nature of the landscape is important and the development would represent a substantial and unpleasant feature.  The visibility of other buildings and infrastructure does not limit the significance of the harm to the setting of the Fort, since it will be nearer than other development, and of course, much taller.     It is the view of CPRE that the mast, by virtue of its height and location, would have significant and harmful landscape impact over a wide area.  Further, it is unlikely that ‘using subtle and slimline materials and colour’ will significantly mitigate impacts on landscape character.

As such, the proposal fails to satisfy Policy DM 16 (Landscape Character) of the Core Strategy, which states:  

“Development that would harm the character of the landscape, as identified through the process of landscape character assessment will only be permitted if:  
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i. It is in accordance with allocations made in Development Plan Documents and incorporates any necessary avoidance and mitigation measures; or  ii. It can be sited to avoid or reduce the harm and/or incorporate design measures to mitigate the impacts to an acceptable level”.


This case cannot be made for this proposal.  The impact is unacceptably harmful and it has not been justified.  Other proposed vertical features, such as the Richborough Connection, would further compound this impact.  Indeed the information submitted with the proposal does not seek to properly understand the visibility over long distances.

Heritage assets 

The proposed development is likely to have a significant effect on the setting of the Roman site at Richborough.   The site is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and includes the Grade 1 listed Richborough Castle.    

There are, of course, other historic landscape features in the locality, most notably the former Wantsum Channel which forms part of the setting of Richborough Fort.  Views of this channel are prominent from the castle and are important in the understanding of the strategic siting of the castle.  Correspondingly the mast will be visible from the Scheduled Monument and the listed Richborough Castle and would be clearly detrimental to the experience of visitors to the site and the interpretation of the landscape setting in particular.  The harm to the setting of the fort, and the ability to appreciate it would be significant. 

Furthermore, it is the view of CPRE that the Wantsum Channel is a heritage asset of value.  It forms part of a historic and cultural landscape that makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the pattern of development in East Kent.  The impact of the scheme on the landscape character of this area, which forms part of the setting of numerous heritage assets, would be substantial and harmful to its evidential, historic and aesthetic value and thereby its significance.

Ecological assets

The site is designated as a Local Wildlife Site with notable bird, invertebrate, mammal and reptile species.  Golden Plover (an SPA species) is relevant, but there are numerous other Species of Principal Importance or otherwise notable.   The risk of bird impacts is a significant concern of CPRE and this issue should be discussed in detail with Natural England, Kent Wildlife Trust and RSPB.  An alternative site might lower this risk and this should be relevant to the alternative site assessment.  Of course the lack of experience of this height of mast must make the impact on birds uncertain, and this is an important concern due the valuable migratory species overwintering in East Kent.

CPRE Kent must object to this application and submit that it is essential that the need for the mast is established, that the alternative site assessment is made available, that the two applications should not be considered in isolation, and that significant weight be given to the heritage, landscape and ecological harm likely to result from the  development