News stories for April 2000
29th April 2000 - Australian TV focuses on HHPWe were pleased to help and get involved with an Australian TV documentary team, who are researching the most successful eco-villages across Europe. We are one of 12 projects from across Europe that are being filmed for a documentary some time next year. Although we are the smallest of the projects looked at, being more of an eco-hamlet, they felt that HHP worked well in the context of eco-communities. Also with the group was an Australian town planner who was collecting evidence and ideas to use back in his district of Byron, where they are hoping to set up a number of varying sized eco-villages.
28th April 2000 - HHP gains 'Major Commendation' in recognition of its exemplary environmental achievementsThe UK's premier business environment awards, the BCE Awards, recently announced its 1999 results. Hockerton Housing Project Trading Ltd (the Business Company based at HHP) has gained a MAJOR COMMENDATION in recognition of exemplary achievement with its environmental activities. BCE awards have consistently recognised the variety of business commitment to the environment to be found throughout Britain, from small to large companies, in the private and public sector. Rt. Hon.William Hague, MP presented last years winners with their awards, included British Airways and Wessex Water. HHP has managed over 3,000 enquiries in the last few years, including professionals such as architects, students and university lecturers, over 200 media articles, local government officers, and members of general public interested in different aspects of the project. The project has run nearly 100 tours of the project, given over 25 talks to various interest groups, provided advice and consultancy on low-energy house design, providing publications about the project, and supplied a limited range of 'green' goods. More recently HHP has received a Government grant to promote further the development of new sustainable communities. We are very pleased to have received this award, particularly since we have managed this with relatively small resources. Hopefully our activities will have a significant impact on the way others consider the environment.
24th April 2000 - How much does environmentally-friendly housing cost and where can you find the cash to fund it?
Living the Good Life- How much does environmentally-friendly housing cost and where can you find the cash to fund it? It also refers to the Co-Operative bank and Ecology Building Society, both of whom were involved in funding of HHP. It has several other ‘green’ features in this copy. Other recent media coverage include a repeat of the 1998 BBC2 ‘Home Front’ programme "The greening of a lounge", where one of the families in the project were subjected to Anne McKevitt’s unusual approach to design! We have also been recently filmed by Yorkshire TV for a feature on unusual homes to be shown later this spring and should be included in article in next edition of ‘Green Futures’ (magazine of ‘Forum for a Future’). For past media coverage see media publicity.
24th April 2000 – Questionnaire - Are you interested in setting up or being part of a sustainable community?We have received funding to assist individuals and groups to set up their own sustainable communities, using our knowledge and experience. We would be very grateful if you could consider completing a questionnaire which will help us to design the most appropriate information and support services for such individuals and groups. To receive a copy of questionnaire, please email us (hhp@hockerton.demon.co.uk ) and we will send it electronically for you to return via email. If this proves difficult, either print off or return to address shown at top of first page, or let us know and we will put in post a printed copy with SAE. To compensate for your time we will send you a complimentary copy of the guide to setting up a sustainable community (when published later this year) and enter you into a prize draw for five copies of- PRIZE -Low Impact Development – Planning and People in a sustainable countryside (Simon Fairlie) – Published at £10 PRIZE I hope you can find time to assist us in this work and I look forward to your responses. Please return the questionnaire by end may. Many thanks in anticipation of your contribution. (All responses will be treated in absolute confidence)
20th April 2000 – HHP takes delivery of electric carToday we took delivery of an electric version of a Peugeot 106 car. This is part of a countywide scheme - Nottinghamshire Millennium Electric Vehicles Project. Nottinghamshire County Council in partnership with PowerGen, the Energy Saving Trust’s (EST) PowerShift Programme and Nottingham City Council have secured funding of £300,000 to purchase electric vehicles and promote green transport. HHP has received a significant grant towards the costs of this vehicle. We would like to acknowledge the support and commitment for this scheme by all partners involved, in particular PowerGen and Peugeot. One of the key aspects of the Hockerton Housing Project is sustainable transport. We have always aimed to reduce our negative impact through use of fossil-fuelled vehicles. Indeed it was written into our leases that each household was only allowed to have one fossil-fuelled vehicle. In addition to adopting car-sharing schemes within the group, walking where possible and using bikes, we have made use of several human-powered vehicles. However, one of our long-term aims has always been to make use of electric vehicles. Because we will have our own on site supply of renewable energy, via a wind turbine (later this year), we will be able to charge up the car with clean CO2 –free energy. A truly zero-emission car from a zero-emission development.
Quotes from Article for Public Service Review - DETR Journal (draft copy) "It can be said that the environmental benefits of the project are more impressive than the financial package organisations will receive. The electric vehicles particularly if charged from renewable energy will help to address many of the negative issues of transport. A major benefit from electric vehicles is that they have no exhaust thus no emissions, improving the air quality where the vehicles are used, giving a reduction in such gases as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide to name a few." "A key aim of the scheme is to actively encourage those in receipt of a grant to charge the vehicles from a renewable … If charged in such a way the vehicles will become net zero emissions, thus not only removing pollution from the point of use but, removing it all together." "The project is designed with many aims in mind but a primary objective was to enable local organisations to put their sustainability principals into practice. The project is another step towards the vision of more Sustainable Communities. The vision forms the Department of Environment Transport and the Regions best practice report General Information Report 53 which the Newark and Sherwood Energy Agency (an EU funded initiative involving the County Council) had a major involvement in developing. These examples of local best practice include Hockerton Housing, which is a fully autonomous housing project. Their most recent development will include a wind turbine to generate electricity, which could be used to re-charge the electric vehicles. The project has helped them and other organisations develop and further extend their sustainability principles to the transport aspect of their work." "Cllr Derek Green Vice Chair of Nottinghamshire County Council Resource Committee says "the project is a fantastic opportunity to promote the use of alternative fuelled vehicles, raise awareness of environmental issues; and it is exciting to involve and work with such a variety organisations". Contact: Alan Allsopp – 0115 9773571 or alan.allsopp@nottscc.gov.uk Principal Energy Management Officer Nottinghamshire County Council Environment Department Further details available from:
18th April 2000 -The New Autonomous House - Design and Planning for SustainabilityThis book by Brenda and Robert Vale is to be published next week. Prof. Brenda and Dr Robert Vale are the architects for the Hockerton Housing Project. Nick Martin from Hockerton Housing Project built the Autonomous House for the Vales in 1994. We welcome and recommend this enlightening publication and hope that it inspires others to follow in the footsteps of the Vale’s approach to building sustainably. We are able to supply copies through the post as well as having them available during site visits. Please email us (hhp@hockerton.demon.co.uk) if you are interested and we will send you further details. To order direct: - Please send a cheque made payable to ‘HHP Trading Ltd.’ for £19.95 (£18.95 + £1 p&p) – to: Hockerton Housing Project, the Watershed, Gables Drive, Hockerton, Southwell, Notts NG25 OQU. We will include a free HHP brochure with the first 10 orders.
The following text is taken from the book cover. In 1975, Brenda & Robert Vale published The Autonomous House, a manifesto offering down-to-earth suggestions for building homes that do not pollute the earth or squander its resources. The book received tremendous praise from all over the world and was seen as a significant move towards green architecture. Nearly twenty years on, in the early 1990's, the Vales decided to turn their groundbreaking ideas into reality. The New Autonomous House records the building of a house based on the principles of sustainable resources in the small town of Southwell in the British Midlands. As specialists in green architecture, the aim of the Vales was to create an environmentally friendly four-bedroom residence which was neither exotic in appearance or difficult to maintain. They document the philosophy, design and construction of a building without mains water or sewerage, but with the means to produce power from the sun, and the facilities to collect drinking water from the rain. The New Autonomous House has a simple but revolutionary message - that it is possible to live in a home which is inexpensive, kind to the planet, and which liberates its owner from utility bills. Robert & Brenda Vale provide a thought provoking, practical solution to the environmental problems caused by the houses in which we live, a blueprint of green architecture for future generations. (With 37 drawings)
6th April 2000 - What's that Ruddy Duck!A Ruddy Duck appeared on the lake today. This very attractive duck is characterised by a brilliant blue bill, bright chestnut coloured body and black cap. In the late 1950's about 20 unpinioned young ruddy ducks escaped from the Wildfowl Trust reserve at Slimbridge. From there original strongholds on reserves in Somerset and Staffordshire these North American 'stifftails' (due to stiffly cocked tail-what else!) spread quite rapidly. They bred for the first time in 1960. There is some mixed feeling about the success of this 'immigrant'. Some purists consider it to be semi-domesticated. However its ongoing success in indicates it is here to stay - Will it stay for long at Hockerton?
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