Newsletter March 2008
Welcome to the March edition of the Sustainable Ottery Newsletter. We have had an active few weeks in which we have launched a new working group ‘Factory Future’ dedicated to securing a positive future for the Ottery factory; we have found that 95% of shoppers want Ottery to go plastic bag free; and Rob Hopkins the originator of the Transition Towns concept is coming to speak in Ottery in May, an event which will be filmed for groups like ours all over the world. Do read on to find out more!
Factory Future
Public meeting, The Institute, Yonder St, Ottery St Mary, Friday 28 March, 7.30pm
The future of the derelict mill and factory on the edge of Ottery hangs in the balance, as the company that currently owns the site, Churchill Property Group, is apparently preparing to submit a planning application to East Devon District Council very soon. Sustainable Ottery has no information on what the contents of this planning application will be (there are rumours it will include a supermarket). But our Factory Future working group and others in Ottery are busy generating some brilliant ideas for the site. We now want to open up the discussion to the wider community through a public meeting on Friday 28 March, 7.30pm in The Institute. If we can generate enough support for our ideas – who knows – maybe Churchill would be willing to support them too!We have invited a range of speakers from outside Ottery with experience in sustainable regeneration and developing sites as community assets, to help us think through the possibilities and methods for realising our vision for the factory site.
At present, the ideas range from promoting the site as a model for sustainable and renewable energy use (including hydro-electricity generation), creating a wholesale centre for local food and a training centre for local crafts and skills, to starter units for local businesses, premises for a museum and affordable housing units. Please come along to hear more about these ideas, add some of your own, and join the discussion on how we can take them forward.
For more details, contact Helen Collinson, Helen@hcollinson90.freeserve.co.uk
Tel 01404 814078
Community Market
This project will be taking off in April when the first market will 'open its doors' on Saturday 26th at 9.30am. It's at the Institute and will go on all morning until 12.30pm. Stalls are already being booked and we hope for a full hall with lots to interest you and to buy. Refreshments will be available.
These markets will be on the last Saturday morning of each month, with the exceptions of October and November (18th and 22nd respectively). Do come along and join in the fun. We hope it will become a vibrant part of community life in Ottery, and that we will get all sorts of ideas and tips from each other as well as goods! If you would like to rent a stall, contact Diana Jones on 811761. Stall hire is just £3 a time.
Permaculture Course
Permaculture is a practical approach to growing food, building houses and creating communities that uses resources in a sustainable way. For some people it is just a better way of growing vegetables, while for others it is a way of life.
Phil Portman, a local Permaculture trainer has agreed to run an Introduction to Permaculture course on Saturday 19th April here in Ottery, at the Institute. The day will run from 10 - 4ish and aims to get the basics across to an audience that either does not know what Permaculture is and is interested to find out or who know a little and want to find out a bit more about the principles and how to get started. There will be handouts to take away. There will be a charge of £5 for the day to cover expenses.
If you are interested in reserving a place on this course, numbers are restricted, please contact Ian on 01404 812213 or email him on otterypermaculture@googlemail.com
Rob Hopkins talk
We are delighted to announce that Rob Hopkins, permaculture teacher and transition towns originator, will be speaking in Ottery on May 15th. Rob is an advocate of using the expertise and talent of local people to solve our own problems and create a successful community that continues to be an enjoyable place to live many years into the future as well as addressing the problems of climate change and peak oil. He is an engaging speaker who is in demand around the world as the Transition Town idea spreads like wild fire. His talk will be filmed and made available on the internet to groups in communities like ours around the world. Come and be part of this historic event.
The King’s school, Thursday 15th May 7.30 pm.
Entry £3.00/£2.00 concessions/free to students
Energy Working Group
WHAT DO I DO WHEN I’VE CHANGED MY LIGHTBULBS ?
A (big) next step can be to switch to an energy provider who promotes renewable energy. You can choose from:
Good Energy www.good-energy.co.uk Phone: 0845 456 1640.
Their supply comes from 100% renewable sources and they buy a substantial amount of electricity from micro generation projects. Sustainable Ottery has negotiated a £30 discount off the first invoice for Sustainable Ottery supporters who sign up to Good Energy. Offer runs until 30th June 2008.
The other provider is:
Ecotricity www.ecotricity.co.uk Phone: 08000 326 100.
Their approach is different in that they use all customer receipts to construct renewable energy projects. They promise that their New Energy tariff matches the standard tariff of the local electricity company but the supply on this is not 100% from renewable sources. For 100% renewable energy supply you have to opt for their New Energy Plus tariff, which tops up supply from existing sources of renewable energy.
Resources Working Group
95% of shoppers surveyed by Sustainable Ottery in February have said they would like to see the town go plastic bag free. Over two days in February 197 people were interviewed and the survey also found that most shoppers in Ottery are already switched on to the green message with 77% bringing their own bags when they go shopping and a huge 96% being aware of the problems caused to the environment by plastic bags. We also met people who enjoyed visiting the town because of its distinctive nature and lack of a large supermarket!
The resources working group now plan a meeting to discuss how to move forward and find ways to support traders as well as show the short film about the shocking effects of plastic bags that persuaded Modbury to go plastic-bag free.
Visioning Day
Members of SO spent a sunny Saturday in February creating a vision of how the community might look in 20 years time and then looking back from the future to see how we got there.
Local jobs, locally owned shops selling goods from the area, home-grown veg and harnessing renewable sources in the town - such as the millstream and wind on surrounding hills – are just some of the ideas we came up with.
Given the twin challenges of climate change and peak oil, SO members anticipate that in 20 years time pedestrians will have reclaimed the streets and open spaces in town from their current domination by the car. Proposals included a totally car-free town centre, with community buses bringing people into the centre and bike and scooter loan schemes and car clubs around the town, so people did not need to own a car.
World Café
This successful event generated lots of ideas which you can find on the web site. One result was we agreed to give more talks to various interest groups. Notes from the meeting are at: http://www.sustainableottery.org.uk/#/pastevents/4525949381 or CLICK HERE
Sustainable Ottery welcomes new members. Anyone interested in finding out more can come along to a meeting, join one of the working groups (energy, heart and soul, arts and creativity, factory future, plastic bags and packaging, locally produced food, and transport) or email: info@sustainableottery.org.uk. See www.sustainableottery.org.uk for future events.
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