Newsletter November 2010

Welcome to the latest Sustainable Ottery newsletter. This month we cordially invite you to our AGM on Thursday 18th November at 7.30 p.m. in the offices of Ottery St. Mary Town Council which includes a short address by Prof. Tim Gorringe at 8 p.m. Another important date is 30th November which is the deadline for submissions on E.D.D.C.’s Local Development Framework is so make sure you make your feelings known by then. Don’t forget the drumming and the Community Market too.

Have your say……

SUSTAINABLE OTTERY’S AGM - 7.30 P.M. 18TH NOVEMBER OTTERY ST. MARY TOWN COUNCIL OFFICES.
Like all of Sustainable Ottery’s meetings, our AGM is open to everyone and you are warmly invited to attend. There will be the formal voting in of directors and officials, reports on the past 12 months and our vision for the future. At 8 p.m. we will have a short talk from Prof. Tim Gorringe, (a lecturer in theology at Exeter University with a keen interest in environmental and ecological issues) about a future research project concerning the values that are required for ‘Transition’ (transition from an oil-based culture to one which is more resilient and less dependant upon fossil fuels in a time of changing climate). Please come along and be part of our meeting and let us know your views about Sustainable Ottery. Nibbles and drinks available!

HELP US MAKE EDDC’s FUTURE FOR OTTERY A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
East Devon District Council is currently consulting the public on its Core Strategy Preferred Options for the new Local Development Framework. Not the snappiest title for a public consultation but nevertheless an important opportunity for us to tell the district council what kind of future we want for our town. Go to http://eastdevon-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal and you will find the Core Strategy document. You can:Send a letter with your comments to: Planning Policy Section, East Devon District Council, Knowle, Sidmouth EX10 8HLE-mail: ldf@eastdevon.gov.uk; orInsert your comments directly into on EDDC’s Core Strategy Preferred Options paper via the http link above (there is a log-in procedure to follow before you can put up your comments).

All letters, e-mails and on-line comments need to be with EDDC by 5pm on 30 November 2010 and the last of the public consultations will take place in Tipton St John Village Hall on Wednesday 10th November at 7.30 p.m. 
You may also like to visit http://communitiesbeforedevelopers.org/  for more comments.

The Core Strategy Preferred Options paper` contains a section on Ottery St Mary and paragraphs 11.5 – 11.7 deal with the future – ie what EDDC will seek to do in Ottery over the next twenty years. Here are some points which we suggest people highlight when they comment on the Core Strategy document:

The construction of a cyclepath along the disused railway line between Feniton and Sidmouth. Even though this proposed project has been discussed and considered by local groups and councillors over many years, EDDC’s Preferred Options paper fails to mention it at all. As part of a broader strategy of a)reducing car use in East Devon and b)encouraging tourism and healthier living, we think EDDC should include this cyclepath in its core plans for Ottery St Mary and the surrounding area.

Development of the old mill and Cutler Hammer factory along sustainable lines. We agree with EDDC’s commitment to ensuring some of the old factory site is allocated to community use. But we think EDDC should also seek to ensure that any redevelopment of the site includes plans for renewable energy. The mill leat, for example, could potentially generate hydro-electricity not just for the mill site but for surrounding houses too, as a recent feasibility study for Sustainable Ottery demonstrated. Some of the electricity could also be sold back to the National Grid to help finance the cost of investing in this technology.

Reduction of traffic and pollution in Ottery. Now that Sainsbury has been granted full permission to build a supermarket in Ottery, we need to make sure that the resulting increase in car journeys to and from Ottery does not destroy an already congested town. Above all we need: more frequent buses and a better public transport system generally; more places to leave cycles in the centre of town; more pedestrian crossings; close monitoring of traffic congestion and decisive action by EDDC if it gets out of hand.

What do you think? Are there further points you think we should raise with EDDC to reduce Ottery’s carbon footprint and our dependency on fossil fuels? Please e-mail your views to: info@sustainableottery.org.uk – as well as sending your views directly to EDDC (see above).

It has come to our attention that BT is asking people to vote by area to get better speeds on their broadband. On the Ottery exchange there are not yet many votes, so could you get SO members to vote to improve the service on the 01404 exchange. I'm sure there's lots of people working from home in our area who would benefit from a better broadband service - help to make is feasible for those of us in rural areas. Go to www.racetoinfinity.bt.com  and invest 3-4 minutes in completing the form. You can skip the little video (nothing in there) but will be asked to provide your house name/number and phone number in order to vote.
 
Cultural activities…………….
DRUMMING SUCCESS
By far the biggest drumming group so far met on 23rd October and had a great time playing a selection of rhythms. The new format of a session for beginners followed by more experienced drummers seems to be very popular and there will be another afternoon session on Saturday 20th November. This will take place at our new venue of the Station Youth Club, on the Kings School side of the River Otter. Costs are £7.50 per session. For more information call 814217. Drums are available

Food activities…….
COMMUNITY VEGETABLE SHOP
In the September newsletter we mentioned the questionnaire which is currently being distributed in Ottery to assess what support there might be locally for a community vegetable shop – following the sudden closure of Wendy’s Greengrocers. To fill in the questionnaire online, please go to: www.sustainableottery.org.uk. Alternatively you can pick up a paper copy of the questionnaire in Ottery Healthfoods or Roberts Hardware. Both shops are also collecting completed questionnaires handed in to them. Please complete a questionnaire either online or hand in a paper copy to Roberts or Ottery Healthfoods by 15 November (deadline extended). Thanks.

START YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EARLY AT OTTERY’S COMMUNITY MARKET 
Shoppers can get a head start on their Christmas shopping at this month’s Community Market on 20th November. There will a full house of stalls, selling a wide variety of products from fresh vegetables to home-made cakes, wooden toys to works of art, Christmas decorations to hand-made soap, unique jewellery to one-of-a-kind cards; and more, something for every one.
It’s a win-win situation as market shoppers reduce their food miles and ensure that their money stays in the local economy, while having a great range of local produce and unusual gifts to choose from!
Sustainable Ottery’s November Community Market takes place on Saturday 20th November 9.30am – 12.30pm at the Institute, Yonder Street.

Some tips for living more sustainably – and saving money………

CUTTING ENERGY BILLS - RADIATOR REFLECTORS ARE THEY WORTH IT?
JOHN BRYANT’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I have seen lots of evidence which proves that putting reflectors behind your radiators works; making your house feel warmer with less energy used by pushing heat into the room that would have been absorbed by the wall behind your radiator. So, always keen to save money, I had a go at fitting them. Acting on advice from a friend, first I tried making my own, simply wrapping silver foil round cardboard taken from a large box and sliding it behind the radiator. It was a disaster! The wall was too close to the radiator, and in trying to fit the reflector all I did was block the gap at the back, the opposite of what I was trying to do. Not daunted I had a look for a product I could buy and found it at the following website - http://www.edfenergy.com/products-services/for-your-home/energy-store/index.html
EDF had had to return £170 to me due to my previous energy saving measures (a simple monitor which encouraged everyone in the house to switch unused equipment off instead of leaving everything running on standby.) So feeling flush, I bought their reflectors for around £25 for the whole house. The design is simplicity itself; thick silver foil and the plastic spines used to hold together A4 paper in clear plastic wallets. You cut the foil to size, (so it hangs inside the radiator support brackets) fold it a couple of times at the top to thicken and stiffen it, then slide the plastic spines along the top with an overhang at each end to rest on the brackets…”simples,” as the advert says; see the picture (Click on button at top of page). It took about 10 minutes per radiator and the effect was immediately noticeable, more heat coming off each one. The only thing I found frustrating was that I could have done exactly the same thing for much less, with good quality Turkey foil and the plastic spines from a stationary shop. Ah well, we live and learn.

LOCAL JOB OPPORTUNTIES
Sustainable Ottery has been asked to publicise a recruitment campaign for 29,000 temporary part time and full time vacancies to ensure the success of the 2011 Census. Local Census Collectors will be required. For more information then please visit www.censusjobs.co.uk Home working is great for the environment and maybe your wallet/purse too?

ECOTRICITY
Ecotricity is planning to issue EcoBonds in December to raise £1M to enable the company to accelerate its development of solar & wind electricity and bio-gas. The bonds - effectively a loan to the company - will be issued in multiples of £500 for a minimum term of four years and will pay a fixed 7% interest annually (7.5% for customers). Those interested in more details should visit www.ecotricity.co.uk or telephone 08455557100. This is for your information only and Sustainable Ottery does not endorse this investment opportunity, and everyone should check it out thoroughly before signing up.

OTHER EVENTS IN THE LOCAL AREA

Late Night Shopping in Ottery Friday 26th November – lots of Christmas fun as the shops and shopkeepers dress up for Christmas, so a great time to get your Christmas shopping done early! Santa may put in an appearance too on his sustainable reindeer-powered sleigh!

King’s School PTFA Christmas Fair – Friday 3rd December from 7.00 p.m. – the usual mix of good quality gifts at excellent prices, raffle, tombola, cakes, toys, books etc. etc. So if you didn’t get all your Christmas shopping done on the previous Friday in Ottery shops then come along and grab a bargain and help support the King’s School PTFA.

Waste and Energy open meeting with a speaker from Devon County Council
Tuesday 9th November 7.30pm Sidwell Street Methodist Church. Annette Dentith, a Principal Waste Management Officer with Devon County Council, will be talking about new, greener ways of disposing of household waste and in particular the energy from waste proposal at Marsh Barton in Exeter. Annette has recently chaired a major seminar on a sustainable future for waste and resource management in the south west. There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the meeting.

Big Society, Local Solutions – exploring locally owned, locally led initiatives. Tuesday 16th November 10.30 – 4 p.m. The Park, Stadium Way, Exeter EX4 6PX.
Do you want more say with within your community?
Make a difference – translate your ideas into action and get the community you deserve.
This is a FREE event for anyone involved or interested in collective community action to take control of their living/working environment, people frustrated with lack of provision in their area, decision-makers who need to take on board other options to address local needs.
For a full Agenda and details of all the speakers for event, please see the attached pdf.
To book, contact info@cooperatives-sw.coop telling us who you are, your organisation and contact details.
Please note: there is only space for 80 at this event, so make your booking asap to guarantee your place!
Building a strong, distinctive and unified co-operative sector in the South West
Co-operatives SW Tel. 01752 822261 www.cooperatives-sw.coop 

Sid Valley Energy Action Group presents: ‘Cosy Up Your Home’  Wednesday 17th November. 7.30 -9.00 pm. Sidmouth Community College Hall, Primley Rd Sidmouth.
 A free event with tips on how to save money and energy at home with exhibitors, presentations and discussion to help you save money and energy.

Next Sustainable Ottery Meeting – AGM Thursday 18th November at 7.30
in the Town Council Offices, The Old Convent. All welcome to attend.