Local News

Householders in Buxton are set to get free help to reduce their energy bill and tackle their carbon footprint over the next year after eight volunteers from Transition Buxton recently completed a Home Energy Check course. Provided by Marches Energy Agency, the course covered all the practicalities of visiting people's homes and helping householders work out how to reduce their energy usage. The day included a practice visit to a home in the area (see photo above) to put their new skills and knowledge to the test.

The group are now looking for homes to visit. If you think you'd benefit from a visit, keep an eye on their website. They'll be taking bookings soon.

Nottinghamshire Approves Application to Explore for Shale Gas

Nottinghamshire County Council has approved Dart Energy's planning application to drill an exploratory for shale gas well on land off the A634 between Barnby Moor and Blyth. The site is around 1.5km north-west of Barnby Moor and 3km south-east of Blyth and is currently open farm land. Exploratory drilling is the first step toward hydraulic fracturing, known as 'fracking', although the site does not have permission to frack as yet.

Fracking in the area is strongly opposed by a number of local community environmental groups, including Frack Free Nottinghamshire who said on their website, of the decision: 'Frack Free Nottinghamshire are beyond disappointed by the decision of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Planning Committee to approve the application by Dart Energy for exploratory drilling at the Tinker Lane site in Bassetlaw. This is the second approval in Bassetlaw, forming the start of an industrial gas field. This approval is despite overwhelming local opposition to the application, with 99.5% of those consulted by Nottinghamshire County Council being opposed to the application.'

Nottingham City Council Pilots Energy Efficient Homes of the Future 

Four hundred homes in Sneinton are part of a European project to make them warmer, cheaper to run and fit for the future. The £5m project, called REMOURBAN, is piloting new technologies to make a step change in the amount of energy older houses use, so they’re ready for low carbon standards in 2050. The project will reduce residents’ bills and make them warmer through innovative insulation techniques, and in some cases energy generation and battery storage.

Three Nottingham City Homes neighbourhoods across Sneinton have been identified for the energy upgrades. All tenures, social, leaseholder and owner occupier, will be included in the pilot. The first 122 homes are already complete, with homes in Windmill Lane getting external wall insulation and LED lighting, and work is about to start on the same measures at nine apartment blocks on Newark Crescent.

Longer version of this article: http://bit.ly/2ooaRWq

Bid to Bring Bennerley Viaduct to Cyclist and Walkers

A plan to bring a viaduct that spans the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire border back into use as a walking and cycling trail has received a boost, with donations from three Erewash Borough Councillors. Bennerley Viaduct used to carry trains but hasn’t been used since 1968. Sustrans, the national cycling charity, and the local community would like to connect the viaduct to local walking and cycling routes. The councillors, James Dawson, Glennice Birkin and Danny Treacy, donated a total of £600 from their community grant funds and Erewash council has put in a further £2000. This money will be used to publicise the project and involve more local people in community work parties that are already carrying out work on the viaduct. Sustrans is aiming to submit a bid to the Heritage Lottery fund to secure the funds needed to connect the structure with existing walking and cycling networks, including the Great Northern Greenway which will link Nottingham and Derby.

National News