Allerton Environmental Group aims to support the villages of Stone Allerton and Chapel Allerton in Somerset as a sustainable local community - raising awareness about environment issues and developments and taking forward projects which should lead to improvements in the villages’ environment. 
It was set up towards the end of 2008 following an open meeting on 17 November.
The group is currently working with four themes:

• Local Food
• Transport
• Recycling
• Energy/Climate Change

These pages aim to provide  information which may be of use to those who live in the Allerton villages and also to provide external links to other websites. News about future meetings and events will be posted on the website and reports of meetings and updates on projects will also be available.
Meetings will be held several times a year.  Discussion meetings will be held at The Wheatsheaf.  These will provide a forum for issues of concern to the villages and will enable specific projects to be set up.  Occasional meetings with speakers will be held at the Old Schoolroom.  These will provide wider information about topics of particular interest to those living in the villages.

Information will also be made available through the Allerton News.

The group will work in close collaboration with other local Eco groups – in particular the Wedmore Green Group whose website includes a great deal of information of interest to anyone living on the Isle of Wedmore.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Please contact any of the group’s officers for further information
Frances Good (Chair) 712606
Fiona Torrens-Spence(Secretary) 710188

allertonegroup@yahoo.co.uk

Proposed new major power line

Latest Information:

HINKLEY POINT C CONNECTION PROJECT
Most people in Allerton will now be aware of the project which involves running a high voltage (400KV) overhead line on large pylons (up to 47 metres) from Hinkley point to Avonmouth.  All houses in the Allerton villages should have received a pamphlet from the National Grid setting out the proposals and inviting people to attend exhibitions.  The two in Mark and Biddisham have already taken place.  There are further meetings – the nearest is at Puxton Park on 24 November at 2-4pm or 6-8pm. 
Overview of Exhibitions
The exhibition consisted of a series of posters and maps showing the corridors in which the lines are likely to run.  Members of National Grid staff were available to answer questions.  A consultation feedback form was also made available.  The following points emerged:

• Two broad corridors for the new power line are being proposed: Route 1 follows the existing line either with the current pylons being replaced (IA) or parallel to the existing pylons (1B); Route 2 runs to the east of the current line passing between Mark and Blackford and on to the west of Chapel and Stone Allerton.  If the line is built on the most easterly edge of the corridor, it will be extremely close to Stone Allerton.  The cost of the two options is similar.
• It is unlikely that much, if any, of the line in this area will run underground because of the very high costs of underground lines.  Low profile pylons (chunkier but only 35m tall) might be used but a case would need to be made for these.
• No decision has been made on the route.  This will be made following the current consultation taking people’s views into account.  The criteria will include the impact on local communities and the environment, current legislation and guidance and the views of statutory consul tees such as Natural England.  This consultation ends in early January 2010.
• Between March 2010 and spring 2011, environmental studies will be undertaken.  There will also be a final consultation.
• The plans will then go through Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) processes in summer 2011.  The construction is planned for 2012-2017.
• When a proposed route is known, there will be an opportunity to comment on the route and the locations of the pylons.
• Temporary roads will be built to allow large vehicles to bring in the necessary equipment (large cranes, pile drivers etc).
• National Grid said that there was no firm evidence of health effects from high voltage cables but would avoid building near houses because of visual impact.
• Some trees are likely to be planted to screen the line of pylons partially.
• Alternative routes combining parts of the proposed routes would be welcomed by National Grid in responses to the consultation.

Further information and an on-line feedback form are available here

CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT CORRIDOR 2 ROUTE:  NO MOOR PYLONS

Anyone interested in learning more about the campaign can find out more by emailing action@no-moor-pylons.co.uk .  The No Moor Pylons website can be found here, and on Twitter here.

There is a possible route which crosses between Mark and Blackford and then crosses the A38 between Badgworth and Biddisham.

Below is a link to maps of the proposed routes, full details and reports and also details of the consultation meetings being held locally soon.

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/MajorProjects/HinkleyConnection/RouteCorridorStudies/index.htm

The route corridor study report gives reason for the route choices.

Allerton Environmental Group Minutes:  Tuesday 26th January 2010

The meeting was attended by 9 members at the George Inn, Wedmore and was ‘Chaired’ by Fiona Torrens-Spence in the absence of Frances Good.

Apologies:  John and Angie Horn, Roger and Frances Good, Johnny Torrens-Spence, Imogen Drakeford, Alison Buckton, David and Madeleine Roberts.

Minutes of the Meeting of 20th October 2009

The minutes were approved. 

Matters Arising

• Rubbish on the moor – no further developments.

• AGM – confirmed to be held on 23rd February at 8.00pm at the Old School Room.

• Post Office closure – it has been suggested that there could this facility provided at the Wheatsheaf which closed permanently last Friday, subject to the agreement of the new owners/lessees.

• Rescuing Battery Hens – no further developments as Greg Glendell not present.

• Eco-meter – at present with Imogen Drakeford.  No subsequent volunteers at the meeting.

• Warm Streets – no further developments.

• Easy Fundraising – it appears that only Johnny Torrens-Spence has registered and used this.

• Cycle Routes – considerable discussion concerning this including possible routes from the Allerton Villages to link up with the proposed route.  Do we wish to get involved?  If so, inquiries need to be made of Sustrans re possible routes.  However the line of the cycle route is likely to take some considerable time to agree due to it passing through land now in private ownership and possibly local objections.

• Pylons – a very lengthy discussion ensued with considerable input from the members.  However neither of the two speakers listed under paragraphs 3 and 4 were able to attend.  Fiona Torrens-Spence informed the meeting that Jonathan Porritt is speaking on this subject in Taunton.  She has heard that a definite decision will be made on the choice of routes 1A or 1B or 2.  At a meeting of Sedgemoor District Council there was very strong visitor representation particularly from Mark Village with 3 speakers.  Councillors considered the undersea option ought to be properly considered and costed.  National Grid has to take notice of the Council’s views as it is a statutory body.  The new Hinkley C power station will provide six times the energy currently provided.  However in assessing which route to choose it was felt that National Grid has not taken into account life time costs or the resulting carbon footprint.  In addition it seems very wrong that when the final decision is made by National Grid, only then will environmental and other surveys be undertaken and it was strongly felt that such surveys and research should be undertaken and published before the decision is made as to what route.  There was a general discussion about the merits of routes 1 or 2.  At an adjournment debate in Parliament, three local Somerset MPs put questions to the Minister and emphasised that the undersea route should be investigated further.  National Grid anticipates that the pylons have a twenty year life.  If route 2 is chosen this will prejudice the application for the Somerset Levels to be given World Heritage status and will result in ‘industrial’ creep.

Any Other Business

• Tidy up – confirmed for 28th March.  Fiona Torrens-Spence felt that the previous tidy ups had been a great success.  A request was made for the provision of longer tools to enable rubbish to be collected from roadside ditches etc.  A request was made for the provision of further waste bins, particularly one by the church and it was agreed that the Parish Council should be asked to provide this.

• Tree Planting – Frances Good is very keen to undertake this and will speak at the next meeting.  However it would appear that there are no available sites in the villages.  The siting of any tree planting should not spoil resident’s views.  It was strongly recommended that alder trees should be planted.

Ideas for Meetings in 2010

• Encouraging Wildlife in the Garden, hosted by Frances Good, possibly with a sapling sale or swap, or in conjunction with a plant sale, in the form of a summer garden party (May or June).

• Pot Luck Supper with low food mile dishes (brought in by members) with fruit and veg swap or sale to raise funds (September).

• Website Evening (possibly a sub group to revise/enhance) to update information and ease of access. 

• Trip to RHS Garden at Rosemoor in North Devon – car share or Wedmore community bus – with talk on vegetable or fruit growing.  However the members felt that this was too far.

• Trip to Charlton Orchard near Taunton.  Jenny Nixon informed the meeting that a speaker from the orchard came to Mark Moor Garden Club and gave an excellent talk.

• Apple Pruning Demonstration.  There was a good response to this.  Fiona Torrens-Spence to arrange.

• Bee Film – Fiona Torrens-Spence to arrange.

• Plant Sale (April or May).  A general discussion followed including whether to incorporate this into the Summer Garden Party (May or June).  If  held as a separate event in the Old Schoolroom it was suggested that members be asked to donate the proceeds to AEG or a percentage thereof if a large amount.  It was suggested that any surpluses of plants, fruit or vegetables could be advertised on the website. 

AGM Matters

• Nominations for officers:  Fiona Torrens-Spence said that due to his work commitments, Johnny was unable to continue as Treasurer and Fiona asked for volunteers.  Chris Pike agreed.  She will liaise with Johnny.

• Resolutions re subscriptions and charging visitors:  Roger suggested that an annual membership fee of £5 per head should be charged and this was agreed by the members, also that visitors to speaker meetings should also be charged pro rata.

• Venue:  It was felt that the room in which we met was acceptable except for the lack of a door resulting in considerable intrusive noise from passersby and the bars etc.  Fiona will take this up with the proprietor.  Fiona stated that Frances Good’s extension is nearly complete and would be suitable for future AEG meetings but she wonders whether it is too far away.  Otherwise there is a meeting room at The Lamb at Weare.  It was felt we should return to the Wheatsheaf when/if it opens.

The meeting closed at 9.43 pm.

Summary of Meeting on Challenges to Allerton Moor held on 26 November 2009

November’s meeting was held in the Old Schoolroom.  It started with a talk by Philip Brewin – an ecologist from the Drainage Board.  He gave an illustrated talk about challenges to the moors of the Somerset levels.  He provided information on the history from Roman times and showed maps of the topography of the levels explaining how this had changed over the years.  He described the work of the Drainage Board and how the waters are controlled to benefit both farmers and the environment.  He provided information about wildlife and habitats and the effects of non-native plants and how they are controlled.  This was a fascinating talk.
The second part of the meeting was devoted to consideration of National Grid’s Hinkley Point C Connection Project that plans to run a high voltage (400KV) line from Bridgwater to Avonmouth with one option running across Allerton Moor.  A stand showing the routes and other information had been set up as background to the discussion. Strong views against any pylons were expressed with suggestions that the line should run under the Severn Estuary rather than overland though doubts were raised as to the cost of this alternative. 
The way forward was considered:  

• The Parish Council will be considering its submission at the meeting on 14 December; 
• All interested people were invited to attend the meetings of the No-Moor-Pylons group; 
• The Environmental Group agreed to set up a working group to consider the options in more detail prior to making a submission on behalf of the group; 
• However, it was felt that individuals should also respond to the consultation.

Next Meeting
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 26 January at 8pm in the George at Wedmore.  This will primarily be a planning meeting to map out the programme for 2010.  Suggestions for meeting topics will be most welcome either before or at the meeting. The arrangements for the AGM in February will also be considered. 

Next Meeting
AGENDA FOR AGM – 2010
23rd February, Old Schoolroom, 8 pm

1. Election of Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer
2. Treasurer’s Report

Review of year’s activities

1. Overview of programme and projects for 2010-11
2. AOB

Followed by wine and Nibbles

Recycling and Freecycling in the Allerton area

The Allerton Environmental Group is keen that we recycle as much as possible, based on the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra. This not only preserves scarce resources and reduces waste to landfill but also uses less energy than creating entirely from raw materials. 

Freecycling – A way of getting rid of items which other people may value.  

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of almost 5000 groups with over 6 million members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and thus keeping good stuff out of landfills.

Membership is free, and everything posted must be FREE, legal and appropriate for all ages.

The onus is on the recipient to collect. 

Freecycle UK

This site is a useful resource allowing you to locate local groups and providing guidelines on posting offers and requests.

Freecycling Days
The Wedmore Green Group holds two Freecycling days a year which are like a car boot sale but with no money changing hands.  All the Group asks is that anything of yours, not exchanged, is taken home with you. 
Remember: Freecycling is not a way of dumping useless rubbish, which should go to a recycling centre or a skip.

The Wedmore Green Group also has a site on the Regional Freecycle Website, which is an online version of the Freecycle days and suitable for heavy or bulky items (e.g. a piano) 
If there are no takers in the Wedmore area you can advertise items on the North Somerset site.
You can also request items (eg baby high chairs).

Eco-Food Shopping

To explore the world of eco-shopping we enter a world of claim and counter-claim, fact and a great deal of fiction. Some arguments are laid out below as we try to minimise the ecological impact of our food consumption habits in the Allertons.

Food Miles

Food miles for determining environmental impact is increasingly questioned as misleading, and certainly difficult to calculate.

Two commonly used examples:

1) Major supermarkets may air-freight Fine Green Beans from farms in Kenya, which use manual labour. It is argued the ecological impact is considerably less than force-growing the same product in the UK or Europe during winter using heated poly-tunnels, nitrate fertilizers, and tractors.

2) Apples, grown mostly in the UK and France are available year round at all major supermarkets and local greengrocers. This is only possible because apples store very well for extended periods in cold storage. From April onwards it is also possible to Sea Freight Apples from overseas e.g. South Africa.

In an American study (Weber, C.L. and Matthews, H.S. (2007) ìQuantifying the Global and Distributional Aspects of American Household Environmental Impact Ecological Economics, Journal of Environmental Science & Technology.), it was suggested that purchasing local products would not necessarily be the most environmentally sound choice in all cases. They suggested the changes in what we eat may have greater significance, as can issues of storage.

The study found that replacing red meat and dairy products once per week with chicken, fish or vegetables has the same effect as eating a locally sourced diet.

We can make easier choices to grow, or rear, as much of our own food as space and time may allow and buying locally produced food whenever possible, and buy it locally! There is no great saving ecologically or financially in buying locally produced cream, cheese or cider, from a supermarket in Highbridge, that gets there via Stafford and Chepstow. There are many genuine examples of food produced less than 10 miles from the Allertons, and available in the local supermarkets, that travel 300 miles+ by lorry in order to get there!

Reducing the impact of food shopping has as much to do with our choice of what we buy and when, as it does where we buy.

Local Food Shopping

• Grocery Box scheme: All fresh / frozen / grocery / produce available to order from Rachel at the Post Office, making the most of bulk buying and no car trips
• Farmers Markets at Axbridge and Cheddar
• Mobile Greengrocer
• Mobile Fish Monger
• Local Food retailers or farm shops from business directory.
• Freezing / pickling / preserving as much as possible
• Veg. Exchange scheme If you have spare, post it on the web-site.
• Ask your local supplier - where his produce is sourced and how far it traveled to reach the store.

Energy Saving – The Starting Point – Low Energy Light Bulbs

Low energy light bulbs are here to stay and switching is easy and relatively cheap.

• They do take a minute or so to reach full light output especially in cold rooms in the winter.
• If you have poor sight you may want to keep a traditional bulb in a critical light position, such as on stairs.
• Even if you switch to a low energy bulb of higher equivalent light output, it will still use far less energy than a traditional tungsten bulb.
• Start by changing just some bulbs and see how you get on.

Light Energy Saving Steps:

• If you have glass light fittings, clean them regularly, especially if you smoke in the house.
• Turn lights off when not required.
• Consider timed light switches in places where lights can be accidentally left on, such as cloakrooms or utility rooms; they can be set to turn off after 1 to 10 minutes or more.
• Consider proximity lights that only turn on when you walk into an area, especially outside or cloakrooms, etc.
• Outside security lights are often 500 watt floodlights. Make sure they turn off after the required period and make sure they are not triggered unnecessarily by animals or passing cars and people.

Make sure they are positioned so as not to dazzle passing motorists.

• When you want low energy bulbs remember, they are now available in all shapes and sizes, including spotlights. Check out cheap deals at supermarkets and DIY stores, energy suppliers – may be offering free bulbs check on-line.
• Use solar lights outside if you want to light paths and drives, also consider a solar fountain for your pond.

REMEMBER - You may not like low energy bulbs but you cannot afford NOT to use them, even if you don’t want to save money. We can no longer use energy wastefully when it can be saved.

BE A RESPONSIBLE ENERGY USER.

Rating:

Traditional Bulb

Low Energy

100W

18W

75W

16W

60W

11W

40W

9W

35W

7W

Cavity Wall Insulation and Loft Insulation

Grants are available to cover cavity wall insulation and loft insulation available from utility suppliers or local authority. Private house owners can obtain grants to cover most of the cost requiring the householder to pay typically £199 for a typical 3-4 bedroom house. If you are 70 or over you may be eligible for a grant for the full cost.
Use this link to find out what grants are available for the area.

 

Useful Sites

A really useful and practical site to look at is that of the Energy Saving Trust.  A non profit organisation which has practical information on reducing and improving your energy use around your home.  It has a calculator which enables you to calculate your own carbon footprint and see what changes you can make to how you run your household in the following areas: insulation, lighting, travel, use of appliances, and heating.  They also have information on renewable energy to use in the home and alternative fuels.
 
Another site which is very similar is that of the Carbon Trust.  It also has a calculation system and both sites do describe how you can get energy grants to make your household reduce energy usage.  They also provide helpful information and assessments for business too on how to reduce their carbon footprint.
 
Saving on the use of Heating Oil Many people who live in the Allertons using Heating Oil may be interested in the site Boiler Juice, which works on the basis that you can bulk buy with others in your postcode to reduce the cost of heating oil by through buying it together.  There is space on the Allerton Villages website that we could use to promote this as an energy saving activity.

Another useful site is the DirectGov environment and greener living site.

Public Transport in the Allertons

Yes it does exist - we have a bus service albeit limited to a shopping service on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Tesco Supermarket, Weston Super Mare.

The times for the outbound and return bus are as follows:

To Weston Tuesday and Thursday only (not Public Holidays)

Weare School	9.34	Weston s Mare Tesco	12.38
Chapel Allerton          Bus Shelter	9.39	Stone Allerton	13.14
Stone Allerton          Stone Cross	9.42	Chapel Allerton	13.17
Weston s Mare Tesco	10.18	Weare School	13.22

 

Slinky Bus
'Door to door' pre-book service, available for those unable to access public transport, or without their own transport.
Details on our local service:

Service Available: Monday – Saturday (excluding Public Holidays) 9am to 7.15pm (2pm on Saturdays)

To Book: 01749 331234 Mon – Fri 10am-1pm.
information on destinations and fares here

Mobile Phone Text: Traveline timetables can be texted direct to your mobile phone (chargeable) -

Wedmore Community Transport

Destinations from Wedmore here.

Seats must be pre-booked the evening before travel. For destinations, timetables and booking phone numbers by destination:
printed timetables available.

Information on all public transport in Somerset
or call Somerset Direct 0845 345 9155 including timetables and mailing list.
or the local libraries, bus station or Tourist Information Centre will have timetables.
Note: The 0845 number may cost you several pence per minute.

Shared Transport in the Allertons: Car Sharing

Is about sharing regular journeys with one or more persons rather than each person traveling separately in a vehicle. It reduces vehicle based emissions and reduces mileage, wear and tear on your vehicle. Car share Somerset puts people with the same journey in touch to car share. Sign up for free and offer your journey, or check out the registered journeys in the area and see if one matches your requirement.

Sign up for car sharing