Maybe this suggests a way to harvest the hemp that grows on steep slopes:
If you don’t roll it!
chrismac
We can try, but our options are very limited. The last time it was tried national government overruled the council and granted the permission anyway
Exactly the same happened to us but this is ultimately because the (previous) council had no proper town plan to prevent this.
Basically they had done a "secret public consultation" best described in terms of Hitch Hikers Guide to the galaxy... and the entire set of planning documents was stuffed full of get-outs. The planning inspector was almost apologetic... and it's their job to pass any development that doesn't have sound and watertight case against.
Our planning committee didn't represent the executive (party wise) so the planning committee were pretty much responding to things the executive had been secretly encouraging.
As a background there was also a lot of threats and coercion... so people were being asked to support a development elsewhere under the threat of "or it will get put in your area".
Basically there were loads of "you can't do this unless" and the executive and non elected officers had been promoting the "unless" (and being paid to) and helping the developers get around the planning "rules" so when the planning inspector reviewed the refusal they were forced to side with the developers.
We won some and lost some .. the issue is the council want the BIGGEST projects because that is where their personal bank accounts see the benefit. We (local group) tirelessly exposed them.
As per the last council elections the ruling party lost EVERY SEAT that was open to contest that time around ... the CEO and leader of the council were forced to resign as a result of being exposed and to avoid criminal charges. The ex-CEO has just expanded his business sadly.. that is advising developers how to bypass planning ...
Now we are left with a few hangovers, a set of 37 story skyscrapers (ironically called the "eco development") and they knocked down a load of housing and retail to build a dual carriageway through the town centre... that now appears we can't rebuild so we have a bit of a wasteland ...
Either way I believe working to stop senseless development, especially CO2 intensive at a local level will eclipse anything you can personally do at home.
That's not saying don't make changes that you can but don't think they make a real difference so you "did your bit".
I took part in the Octopus Saving Session last week. Intention is to reduce peak grid demand and avoid having to start up another power station.
I saved 2kwh during the one hour period by turning most things except lights off.
Total saved compared to baseline values was 0.1Gwh for octopus customers, compared to a peak demand of 40Gwish, estimates are that 1Gw could be achieved nationwide.
Small beginning but an indication that demand side management can do something.
I also got paid £4.60 for being in top 10% of reductions, though having a heat pump to turn off for an hour helps.😀
Ovo have been doing something similar every day for the last month.
Power move.
Use less than 12.5% of your total power between 4-7pm on week days. You get 20 quid.
Low hanging fruit
Didn't really make any odds to us we don't generally put things on between 4-7 as a rule anyway other than cooking the tea.....and we ain't moving that with a toddler.
