Too many homes are being planned for Devon over the next decade, most of them are to be built on greenfield sites, and a staggering two-thirds will be bought by people who have moved into the county. These are the key findings of an independent study, commissioned by the Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which exposes the stark truth behind ‘official’ assessments of Devon’s housing needs. More than 150 members of the public attended a special launch seminar in Tiverton on Friday 12th October to collect copies of the report, produced by leading research company Opinion...
Are you concerned about the number of new homes being built in and around Exeter and East Devon? How many are planned for your community and where? How many are genuinely affordable and who are the planned new homes for?
To objectively assess the situation, the Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE Devon) commissioned an independent study. The findings will be announced today, revealing the truth about Devon's real housing needs.
Come along to find out what the evidence shows and how it could help communities facing unwanted development plans.
If someone says they don’t think the environment is important, I suggest they hold their breath for 5 minutes, or go a day without water, or a week with no food. We may take breathing, drinking and eating for granted, but these are the three activities which link us more closely to the Earth than any others. Yet we do not appreciate their preciousness – or at least not until they are gone.
Yet the air, water and soil are the most threatened resources on the planet. Air quality, water pollution and land contamination are immense challenges today. Across the world, including Devon,...
I’ve been an environmental activator and activist for over 40 years and have passionately campaigned on many issues including climate change, transport, food and energy.
With others, I set up a student Eco-action recycling scheme in London as long ago as the early 1970s, and became absorbed in the political discussions around ‘Small is Beautiful’, ‘Enough is Enough’, the Brandt and Brundtland reports, and more. Reading Silent Spring propelled thousands of us to think and act as if the planet was precious and that future generations mattered.
Creating meaningful, sustainable packaging is the Holy Grail for many design companies. It’s a goal which ‘Until The Cows Come Home,’ based at Plymouth Science Park, aims to help firms achieve.
Jamie Billing, Technical Director, says minimising the negative impacts of rubbish on the environment requires a holistic approach to the issue.
“There are simple types of design techniques that are not currently filtering through into the project arena,” explains Jamie.
“We embrace Whole Systems Thinking which focuses on considering all aspects of production, infrastructure...
Three Exeter women are to tackle one of the world’s toughest rowing events, the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, a 3,400-plus mile crossing from the Canary isle of La Gomera to Antigua, West Indies.
As ‘Row for the Ocean’, the trio are rowing to raise £60,000 for the Plastic Free Coastlines campaign run by Surfers Against Sewage. Plastic waste is polluting every ocean on Earth, crippling sea wildlife and ruining beaches and water quality. To further support SAS, Row For The Ocean are holding beach cleans, fundraising events and school talks; this Saturday they're...
Speaking at a recent conference on Mental Health and Young People in Devon, psychologist Dr. Kate Middleton inspiringly encouraged participants to reflect on resilience for teenagers. Coping with challenge and change has maybe never been so difficult than in today’s world, so how can one adapt from the weathers of life and recover from adversity?
This question, when addressed to us all, echoes uncannily with the even greater uncertainties about the ecological crisis we are inflicting on planet Earth - our common home. How can we apply resilience to absorb the shocks that are...
New research, released today, has revealed that the majority of the nation’s asthma sufferers are incorrectly disposing of their inhalers.
While most local authorities can recycle certain plastics, some inhalers contain plastics and glasses that are not readily recycled through existing kerbside arrangements.
Over half of the surveyed UK adults are simply disposing of their inhalers in the general waste and a third are using their kerbside recycling service – wrongly thinking they will be recycled.
Progress has been made in the recycling of respiratory inhalers,...
Exeter-based Devon Contract Waste has secured a new contract worth circa £3,000 per year with Harford Bridge Park Ltd of Tavistock. The innovative waste management company now provides a full Zero to Landfill waste management service for the award-winning camping and touring park set in Dartmoor National Park.
As a holder of the gold standard David Bellamy Conservation Award for 18 years, Harford Bridge Park has a long-running commitment to responsible waste management. Now, with the services of Devon Contract Waste, the family-run business could see up to 98% of its waste diverted...
So, have the results of the General Election been good for the environment?! On the face of it, the Green Party did not gain ground, issues of ecological sustainability did not seem high on candidates’ agendas and Britain now has an Environment Secretary who is not exactly known for his green credentials. Is the outlook therefore bleaker than it was? Firstly, let’s identify six of the key challenges we face: a) Implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change b) Revising UK environmental policies after Brexit c) Addressing major air quality concerns d) Reviewing Britain’s energy...
