one planet living required
http://tinyurl.com/y85dt8

need to look at the longterm things first

http://tinyurl.com/2gn7lo

current gov't thinking

have a read and see what you think.

http://tinyurl.com/2l3yoa

http://www.kpmg.co.uk/pubs/307758.pdf

KPMG business survey on reponse to climate change

http://tinyurl.com/yufy6x

http://tinyurl.com/27ppce
http://tinyurl.com/2bkgt7
Ken Livingsone, householder advice

Friends of the Earth report on reducing carbon by 80% in housing
http://tinyurl.com/ys382b

3A.11 The number of houses with central heating increased during the 1970s and
1980s. In 2002, 91 per cent of households had central heating and the ease with
which people can now heat their homes at the flick of a switch means that
people can affordably heat more rooms than they actually require and can heat
them to a consistently higher temperature than at any time over the last thirty
years. This is not the case, however, for the fuel poor, who struggle to keep
warm at affordable costs. More information on the profile of the fuel poor is
given in the annex on who are the fuel poor. Changes in the weather also
influence heating demand. It takes around 50 per cent more energy to heat a
house to 18 degrees (the average temperature in 2000) than to heat it to 13
degrees (the average in 1970). Chart 4 shows how internal and external
temperatures have changed since 1970.

Source: BRE

http://tinyurl.com/2noulh

http://tinyurl.com/2hlpyj

image
http://tinyurl.com/23o6ms

http://www.fujitaresearch.com/reports/solarpower.html

http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,1785310,00.html

also details of how old LSB schools can be refurbished / reused.

http://tinyurl.com/2nc3hc

Struck me today that given my sustainable slant and enjoyment of older buildings, I was struggling to say more than 2 good things about the London School Board school (good natural daylight and good thermal mass). My question is - can these schools provide a good base for teaching children in the 21st Century?

From the Independant newspaper

Victorian school buildings: please don't destroy our heritage
The Government's school building programme is putting 19th-century structures at risk. But campaigners are fighting back to save the 'wonderful' architecture
By Robert Bullard
Published: 31 August 2006
Victorian school buildings: please don't destroy our heritage When an 11-year-old girl wrote a letter to her head teacher requesting that her Victorian school be saved from demolition, few would have predicted the storm it would generate - both locally and nationally.

"It is a good strong building, and will probably last longer than the new one," said the Year Six pupil, Susannah Page, launching her letter-writing campaign to save Gilthill Primary School, in Kimberley, Nottinghamshire. "It is useful to learn about the Victorians, children like the building, and it seems it is only being knocked down to make a car park and part of the playground."

In her now infamous letter to the Eastwood & Kimberley Advertiser in 2003, Susannah asked the architect and council to redraft the plans, suggesting that the old school building stay. There followed an 18-month battle as parents, teachers and others fought over whether the building was "an educational nightmare", and a new school on the same site was the only option, as the county council maintained; or whether, as many in the community felt, it was a landmark that should be preserved.

"There were certainly pressures on the school, and improvements were needed," admits one of the leading campaigners, Susan McEntee. "But nobody dreamt that the building would be demolished."

However, as Susan and others boned up on what lay behind the council's thinking - in particular the Government's £45bn programme Building Schools for the Future (BSF) - demolition, they felt, was exactly what was intended. There seemed to be little consideration given to preserving the heritage of existing school buildings.

It is a view that is being raised nationally by The Victorian Society, which regards the Gilthill story as just one example of a "huge potential threat" facing Victorian school buildings, and which it is highlighting with a conference this autumn. Another example was the 11th-hour saving of Bonner Street School (built 1876) in Tower Hamlets, east London, earlier this year, which generated a lot of concerned calls to the society. And these examples could be the thin end of a wedge.

An estimated 3,000 schools are thought to have Victorian buildings, some of which could be at risk. There are so many that very few are listed or in conservation areas, either of which might offer them protection under planning legislation.

The tussle over the future of Gilthill and other schools led English Heritage to develop a policy statement on the future of Victorian schools, giving help to councillors and officers with no experience of heritage issues. "Even schools that are not listed can be fantastic buildings," says Tim Brennan, a senior policy officer with English Heritage. "They are often the centre of a community, and well worth keeping."

The nudge from English Heritage did at least make Nottinghamshire County Council do a heritage assessment of its schools. But it still did not stop two of its primary schools in Retford, one worthy of being listed, from being demolished.

English Heritage and others believe the shift towards new buildings over refurbishment stems from the vast injection of money - £17.5bn is available to BSF in 2005/06-2007/08 - for local authorities to do capital works on an unprecedented scale. In such situations it is easier for councils to knock down and rebuild rather than take stock of what they already have. It is possibly less costly than working out how existing buildings can be reused - and simpler than finding enough local tradesmen to do the job.

The aim of Building Schools for the Future is to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England over the next 10 to 15 years. The idea is to provide space for new methods of learning, for IT and other specialisms, to improve access, and enhance environmental designs. But conservationists view the initiative as overly dogmatic and are concerned at the way it appears to dismiss old buildings as "inappropriate for new learning styles and, at worst, a real barrier to effective teaching".

The Government counters that refurbishment is an option - although the BSF website fails to mention or have a link to English Heritage's guidance. "The Government says old buildings are 'not fit for purpose', but they are sound and sturdy," says Kathryn Ferry, a caseworker at The Victorian Society. "Wireless technology, for example, should reduce the need for intrusive IT adaptations."

The problem is that there has been no capital expenditure on old school buildings for some time, she says, and as they become run down this further sways councils' decisions.

The Victorian Society recognises BSF's objective of ensuring that schools are up to their job, says Dr Ferry. But it would like to see the reuse of existing buildings rather than watch them rot away and be demolished. She is dismissive of the typical new school designs, that she calls "low-ceiling boxes". As an example of what can be done, she and Tim Brennan point to the excellent work being carried out in Hampshire.

In that county, Bob Wallbridge, Hampshire's assistant head of architecture, says he and his colleagues enjoy going into Victorian schools, and believe they create a richer environment for children.

Refurbishment may mean some new building, constructing a new, larger hall, for example. The critics are not against any new building. But they are against importing "codes of design" from outside - an error that was done with the construction of prefab buildings in the 1960s and 1970s, and that they fear is being repeated today.

Some councils have copied Hampshire's approach - but they remain a minority. "Sadly, we have seen the demise of many good local authority architectural practices," says Wallbridge. "They have lost their in-house expertise to respond when the opportunity and resources allow."

The tussle in Gilthill - where energetic campaigners won the backing of Prince Charles, The Civic Trust and Save Britain's Heritage - was eventually settled last year. A compromise meant that the school building was saved and sold off for flats, and the council, at an undisclosed extra cost, bought additional land to build a new school at the back of the site. During the debate, relations between the community and the council became more and more fractious.

Today, the two sides are talking again, but strong differences of opinion remain. McEntee and others in the newly formed Civic Society are now battling to safeguard DH Lawrence's infant school in neighbouring Greasley. "The council are only talking to us so that they can say they have," she says. "They would like to make the school redundant - if they could!"

The conference, Learning from the Past: the Future of Historic School Buildings, is in London on 15 November. www.victoriansociety.org.uk; 020-8747 5895

From 1870 to today, a brief history of Victorian schools

Victorian schools originate from the 1870 Elementary Education Act. For the first time ever the Act made primary school education compulsory, which required the quick construction of a large number of schools.

The style of many of the buildings copied the work of ER Robson, architect to the London School Board. His designs were usually multistorey red-brick buildings, with multiple gables and segmental windows. Other characteristics were the height of windows from the floor - to minimise distraction to the children - and crowning cupolas, which may look like clock towers but are more often exhausts for heating systems.

Robson was influenced by a popular Queen Anne-style revival. This style was combined with an Anglican/gothic influence in Victorian schools in Birmingham, and an Italianate one in Yorkshire.

"The Victorian schools are wonderful bits of architecture," says Roy Lowe, an expert in schooling in Britain at the Institute of Education in London. "But it is often difficult to see how they can be adapted."

One good example of what can be achieved is the former neo-gothic Oozells Street School, in Lowe's native Birmingham. In the 1990s the building was transformed into the successful Ikon art gallery and café, with meeting rooms. But Lowe regards it as an exception. The school had the fortune of being well located, at the heart of the City's regeneration and retail development. RB

http://tinyurl.com/2x7awz

and location factors for DfES
http://tinyurl.com/yopaer

teachernet page
http://tinyurl.com/24y5dc

http://www.tarmac.co.uk/topblock/Hollingtonsocialhousing.aspx
http://www.sitelines.co.uk/pdfs/22597.pdf

http://tinyurl.com/27jpb5

http://tinyurl.com/2r4e46

http://tinyurl.com/3c44fj

Private wire network, escos and CHP trigeneration

http://tinyurl.com/3yujy3

from Fulcrum

http://tinyurl.com/33e8uv

good clear article from Fulcrum on renewables

http://tinyurl.com/385bp5

http://tinyurl.com/2kf22g

http://tinyurl.com/37ztww

http://tinyurl.com/3x8o6g

UK-based ENER·G has completed the installation and commissioning of a trigeneration packaged energy system for the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea, Wales. The new system has the capacity to reduce dramatically DVLA's energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Specified following a competitive tender, ENERoG has provided a containerized trigen system, featuring a 1 MW CHP unit and a 700 kW absorption chiller. These systems operate seven days a week, providing electricity, medium temperature hot water (MTHW) and chilled water (CHW) to the site.

The ENER·G 1150 natural gas-fired CHP unit recovers heat from both the engine cooling circuit and from the exhaust gases, enabling it to provide 1400 kW of heat at full output. The unit also delivers 1150 kW of electrical power at 100% output and is configured to match the electrical demand of the site, thereby preventing the export of excess power to the grid.

The absorption chiller is driven by hot water to complement the three existing 1.2 MW electrical chillers. This enables high utilization of the CHP heat output during warm periods when there is a small demand for heating and hot water, but when cooling demand is high, fuel savings to DVLA is maximized.

All the main plant is located externally in a compact area previously used for standby generators. The scheme is financed by ENER·G with investment recovered via the company's Discount Energy Purchase (DEP) scheme. The DEP scheme is based on a sliding, variable scale dependent upon the level of generation of the CHP unit - the more the unit is able to run at full output, the lower the DEP rate.

http://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/greenfutures/features

some useful articles

http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/upload/pdf/Community_Cohesion.pdf

as a response to

http://www.integrationandcohesion.org.uk/Our_final_report.aspx

choose the links from above

http://tinyurl.com/yt9df6

needs membership of constructing excellence

page
http://tinyurl.com/2azqwh

http://tinyurl.com/24lbel

by interpave (block paving manufacturer)

http://tinyurl.com/2ve7xj

Commons select commitee Aug 2007

http://www.building.co.uk/section.asp?navcode=2228

Use classes Order 2006 Use/Description of Development Permitted Change
A1 Shops Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices, pet shops, sandwich bars, showrooms, domestic hire shops and funeral directors Change not permitted

A2 Financial and professional services Banks, building societies, estate and employment agencies, professional and financial services and betting offices A1 (Ground Floor display window)

A3 Restaurants and cafés For the sale of food and drink for consumption on the premises - restaurants, snack bars and cafes. A1 or A2

A4 Drinking establishments Public houses, wine bars or other drinking establishments (but not a night clubs). A1, A2 or A3

A5 Hot food takeaways For the sale of hot food for consumption off the premises A1, A2 or A3

Use classes Order 2006 Use/Description of Development Permitted Change
B1 Business Offices, research and development, light industry appropriate in a residential area. B8 (However size must not exceed 235 sq.m/2350 sq ft.)

B2 General industrial General Industry: Use for the carrying out of an industrial process other than one falling in class B1. B1 or B8 (B8 limited to 235 sq. m/ 2350 sq ft.)

B3-B7 Special Industrial Groups

B8 Storage or distribution This class includes open air storage B1 (where no more than 235 sq. m/2350 sq ft)

Use classes Order 2006 Use/Description of Development Permitted Change
C1 Hotels Hotels, boarding and guest houses where no significant element of care is provided Change not permitted

C2 Residential institutions Residential care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools, residential colleges and training centres. Change not permitted

C2A Secure Residential Institution Use for a provision of secure residential accommodation, including use as a prison, young offenders institution, detention centre, secure training centre, custody centre, short term holding centre, secure hospital, secure local authority accommodation or use as a military barracks. Change not permitted

C3 Dwelling houses Family houses, or houses occupied by up to six residents living together as a single household, including a household where care is provided for residents. Change not permitted

Use classes Order 2006 Use/Description of Development Permitted Change
D1 Non-residential institutions Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, day centres, schools, art galleries, museums, libraries, halls, places of worship, church halls, law court. Non residential education and training centres. Change not permitted

D2 Assembly and leisure Cinemas, music and concert halls, bingo and dance halls (but not night clubs), swimming baths, skating rinks, gymnasiums or sports arenas (except for motor sports, or where firearms are used). Change not permitted

Sui Generis (of its own kind) Theatres, houses in multiple paying occupations, hostels providing no significant element of care, scrap yards. Petrol filling stations and shops selling and/or displaying motor vehicles. Retail warehouse clubs, nightclubs, launderettes, dry cleaners, taxi businesses, amusement centres. Change not permitted

Casinos D2

The above is intended as a general guide only. Reference must be made in the final instance to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended the Use Classes (Amendment) Order 2005, and General Permitted Development (Amendment) Order 2005 and written confirmation obtained from the local Planning Authority that no consent is required. PRP does not accept liability for this information or for any errors or omissions.

http://tinyurl.com/yu6yjo

http://tinyurl.com/ywkozz

http://tinyurl.com/yu29fo Dec 2006

http://tinyurl.com/ypezda 2003

http://tinyurl.com/yojolo 2007 update