Maureen (from our Group) suggests that TB&H proposes to Brighton and Hove City Council something similar to the Green Homes free Advice and Internet Service, set up recently in London in conjunction with the Energy Saving Trust.
Return to LLG Home Page
The scheme aims to dispense advice on energy saving, water consumption, grants to implement energy saving, and transport.
Jacqui writes:
I happened to be at an event to where this was publicized. It offers a concierge service also to householders as well which for a year ( and I think that was subsidised at £199 ) you get a concierge come, assess and advise on works, get the contractors in, help with planning permissions, sort snags, see it through etc. According to Charles Secret, former head of FOE and advisor to Ken Livingstone, such a service would cost 2k commercially for a year's worth of help. I saw the house life size model on Traf square and agree it would be impressive to have one in brighton somewhere.
Jacqui has also provided links to illustrated newspaper articles describing this new initiative.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/dec/04/climatechange.practicaladvice
The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone today launched the UK’s first ‘green homes’ service to help Londoners cut climate change emissions by offering an easy, one-stop-shop for information on how to make homes more carbon efficient.
http://www.24dash.com/socialhousing/29818.htm
Under the London Green Homes scheme, people living in the capital will have access to two services - a free telephone helpline and website, and a personalised, paid-for concierge service for those wanting to make more significant changes to their homes. The programme has been allocated more than £4m for 2007-08 and aims to cut carbon emissions by 500,000 tonnes a year by 2010.
The main feature to promote this service, is a life-size exhibition house in Trafalgar Square, showing how to make homes 'green'. Maureen suggests The Steine as one of the locations. She sees this as a simple, relatively cheap, but interesting way to reach out to a wide range of people – an opportunity to extend the way we disseminate key messages which are seen as relevant to people's everyday lives.
She is proposing a specially constructed exhibition house, as this is likely to attract more interest amongst a wider community than someone's house being opened up for a short period. It can also be moved to different possible locations.
The London Green Homes Scheme, offers a phone advice and helpline as well as a website, to cater for those who do not have access to the web, or are less likely to use the web for this kind of purpose. Maureen emphasizes that the way those in the Hub or wider network all use and seek information is not necessarily typical of the whole community.
We would welcome posts on the Liaison With Local Government Group in the Forum
http://forum.transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=19&sid=e28baf1e79eaf4cf9ebbdb8dbdc61afc
This is an idea which Transition Brighton and Hove may well like to propose to Brighton and Hove City Council’s Sustainability Team.
‘London Green Homes scheme’ – Brighton & Hove needs one too.
