November 2011

Winchester District Local Plan Part 1 - Joint Core Strategy

The Council has now drafted the next stage of its Core Strategy following extensive consultation during 2010/2011 and consideration of updated evidence. With the Government’s emphasis on Localism, the Council has decided to rename the Core Strategy as the Winchester District Local Plan Part 1 – Joint Core Strategy. The document will still focus on strategic matters, including the allocation of large sites to provide for the bulk of new homes across the District up to 2031. A further development plan document will be prepared in due course, to include more detailed development management policies and allocate smaller sites for development. The Local Plan Part 1 – Joint Core Strategy, is being considered by the Council’s LDF Cabinet Committee on 28 November 2011, to agree it for publication in the New Year, which will be accompanied by a consultation period of 6 weeks. At this stage the consultation is purely on the issue of ‘soundness’. The Council must therefore be satisfied that the Plan is ‘sound’, where only minor corrections and updates are allowed under the Regulations, when it is published in January 2012. Any comments made at this stage will be used to identify the key issues that will be considered by the Inspector during the public examination to be held during Summer 2012. The final draft can be viewed as part of the LDF Committee Papers for 28 November

Energy Saving in the Home - Heating

The following article was written by Giles Gooding at WinACC for publication in your parish magazine if you so wish. If you are interested in these types of articles then please get in contact with WinACC who are happy to help you out and produce articles as required on many subjects. For decades we have relied on the abundance of cheap energy produced by fossil fuels to heat our homes. But this has made us wasteful in terms of money and valuable resources, and it's changing the climate. With the cost of energy rising and winter on its way, this is a good time to think about how to keep warm. People often ask us at Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) how to save carbon emissions in the home. In this my first energy saving article, I take a look at heating the home and how to reduce the energy used. 60% of the energy we use in the home is used to heat it. We don’t like feeling cold - so what can we do? First, let’s look at why we feel cold. It’s partly the temperature. But draughts make you feel considerably colder. And of course, we feel colder when we are sitting still - watching the TV, working on the computer or reading. So taking all this into account, I recommend you start with these ideas: Insulate your home There’s not much point heating the air in your home if the heat flies out through the roof, walls, and cracks. Even if your loft is insulated, it probably needs topping up – the thicker the better. Current standards recommend 27cm or 10 inches. If your walls have cavities, getting them insulated is cheap, takes only one day, and causes no disruption in the house.  Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council are funding a scheme called “Insulate Hampshire” to install loft and/or cavity wall insulation for £75 and £99 respectively.  This is probably the best possible Christmas present you can give yourself and your family if you can possibly afford it.  And people over 70 and people on benefits may be able to get it done for free. Ring 0800 952 0037 now to be one of the lucky 5,000. Control your radiators Turn off the radiator in rooms you are not using or don't use much.  If you have thermostatic radiator valves, don't treat them like an ON/OFF switch by moving them between 1 and 5. Set them at 3, wait a day, and then adjust to 2 or 4 if you’re too hot or cold. Draught-proofing - doors, windows, loft hatches, chimneys and floors Put a draught strip around the edge of your front and back door. It costs very little and is easy to do. Cover the inside of your letterbox with a brush seal or even an old bit of carpet. Add a keyhole cover (“escutcheon”). A thick curtain makes a big difference to heat loss and draughts through windows. Close the curtains when the sun goes down. If you don’t have double glazing and are not intending to replace your windows, secondary glazing may be a good option.  A cheap and easy option is film (like cling-film) by “Mr Cosy” that you put over the window. It doesn’t look odd and its costs very little. Block draughts around loft hatches with strip insulation as you would a door and glue 10cm or 4 inches of solid insulation on to the top of your hatch. Chimneys lose a lot of heat.  Block it up with a balloon when the fire isn't alight. You can get special chimney balloons but even an old cushion will do the job. Just remember to take whatever it is out of the chimney before you start your next fire.  Better still, fit a wood burning stove. They can be expensive to install but they seal your chimney when not in use and are exceedingly efficient when in use. If you have wooden floors, fill gaps between boards with a tube of sealant and put a rug on top. The best solution may be under floor insulation though it may be a big DIY commitment. Reacquaint yourself with your heating controls Take a look at the timer. Play with it a bit to get the hang of it (ask other members of your family to help) and adjust it to heat the house when you need it. Set it to shut down half an hour before you go out in the morning. Once you are keeping the heat in your house with better insulation and fewer draughts, you will be able to turn your thermostat down to 18 or 19 degrees C and still feel warmer. The Energy Savings Trust says if you turn your thermostat down 1 degree you would expect to save around £55 per year. If you have a wood burning stove or some other heater, you can set your central heating controls even lower for the whole house, and use the stove to heat the room you sit in but please source the wood sustainably. It’s not rocket science When you feel cold, put on a jumper. When you feel hot, turn the heating off rather than opening the window. Obviously, doing as much of the above will cost you money, just when times are hard. But many of them (think insulation) will save far more in the future and not just money. But as the savings mount, it is very important to avoid spending these on things that may increase your carbon emissions, just when you’ve made such a great contribution to reducing them!  Think local, family, friends, relaxing in your nice warm home rather than jetting off to Jamaica for Xmas. For more information contact Giles Gooding on 01962 827083 or giles.gooding@winacc.org.uk

Good Neighbour Award Scheme 2011

Do you know someone who makes a difference in your community? Would you like to nominate them for an award? The Hampshire County Council Good Neighbour Awards were introduced eight years ago and give you the opportunity to publicly recognise the support of volunteers and neighbours who provide you with that ‘bit of help’ to stay independent at home.  If you would like to find out more or nominate someone you know then visit the Hampshire County Council website. The closing date for nominations is Friday 27 January 2012.

Upcoming Meeting
Audit Committee - Walton Suite, Guildhall Winchester	05 December 18:30
Cabinet (Housing) Committee - King Charles Hall, Guildhall Winchester	06 December 10:00
Cabinet - Walton Suite, Guildhall Winchester	07 December 09:30
Council - King Alfred Conference Chamber, Guildhall Winchester	08 December 19:00
Planning Development Control Committee - Walton Suite, Guildhall Winchester	15 December 19:00

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