Housing
There are three main priorities here:
1. Driving up standards of insulation and energy-sensitivity for new-build as well as retrofitting existing housing stock.
There is help available from Stroud District Council's WISE Homes grant towards the insulation of solid walls and sloping ceilings in older properties.
For further details contact Debbie Hewitt, Sustainable Energy Officer on 01453 754464 or debbie.hewitt@stroud.gov.uk
For information on grants for loft and cavity wall insulation contact the Gloucestershire Energy Efficiency Advice Centre on 0800 512 012
2. Experimenting with techniques of eco-building using local materials. This can also be linked to low impact living schemes (http://www.lowimpact.org/), experimental low-impact communities like Lammas in Pembrokeshire (http://www.lammas.org.uk/) and ecovillages (http://gen.ecovillage.org/).
3. Stroud also has an interesting experience of new forms of community ownership Also linking to Stroud's experience with Community Land Trusts (http://www.communitylandtrust.org.uk/) and Co-housing (http://www.cohouses.net/)
Other issues:
Water and sewage: the Ruscombe Brook Action Group is looking at sustainable solutions to problems of flooding and sewage. They hope their project will lead to the ideas being adopted widely across the whole district: http://www.rbag.org.uk/ You can also see more by putting 'RBAG' into search facility at: http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com/ Posts include the mysteries of water, a MSc student getting involved in project, correspondence re Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, an Iranian 'River Art' artist and more.
There is interest to create a TS water group. Would anyone be happy to coordinate?