DCarb Upper Calder Valley is an umbrella group for local organisations that are working to reduce and adapt to climate change. It is open to new members. For more info, contact the secretary Anne Handley, via Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre, tel: 01422 842121.
The next DCarb Upper Calder Valley meeting is on June 27th, 5pm, Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre, Hebble End.
At the DCarb Upper Calder Valley (UCV) meeting on 2nd May, members reported on their activities over the last few weeks:
Hebden Royd Town Council is working on a wind turbine policy
Hebden Royd Town Councillor James Allison reported that the Council’s Strategy & Review Committee is working on a wind turbine policy that will inform its decisions on planning applications for wind turbines.
Electric bikes and cars
Lesley MacKay from the Upper Calder Valley Renaissance Sustainable Transport Group reported that the Department for Transport has a pot of money for “cycling stations”. The new scheme will provide electric bikes for hire at participating stations, at £5/day.
The scheme will be managed by one of the train operating companies, and will cover 25 stations in the North of England. It’s possible that Halifax and Hebden Bridge Stations will be included in the scheme, but not yet certain.
Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre’s electric bike scheme will launch on June 16th. For details, contact the ATC.
Hour Car has funding for its first electric car.
There will be a cycling festival as part of the Walk and Ride Festival.
Community-owned wind turbine go-ahead
Finn Jensen from Blackshawhead Environmental Action Team (BEAT) reported on their new orchards, Chapel/community centre energy efficiency improvements and the new community wind turbine. The next BEAT meeting is on 9th May.
Calderdale Community Energy & Local Energy Assessment Fund project
Polly Webber from Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre (ATC) reported that Calderdale Community Energy would be set up as an Industrial and Provident Society to support community renewable energy in Calderdale. It will issue shares and act as a revolving loan fund for community groups to set up energy schemes.
Revolving Loan Fund Graphic_Low Carbon Hub
Polly and Anne Handley also reported on the Local Energy Assessment Fund (LEAF) project that Calderdale Council and Calderdale Community Energy ran in Sowerby Bridge in March. This had two main elements: preparing to set up a micro hydro project in Sowerby Bridge, and home energy efficiency improvements for Sowerby Bridge households.
A community micro-hydro project may be developed at a site in Copley. Cromwell Bottom is an alternative possible site.
Anne, a Domestic Energy Assessor, carried out 50 audits of Hard to Treat (HTT) houses in Sowerby Bridge, and as a result Calderdale Council has installed some energy efficiency measures into some of the houses. Anne reported that the biggest energy saving gains in the HTT houses she audited came from insulating attics. For mid-terrace HTT houses, internal wall insulation isn’t worth doing: the cost ranges from £6K-£14.5K and the energy savings are only worth about £200/year.
The LEAF project offered polybead insulation for cavity stone walled houses, but the required surveys showed that very few houses were suitable for this.
About half the households audited said that they’d be likely to carry out some of the recommended energy efficiency measures, but only 18 percent said they’d consider applying for Green Deal finance.
The next DCarb Upper Calder Valley meeting is on June 27th, 5pm, Alternative Technology Centre.