cotonvillage.co.uk » Carolyn

Open Eco-Homes at Coton this Sunday

Carolyn — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:07:12 +0000

Drop in at Coton Village Hall to see how we’ve cut our energy use and find out how the Green Deal will help you do the same in your home

Sunday 13^th May 10am – 5pm with guided tours of the Village Hall at 10:30, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:30

Wed 8 Feb Solar PV Information Meeting

Carolyn — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:12:42 +0000

Upbeat Energy invites you to a free information meeting about solar panels and what they can do for you.

Coton Village Hall Wednesday 8 February 7.30pm All Welcome

If you hesitated before Christmas, this is your second chance to install solar panels and benefit financially. Following on from the success of the eCoton Bulk Purchase Scheme, Upbeat Energy is setting up a new Bulk Purchase Group.

ACT FAST TO BEAT THE DEADLINE!

Homeowners installing before 3 March 2012 will benefit from the highest Feed-in Tariff rate of 43.3p/kWh.
Systems installed between 3 and 31 March 2012 will earn a rate of 21p/kWh.

For more information on the new bulk purchase group come to the meeting in the Village Hall, or go to www.upbeat-energy.co.uk
Contact info@upbeat-energy.co.uk or phone 01223 581504 to receive the bulk purchase group price list or to request a free home survey.

Seminar: 2030 vision for the Cambridge sub-region

Carolyn — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:13:23 +0000

Agriculture and Green Spaces

Thursday 26 January at 6.30 pm

Seminar to be held at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA

2030 Vision is an ambitious two-year project to look at what we want Cambridge and its surrounding area to be like in 2030 and to ask what we need to put in place now to achieve that. The aim is to develop a vision that local authorities and others can take into account in their statutory processes. Over the next two years 10 topics will be considered – the next is on local agriculture and green spaces. Local green spaces are very valuable assets for people and wildlife, and their creation and management is something all communities can become involved in.

· What is the value of green spaces?

· How do providing green spaces and growing enough of our own food go together?

Come and give your views in a discussion led by Rob Hammond, with introductory talks by – Catherine Cairns, Cambridgeshire Green Infrastructure Forum Chair – Elizabeth Ranelagh, Farm Conservation Advisor – Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group

See http://cambridgeppf.org/vision/5/ for background.

Please urgently email planning@cambridgeppf.org to confirm that you are able to come and to book a place.

Alternatively telephone Nigel Bell 01223 243830 x 205.

Soft drinks and nibbles will be provided. A limited amount of parking is available on site; please let us know if you need a space or have any other special requirements. Access details are on http://www.cms.cam.ac.uk/visiting

Update from Cambridgeshire Police

Carolyn — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:29:55 +0000

Burglary: There was an attempted burglary reported in The Footpath, Coton between the 4th and the 7th of December. The unknown offenders attempted to gain access via the patio door but didn’t manage to get in.

Thefts from vehicles: There have been 5 thefts from vehicles reported; 2 vehicles were broken in to in Whitwell Way, Coton on the night of the 16th of November, 2 vehicles were broken in to in the car park of Madingley Hall between the 18th and 19th of November, and 1 was broken in to in Coton nature reserve car park on the 26th of November. All vehicles had belongings taken from them. Wherever possible, please ensure that your valuables are removed from your vehicle when it is left unattended, no matter how briefly.

Bicyle theft: A pedal cycle was stolen from the High Street, Coton between the 15th and 16th of November.

I would like to remind people to consider registering their valuables on Immobilise, the national property register. This is a free service which can be used to register mobile phones, cycles and business property to mention just a few, please have a look on www.immobilise.com

Recently there has been an increase in house burglaries. Could we please remind you to make sure all the doors and windows are locked when leaving your home? Think about what time it will be when you return; if it’s dark when you return it might be worth purchasing some timer switches so that your lights are on whilst you’re not there. In addition to making your home appear occupied when you are out, lock away or put items of value in unobvious places.

Police have increased patrols around the area, both visible and plain clothed, to target criminals involved in this type of crime. If you think you may have any information that may help us with our enquiries or if you see anything that is suspicious, please contact the control room on the new non-emergency number 101.

As always, if you see a crime in progress, please dial 999.

PCSO Karen Mahoney

Village Hall Fund-raising Events

Carolyn — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:37:10 +0000

Autumn Diary Dates:

Saturday 1st October – Produce Stall and Coffee Morning 10 am-12 noon
Friday 21st October - Bingo 7 pm sharp
Saturday 22nd October – Jumble Sale 3 pm
Saturday 29th October – Hallowe’en Children’s Party 3.30-5.30pm
Sunday 30th October – Sunday Brunch 11 am-2 pm
Saturday 5th November – Produce Stall and Coffee Morning 10 am-12 noon
Friday 18th November - Bingo 7 pm sharp
Saturday 26th November – Quiz 7 pm (contact Elaine 210230 or Annelies 210510 to book tickets)
Saturday 10th December – Winter Produce Stall etc. 10 am-12 noon Stalls Welcome!!!
Friday 16th December – Christmas Bingo 7 pm sharp

eCoton PV Bulk Purchase Information Pack

Carolyn — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:27:35 +0000

Download the Infomation Pack to discover more about the Bulk Purchase scheme.

eCoton Launches Two Solar Power Schemes

Carolyn — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:25:11 +0000

The eCoton team, as part of South Cambs District Council’s Sustainable Parish Energy Partnership, is creating two schemes to encourage more solar panels in Coton. eCoton does not profit from either scheme, and works solely for the benefit of Coton and its residents.
1. A Bulk Purchase Group for homeowners wishing to install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The group will comprise over 50 households in South Cambs villages and will use bulk purchasing power to get a good deal from installers.
2. A Community Investment Scheme to allow villagers to invest in solar panels installed on roofs in the village, or allow homeowners to rent their roof to the scheme to benefit from free electricity with no capital outlay.
There will be a meeting in Coton Village Hall 7.30pm Wednesday 14 September 2011 to explain the details of each scheme.

For more information on the Bulk Purchase scheme, download our PV Bulk Purchase Infomation Pack.

Contact eCoton to register your interest in either scheme by 30 September 2011.

email: ecoton@hotmail.co.uk or phone: Madingley 211033

Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Carolyn — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:33:43 +0000

What are they?
Solar photovoltaic cells (also called PV cells or panels) generate electricity through harnessing the energy of sunlight. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced. They provide a green and renewable way of powering the appliances in your home. And are currently an exceedingly good financial investment – read on!
PV cells come in a variety of shapes and colours, from grey ’solar tiles’ that look like roof tiles to panels and transparent cells that you can use on conservatories and glass. The lifetime of solar PV panels is about 25 years.
The strength of a PV cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp). That’s the amount of power the cell generates in full sunlight. The amount of electricity generated is measured in kiloWattHours (kWh – the units used on your electricity bill).
What’s the big deal about them at the moment?
The government has introduced Feed-In Tariffs (FIT) to encourage homeowners and companies to install PV panels. Energy companies will pay homeowners a fixed amount for each unit of electricity generated irrespective of whether the homeowner then uses that electricity or exports it to the grid. Payment will continue for the lifetime of the panels. With the current price of PVs and the FIT it is possible for homeowners to make about a 13% annual return on investment. So that’s payback on the initial cost of the installation in less than 8 years and then profit for the next 17 years (at least) of the installation’s lifetime!
However, the FIT for panels installed after April 2012 is going to drop. The rate will still make the installation of PVs a good financial investment but not as good as it is now. So people need to ACT QUICKLY to achieve the highest financial return.
How do the finances stack up?
A good price for a PV installation is about £3000 per kWp. Domestic installations usually range from about 1kWp to 4kWp. Each kWp should generate 850kWh* over a year.
The electricity company will pay 43.3p/kWh generated. The homeowner additionally benefits by saving on bought-in electricity (~12p/kWh) and being paid an additional amount (3p/kWh) for each unit exported. A generation meter is fitted to measure how much electricity the panels generate. After that the electricity company usually estimates that people use half the electricity generated and export the other half to the grid.
The income generated per kWp installed is calculated to be about £405 and breaks down as follows:-
• Generation tariff paid on 850kWh = 850 x 0.433 = £368
• Export tariff paid on half of 850kWh = 425 x 0.03 = £13
• Savings through lower imported electricity = 200** x 0.12 =£24
So that’s payback in about 7½ years (£3000/£405) or it can be thought of as a 13% annual return on investment.
The drawbacks of PVs
PVs are a sound investment both financially and environmentally. However, the amount of money needed for an installation is out of reach for many families. Additionally, families who rent rather than own their homes will probably not be able to get a PV installation.
Some people are under the mis-apprehension that you have to have a south-facing roof to make solar panels pay. You do get slightly reduced returns, but any pitched roof situated between east and west (through south) will make the investment financially viable. For a SE or SW roof, total energy generation is about 95% whilst for an east or west facing roof, total energy generation is about 80% of a south facing roof.
What’s happening in Coton?
The eCoton team want to see more solar panels in Coton. To enable this we are working on two schemes to make it easier for people to invest in solar technology.
The first scheme is a bulk purchase group organised by the eCoton team open to homeowners in the South Cambs villages. We will gather together a group of 50+ households to give us good negotiating power with installers. We are currently screening installers to select a reputable company that will give the best price for individual domestic installations. This will ensure system payback for participating homeowners in less than 8 years.
Secondly we are going to launch a community-owned scheme so that Coton residents can invest in PVs but for smaller amounts of money. The community pot of money will purchase either a single large installation or rent roofs in the village for smaller installations. Roof owners would benefit from free electricity whilst the community company would benefit by receiving the Feed-In Tariff income. Villagers would effectively be shareholders in a small-scale power company and would be paid annual dividends.
We need to act quickly to make the most of the investment potential before the FIT lowers in April 2012. You need to sign up for either scheme by the end of September. If you want to be in the bulk purchase group, or participate in the community power company either as an investor or roof-owner or have any queries please email ecoton@hotmail.co.uk or contact Amanda Fuller on 01954 211969. There will be an information meeting in the Village Hall on Wednesday 14 September at 7:30pm.
In the meantime if you would like to pursue your own purchase we can recommend the website www.comparemysolar.co.uk. A list of recommended installers can be obtained by emailing ecoton@hotmail.co.uk.
Amanda Fuller & the eCoton Team

* This is the standard figure that companies are allowed to quote in the UK. From experience in Coton, installations here generate more like 900kWh/kwp.

** This figure for saved electricity is based on experience of a family with both parents working. This is lower than the estimation by power companies and is variable depending on home usage.

The Dry Garden

Carolyn — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:12:34 +0000

Water is a precious resource locally and globally. Rainfall in Cambridge has averaged only 557 mm annually over the last 30 years and Cambridge’s climate is classified as ‘semi-arid’. With the recent spring being the driest in over a century, it is pertinent to be looking at how we reduce reliance on costly mains water in our gardens.

Despite a permanent hosepipe ban in the beautiful Dry Garden here, it nevertheless flourishes. This is principally down to selecting plants that can survive short-term drought and to using appropriate horticultural techniques, such as applying thick, moisture-conserving mulches and planting closely to help reduce loss of water from the soil.

Of the 100 different species in the planting mix, many are Mediterranean natives such as Lavender, Thyme and Blue Spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites). Drought-tolerant characteristics to look out for in water-wise plants include small leaves that reduce water-loss, silvery, reflective foliage that minimises solar gain, or hairy leaves that trap moisture. Bulbs and annuals both demonstrate life-cycles that avoid summer drought by surviving as underground storage organs through the hot summer months, while annuals tend to grow, flower and set seed early in the year to ensure the next generation. There are also a number of British endemics like Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima), the Sea Buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides), that are included on the basis of many years observation of what grows easily here in our conditions.

A pergola forms the backdrop to the Dry Garden and is draped with drought-tolerant climbers such as Clematis armandii and Vitis purpurea that provide light shade for the table and chairs here. This affords the perfect spot from which to take notes on how to incorporate water-wise gardening into your own garden at home, plus the planting list is available from the Garden’s website at www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

Juliet Day, Development Officer, Cambridge University Botanic Garden

The Botanic Garden is open 10am – 6pm through the summer months, and until 8pm on 3 and 17 August. Admission is £4 (£3.50) or join the Friends & help the Garden grow! To discover this week’s Plant Picks from the Head of Horticulture, please visit the website at www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

Tortoiseshell Cat Found

Carolyn — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:28:50 +0000

A tortoiseshell cat and her 3 kittens (white with various colour patches) have been found living in the hedge just behind Polhill at Coton Orchard Garden Centre. We think from her skittish nature (she runs off when approached) that the mother has been living outside for a while, but she may belong to a Coton resident. The kittens look healthy, probably a few weeks old.

Please call into the Garden Centre ASAP if she may be yours or you wish to give them a home.

Polhill at Coton Orchard Garden Centre

Cambridge Road

Coton

Cambridge CB23 7PJ

Tel. 01954 210234

Fax. 01954 212332