This is my second Transition Ashtead report, this time on the Home Energy group.  We have just applied for funding from Surrey County Council’s new climate change fund to carry out a programme of activities designed to reduce carbon emissions from Ashtead’s houses.  The following description of our plan is copied straight from our fund application. 

1.  We aim to carry out a programme of planned activities over one year to promote the importance of reducing domestic energy consumption and carbon emissions to Ashtead residents. The plan is to have three events – the first in early April to initiate interest (speaker + some home energy efficiency equipment demonstrations), the second in June as a main event to have speakers and workshop/exhibitions on relevant locally available technology.  The third is to have a speaker and equipment display on home renewable energy options.

2.  We aim to set up a library of locally available energy efficiency equipment – some to show and some to loan e.g. draught meters, LED and low energy light bulbs, power meters so people can see and try them out.

3.  Get a small number of people trained in (a) draught proofing methodologies so they can train others to create a pool of people who can do this and (b) advising people on the grants available for domestic carbon reduction work and if necessary helping people complete the grant application forms.   We plan to carry this out as part of the Ashtead churches Act10n initiative in 8-12 July, and so the main beneficiaries should be needy and vulnerable people.

4.  Research local suppliers of energy efficiency and renewable energy suppliers and identify those with real expertise and good reputations and create a preferred supplier list or get them added to the approved trade lists such as Checkatrade

If anyone is interested in learning more about any of these activities you can ring me on 01372-378914 or email info@ transitionashtead.org.uk

Derek Smith

This is the first of two reports on what Transition Ashtead is up to.  We have started two action groups, one on Home Energy and one on Food.  The food group is really an umbrella group for sub-groups on different aspects of the subject, and we have called our first sub-group ‘Grow Your Own’.  As the name implies its aim is to encourage people in Ashtead to grow more food.  This group has met three times and will soon be launching ‘Ashtead Garden Share’.  This will link (a) people who have a garden but cannot manage it themselves with (b) people who want to grow fruit and vegetables but haven’t the space.  When we find a match we will help them draw up a garden share agreement which will answer questions like:

• on what times and days will the gardener have access to the garden?
• what part of the garden constitutes the garden share plot?
• who decides what is grown and where?
• how will produce grown on the plot be shared?

We’re planning to start publicising the scheme in week beginning 22 February, but we’ve already had offers of gardens without really trying.  There are plenty of big gardens in Ashtead!

Once the garden share is up and running we will look seriously at having a Community Garden, but whether this happens will depend on finding the right site and finding enough people who want to participate.  Finally we’re planning a public event in May or June on the theme of turning Ashtead green.

If anyone is interested in learning more about any of these activities you can ring me on 01372-378914 or email foodgroup@ transitionashtead.org.uk

Derek Smith

Surrey County Council (SCC) announced in December that there are no longer plans to build Energy from Waste incinerators in Surrey. Instead they are planning an Eco Park in Shepperton that will have an anaerobic digester (AD) to handle all Surrey’s domestic food waste. SCC is already working with the District and Borough Councils on separate food collections which should be operating throughout the county by the time the digester is ready.

This is good news of course, but is it the best option? The Green Mole Forum has set up a group to study this and we have met the SCC manager responsible for developing these plans. We learnt that SCC has only studied a single site to handle all of Surrey’s domestic food waste, but agreed there are viable alternatives that they have not studied properly. Importantly they haven’t considered having a number of local AD plants instead of one big plant, nor have they considered commercial food waste or farm waste as a possible feedstock for the plants. Smaller plants have a number of advantages including:

We have recently taken a big step forward by commissioning a student at Surrey University's Centre for Environment Strategy (CES) to carry out a thorough study of large versus local AD plants. Using Life Cycle Analysis, a study technique for which CES has an international reputation, it'll work out the best environmental option and will be her MSc project.

An important early part of the work will be collecting data from Mole Valley’s cafes, pubs, sandwich shops, school canteens, etc. to estimate how much commercial food waste is produced. SCC estimate that it could be about the same quantity as the total domestic food waste.

Green Mole Forum has decided to form a group to look at the possibilities for installing anaerobic digestion (AD) plants in Mole Valley. 

AD is a well established process for handing sewage, farm wastes, food wastes or combinations of these feedstocks to produce biogas and a solid residue that is a valuable soil fertiliser.  AD keeps organic waste out of landfill, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions.  AD plants vary from the very large (one AD plant handles all Stockholm’s sewage and food wastes for example) to plants the size of a large table.  There are still not many AD plants in the UK, despite government support for them.  The introduction of feed-in tariffs will give a big boost to all renewable energy technologies in the UK including AD.

A small AD plant is already being seriously considered in Headley to run on a mixture of horse manure and sewage.  Local famers recognise the benefits of having an AD plant on farm land.  Our new group intends to build on this existing local support, gather information, seek advice from experts, and come up with the most promising AD projects.  If you would like to be part of this group or find out more, please send us an email using the ‘Contact us’ button on the website, or give me a ring on 01372-378914.

Derek Smith

Transition Ashtead has now (30 July) got an initiating group of ten people and a mailing list of 50 people.  We need a lot more supporters but we feel we've made a decent start.  We have organised three open meetings in the Brewery Inn, Ashtead.  We are using these to educate ourselves on some of the main issues and also as a way of meeting new people and finding out their interests.

The first meeting was on 20 July with the title - Introducing the Transition Movement.  For this first meeting we explained what the transition movement is all about – the issues it addresses, the way it works and what local transition initiatives do.  We also described what we’ve done in Ashtead to date, and answered questions.  The other two planned meetings are as follows:

Monday 24 August.  'Peak Oil'.  Brewery Inn, Ashtead 8 pm.

Monday 28 September.  'Climate Change'  Brewery Inn, Ashtead 8 pm.

Derek Smith

Transition Ashtead Secretary

 “Ashtead Village Day was one of the best ever with more than 7000 people flocking to the recreation ground for a day of fun and festivities” ….. reported the Epsom Guardian.

I helped man the Transition Ashtead Initiating Group stall which was the group’s first go at a public event.  We had various activities to attract people, ranging from the serious (helping people to calculate their person carbon footprint) to the fun (learn how to play the didgeridoo) with lots in between.  Our main aim naturally was to talk to as many people as possible about Transition Ashtead, give out information and hopefully sign up potential supporters.  Having to have the stand ready forced us to speed up various important jobs that might have stretched out otherwise, and so we had leaflets, a logo (see below) and a banner all ready for the day.

We were all really pleased by how it all went and we’ve now got a very healthy list of potential supporters.  We are now starting to plan for our next public event which will be a public meeting in September. 

Derek Smith

On Saturday 20th June 2009 the Green Mole Forum attended Bookham Village Day. Having set up the stall in the wee hours (okay, so it was 8am) and following the arrival of the fancy dress parade, the event kicked off at noon.

With the gazebo bedecked with old swimming costumes (the theme was 'Beach Party'), a striped wind breaker, and eco-friendly balloons and bunting (from eco my party) it certainly looked the part.

As well as eco games for the young ones (and the young at heart!) there was a selection of more serious material on offer, from magazines and leaflets to a display of home energy monitors. We added more names to our list for the loan of monitors and talking to people it was quite clear that there were two camps - those who religiously turn off everything when not using it and those whose homes are lit up like Christmas trees thanks to all the standby lights!

The afternoon was well attended, the weather stayed fine and it was great to help 'spread the message'. Thanks go to Margaret, Bill, Esther and Matt (who I'm sure signed up more people than me) of the GMF and to all those who supported the event.

Richard Molyneux

Ashteads Village Day is at the Barnett Wood Lane Recreation Ground on 20 June.  The gates open at 1200.  Transition Ashtead is having a stall and is hoping to explain what Transition is all about to as many people as possible and sign up supporters.  Come and meet us there.

George McNamara is the Chair of Mole Valley LETS and is also active in starting a Transition group in Epsom.  The group has organised two meetings so far on 9 and 25 June.  George has provided the following information.

Transition Epsom is just starting with a small group of 4 people. If you would like to get involved, please let me know on 01372 749803 or george@whatever-will.be
We are having Epsom Transition Drinks on Tuesday 9th June at the Symonds Well pub, South Street, from 9pm to 10.30 (we will have more in future, but no dates fixed yet)
We are having a meeting at the Epsom Common Club on Thursday 25th June - 7.30pm for 8, please. At the end of this, we hope to have established a strong "initiating group" of people who will move us through the first stages of the Transition blueprint.
We have a social network site at http://transitionepsom.ning.com/ and a tiny website at http://www. transitionepsom.org.uk
(Transition Ewell may split off from this at some future date, but for the time being it is all one)

Transition Ashtead is now getting into its stride.  We've had two meetings and have decided that between us we've got enough people and commitment to have a real go at making Ashtead a Transition Initiative.  Our group has therefore applied to formally become the Transition Ashtead Initiating Group and we have appointed a Chair (Barry Smale), Secretary (Derek Smith) and Treasurer (Tony Cooper).  We have agreed a set of aims and principles, and should soon have a constitution, bank account and logo sorted out.  Once these boring but important tasks have been done, we will set about the real job of spreading awareness and organising events in Ashtead.  If you are interested in learning more, please ring me on 01372-378914 or email us using the 'Contact' button on the Green Mole Forum home page.

Derek Smith