Media Focus

With politicians fighting over the green agenda, Government launching the Climate Change Bill last week, and Gordon Brown expanding on green taxes & incentives in this weeks budget, the environment is one of today's hot topics. HHP was considered 10 years ago to be pioneering but marginal - today it is being slowly recognised as offering serious solutions to a growing problem.

From the very early days of the Project, the media were hooked on a story about green pioneers living as a community in earth-sheltered homes….and oh yes, the inevitable hobbit headlines. Well most of the media now have a more mature view of environmental issues. HHP is now rarely the butt of media trivia, although I do wish that Channel 4’s Wife Swap would get the message that we are not interested!

HHP has received a significant increase in interest from various media already in 2007, paralleling the rising public awareness and political activity associated with climate change. Earlier this month the local BBC filmed at HHP for a special ‘Inside Out’ programme covering climate change (to be broadcast on 29th March). This will actually be a national programme, but breaking to different BBC regions to report on what is happening locally – HHP will be used to link the various pieces for the East Midlands.

On 21st March HHP provided the live location for Radio 4 programmes ‘You & Yours’ and ‘World at One’ as part of budget day. Why? Well due to the  expectation that the budget would include a number of 'green' measures to combat climate change. HHP were part of a panel of people asked to comment on the budget and in particular on any announcements by the chancellor to promote reduction in carbon use (or indeed what he did not annouce!). Simon Tilley representing HHP gave a lukewarm response, welcoming; inuslation grants for pensioners, zero stamp duty for zero carbon homes, and support for renewables - but unhappy that aviation was not adddressed and the gas-guzzlers got away with meagre increases in VED.

We have also featured recently in a number specialist publications including; an Italian architectural magazine (L'architettura naturale), Building for a Future, and Inside Housing

Last week we declined a request by GMTV to run their programme live on the day the Climate Change bill was launched – well would you get up at 5.00am and try and get your kids off to school with wires and TV staff to negotiate past!