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 insulation grants for pensioners, zero stamp duty for zero carbon homes, and support for renewables – but unhappy that aviation was not adddressed and that gas-guzzlers got away with meagre increases in VED.
BBC Jam is an educational tool for schools. Under a Design & Technology section for 11-14 year olds. It uses the Hockerton Housing Project as one of the main case studies to illustrate aspects of sustainability. It includes some fantastic graphics (not unlike SIMMS) of HHP and short videos with HHP members showing lots of different aspects of the Project, including;
- a tour of the home,
- food & animals,
- meet the family (the Whites),
- location,
- image gallery.
On Tuesday 16th May, Francesca (age 11 and resident of HHP) appeared on BBC2’s new early morning children’s programme, Level Up, explaining how the homes at HHP collect, use and treat water. This was compared with two other children and how they collect and use water, particularly in relation to toilets.
On Thursday 18th May, one of the other Project children, Naomi Tilley (age 10) will appear on the same programme with her Dad, using a tandem to get to school.
HHP has had a flurry of interest from various written and broadcast media over recent months including:
- BBC One O’clock News & BBC News 24 (23rd June 2005) – Live broadcast linked to Governments launch of a consultation on micro-generation
- Carlton TV (16th Feb 2005) used HHP as part of a news item to coincide with initiation of the Kyoto Protocol
- Regeneration & Renewal magazine (27th May 2005) – “Innovations – A self-sufficient eco-housing scheme”
- BBC2-‘No Waste Like Home’ (autumn 2005) – HHP was used as an example of good eco practice
- Energy & Environment magazine (DEFRA) (July/August edition) – Article about HHP
- Self Build & Design Magazine (Due out in next edition) – Article about HHP and new ‘Master Class’ events
- Artist Blacksmith magazine – Article about HHP’s new recycled sculpture
- The Independent (1st June 2005) – Diary Of An Eco-Builder – ‘If you and your mates want to build a fully fledged eco-idyll, this is the way to do it‘ (Will Anderson). This article was written after Will visited HHP and another local eco-development. A short excerpt from the article: “Hockerton is a contemporary autonomous community… It didn’t cost much to build and it’s clearly a delight to live there. If you and your mates want to build a fully-fledged rural eco-idyll, start here.”
This spring we had a follow up survey of the water vole population on the HHP site overseen by a member of Brackenhurst college (part of Nottingham Trent University). There appears to be a rapid rise in the population of water voles in the main site ponds, which supports the evidence that the habitat is very suitable, with plentiful forage and low predation. The water vole population of each pond is probably at, or near the maximum capacity that can be sustained. Further evidence to support population rise is the presence of burrows and food remains at two new ponds within the site. However there were some unusual population changes in some of the newer ponds which have resulted in plans for a more detailed study over two breeding seasons. Brackenhurst staff feel there is much merit in carrying out the work and may further the understanding of water vole ecology.
