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Sustainable Witney
Website of a group that tried to make Witney a greener place
Taking heat maps of houses, fighting silly roads and blogging a lot about plastic
Sustainable Witney was formed by a small group of volunteers who wanted to make our West Oxfordshire town a better, greener place. Considering its size, the group carried out a surprising number of different projects and had a very active web presence.
Cogges Link Road
When Oxfordshire County Council wanted to build the unnecessary Cogges Link Road, the local newspapers gave up reporting on the ensuing public enquiry after a day or so. My reporting, published on the Sustainable Witney website, remains the most complete record of the proceedings of that enquiry. Now the Sustainable Witney website has been deleted, I have reproduced these posts on this website so there is still a public record.
Plastic-Free July
I first attempted Plastic-Free July in 2013 and blogged about my experiences for Sustainable Witney. Many people, not all of them local, joined in the challenge. I ended up being featured in the Oxford Mail and being invited to give talks about low-plastic living. I compiled a "plastic-free survival guide" for Oxfordshire with local tips for where to shop, which inspired someone as far afield as Croydon to do the same.
During my years as part of the group, I also:
- Took thermal images of houses all over West Oxfordshire to show residents where their homes were losing heat;
- Helped to organise various swap-shops as a way of keeping usable things out of landfill;
- Explored the feasibility of setting up a local car club;
- Contributed dozens of different blogposts on everything from cycling to bees.
Article
Sustainable Sainsburys?
2011: February
How does a profit-making business stick to its ethical commitments? Can a national supermarket chain really have a relationship with the local community? And why do supermarket apples have those silly stickers on them?
All these questions, and lots more, were answered when Vince Brimble, store manager of Sainsburys in Witney, spoke at the Sustainable Witney AGM.
Article
Eight things I wish I’d known about using Cocoon
2011: August
I wrote yesterday about getting my home insulated with Cocoon, the subsidised scheme where you can get loft or cavity wall insulation done for just £99. I’m very happy we had it done, but there are a few things I wish I’d known before I started the process, things that weren’t clear from the Cocoon website or the literature I saw before booking.
Article
Wrap your home up warm for winter
2011: August
Sometimes it feels like a conspiracy to wish the summer away. The fashion mags are talking about autumn collections, department stores are doing “Back to School” deals, and now Sustainable Witney is blogging about insulation. But if you can bear reading on, we’ll explain why now is the perfect time to get it sorted.
Article
What's The Big Idea?
2011: August
Most people would like to be more active – so why do so many of us jump in the car when we need to get somewhere? This was the question asked in What’s The Big Idea?, a thought-provoking presentation about the way we travel in town.
Kevin Hickman of Witney Bike User Group (Witney BUG for short) told us that 40% of car journeys in Witney are 5km or shorter, while nearly 25% are less than 2km. Why are nearly a quarter of people getting in their cars to travel distances of less than a mile?
Article
Plastic-free takeaways?
2014: July
Grabbing a takeaway in Oxford might become a little kinder on the environment, thanks to a proposal by the city’s licensing committee. Oxford City Council is proposing a ban on polystyrene containers for takeaway food and a move towards biodegradeable packaging.
Article
Cutting carbon begins at home
2011: May
The current government promised to be the “greenest government ever”, but the UK’s carbon emissions are still too high, risking catastrophic climate change. However, many people don’t realise that 80% of emissions are as a result of local activity. We talk a lot about government action, but it’s time to bring the discussion closer to home.