The Parish Council is very committed to caring for our environment. Hemyock is a part of the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Being in such a beautiful area means that we are very conscious of doing all we can to conserve and preserve its distinctive qualities.
One of our recent projects, the Longmead field sports pavilion is a very low carbon design. It uses a ground source heat pump for the central heating and domestic hot water, has solar heating panels and a living roof. The main structure is clad in wood and it has a large amount of loft and wall insulation. The central heating is all underfloor.
Some Councillors have expertise in specific aspects of the eco-friendly design of houses, and we would be very happy to talk to people about our experiences or what we have gleaned / learned in the process of our research into the various aspects of the subject.
There are a number of organisations on the web that can help us and you to become greener. This is a non-exclusive list of sites we have found useful:
Coach travel
The bus timetable is here. https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables
Freecycle
Instead of binning items you don’t want, recycle them to someone who does. There are Groups in Honiton and Taunton. https://www.freecycle.org/browse/UK/South%20West
Lift sharing
Both for daily commuting and occasional trips, you will be amazed who else from Hemyock is going there. https://www.liftshare.com/uk/
Carbon footprint
Calculate your own here. https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
If you want to measure and improve the amount of energy you use domestically, and therefore the carbon footprint, this site: iMeasure is very useful
Energy saving
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
Make a difference
Either use their services or volunteer to help others. http://www.remap.org.uk/
Peak Oil and Climate Change
Many communities are coming together in an initiative to prepare their community for the decline in fossil fuels and to cope with climate change. http://www.transitionnetwork.org/ If you interested in becoming involved contact the Parish Council.