JOHANNA HOWELL

  IT IS THE DUTY OF EVERY COUNCILLOR TO HELP THE UK MEET CLIMATE CHANGE TARGETS AND BUILD SUSTAINABLE HOUSING STOCKS

AFFORDABLE HOUSING | CLIMATE | DEVELOPERS | ECONOMY | FLOOD | HOUSE BUILDING HISTORY | HOMELESS

PROPERTY LADDER | MORALS | POVERTY | PROPERTY | SLAVERY | TAXES | SLUMS | VALUATIONS | WEALTHY LANDLORDS

Councillor Johanna Howell - You have to be a team player to work with other councillors, developers and civil servant planners, but does team play extend to covering up the inconvenient truth as to past malfeasance?

Putting that aside for now, we should be concentrating on meeting climate change targets for cleaner air - where at the moment Wealden (and other councils) are failing miserably - and no wonder taking a look at their Climate Action Plan. On the basis of this document we haven't a hope in hell of meeting our 2008 statutory obligations by 2050.

With petrol cars being outlawed by 2040, plans should be in hand for transition to electric vehicles - but Wealden do not even have charging points in their own car park. How many officers and members drive electric vehicles? We wonder. Lead by example, that it how it should be done. As a Conservative Party member, Johanna will know that Michael Gove is in trouble with Europe and Theresa May's government has been found guilty of failing to meet air quality requirements by the High Court. Would you like to change party Johanna?

Councillor Johanna Howell

Charmers Cottage
The Green
Frant
East Sussex
TN3 9ED

Tel: 01892 750141

Email: cllr.johanna.howell@wealden.gov.uk

Johanna represents Frant & Withyham. Cllr Howell is WDC Chairman of Planning Committee North

For years this council have done all within their power not to deliver housing at affordable prices. Their agenda has been to restrict builds, typically awarding permissions to favoured developers. The only way you can sort this one out is to sack all the long serving planning officers with vested interests, redraw the boundaries and purchase land by compulsory orders if that becomes necessary.

WAITING LISTS - This could be a scene in Wealden land if they fail to deliver housing stocks in sustainable fashion. People queuing up to buy affordable houses that have yet to be built. Why? Because the district is catering only for the rich.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Then along came the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, followed by the Climate Change Act 2008. These Acts demand that Wealden put in place a workable plan and encourage development of sustainable housing and transport. These Acts are in response to United Nations targets to fend off a global catastrophe.

A workable plan involves making sure that houses, transport and workplaces in the Wealden area reduce their carbon footprint by 3% a year to get back to 1990 levels by the year 2050.

If we assume that the houses in 1990 have not increased their energy requirement, then we need to work out how many new houses have been built since 1990 - and how many more will be built by 2050 - then add them together. Unfortunately, Wealden have been handing our consents since 2008 for properties that are not energy sustainable and those that are likely to be built in the future will also be substandard in energy terms.

It pretty soon becomes clear that new-builds will have to be virtually zero carbon and existing houses and factories should aim to reduce energy consumption to give us some slack. Houses that are energy self-sufficient will not look like the houses Wealden's planners are used to approving. Buildings that are modified to harvest solar energy will change in appearance somewhat - but this is typically permitted development - and if it is not the above Acts tend to support what is or will be necessary to improve existing stocks in line with a workable plan.

NEW BUILD SOLAR HOUSE - The light-filled Home For Life dwelling is a striking contemporary home completed as one of eight experimental Active Houses financed by FKR Holding. The 2,045-square-foot two-bedroom house is filled with natural light and strategically placed to take in 50% of its winter heating from passive solar means. The ultra-efficient home includes a photovoltaic system, solar hot water system, heat pump, energy optimized windows, and an automatic natural ventilation system. It is easy to point a new build in the right direction to capture passive heat. it is not so easy with an existing building such as the industrial building below.

GENERATING WORKS HERSTMONCEUX - This pergola is actually a mount for a bank of solar panels that will generate clean electricity for the old generating buildings, along with water heaters and a wind turbine aiming for self-sufficiency in energy terms. The solar panels are designed to move to track the sun. Using wood like this costs a bit more but it is in keeping with the wooden theme for the rural scene and does not harm the archaeology. Glass area is increased where possible to capture passive heat and an underground chamber is being modified to store hot water for heating and washing. The original shell is improved with insulation in the roofs and walls, by way of over cladding for an extra layer of comfort. The occupiers use an electric car, that eventually, could be charged from on-site solar panels. In this way this historic asset uses considerably less energy than it did in 1990 and is heading towards zero carbon status. The problem with such conversions is that town planners do not recognise the benefits they are looking at, when they should be encouraging such efforts.

Future homes could make electricity bills a thing of the past, and even help you earn money in the process. Energy homes are popping up around the world, generating more energy than they use, and can even be set up to sell excess energy back to the grid. Beautiful, energy efficient, and increasingly affordable, these dwellings are proving the viability of renewable energy over fossil fuel sources.

FOSSIL FUEL BILLS IN LIME PARK - Two deliveries of fuel oil on two consecutive days in December 2017 in Lime Park. Heating the old Victorian manor house, that is divided into four residences, appears to use a lot of heating oil that is contributing to global warming and fueling climate change. These terraced houses have high ceilings and little insulation. The occupiers have done little in terms of micro generation and so reply on regular deliveries of fossil fuels to keep warm in winter. The Old Rectory also uses a disproportionate quantity of heating oil, but could fit ground heat pumps or solar panels to help the rest of us meet UN targets for 2050. It seems like many years away, but at the present apathetic rate Wealden are (not) progressing at, we can kiss goodbye to arctic ice. So save a place for a polar bear in your garage. They are going to need it.

FOSSIL FUEL USAGE STUDY - Two more deliveries of fuel oil and gas in Lime Park. Older properties were not designed to be energy efficient. This is the proof. One reason that the Church sold the Rectory, was the high cost of heating oil for a house that is poorly insulated. There is though much scope for improvement. Added to the cost of the fuel oil is the cost in terms of transport for each delivery and the carbon miles this generates. On site water heating and solar panels for electricity would help enormously in the battle to contain a warming planet. We hope that any new occupiers will do something about this. Maybe there should be a law about energy efficiency upgrades at exchange, where the vendor and purchaser agree to contribute to improvements that are agreed by an expert. If a unit has already been upgraded, then no contribution is necessary. Fuel for thought.

Victorio Scarpa, David Whibley, Julian Black, Daniel Goodwin, Christine Arnold

Christine Nuttall, David Phillips, Douglas Moss, Ian Kay, Charles Lant

Above are some of the civil servant officers that appear not to have their eye on the climate change issue, some of which might be more concerned with keeping buildings in the hands of preferred people - contrary to Articles 8 and 14 and Article 1 of Protocol 1. Any violation of a person Human Rights by a council is of course unlawful and may become illegal if it is a prolonged assault on a person, when Article 3 also comes into play.

Abbott Trevor - Alcock Charmain - Ditto - Arnold Chris (Christine) - Barakchizadeh Lesley - Paul Barker - Bending Christopher

Black Julian - Boakes Beverley - Bradshaw Clifford - Brigginshaw Marina - Brown Ashley - Coffey Patrick - Douglas Sheelagh

Dowsett Timothy - Flemming Mike - Forder Ralph - Garrett Martyn - Goodwin Daniel - Henham J - Holness Derek

Hoy Thomas - Johnson Geoff - Kavanagh Geoff - Kay Ian - Kay I. M. - Barbara Kingsford - Lant Charles - Mercer Richard

Mileman Niall - Moon Craig - Moss Douglas, J. -  Nuttall Christine - Pettigrew Rex - Phillips David - Scarpa Victorio - Scott Trevor

Kevin Stewart - Wakeford M. - Whibley David - White, George - Williams Kelvin - Wilson Kenneth - White Steve

AFFORDABLE | CLIMATE | DEVELOPERS | ECONOMICS | HOMELESS | LADDER | MORALS  | POVERTY | PROPERTY | SLAVERY | WEALTH

ABOUT WEALDEN

Wealden is a substantial district covering some 323 square miles of lush downland where wealthy people like to retire. Wealden is the largest district in East Sussex, home to some 143,000 people. 

This Council's responsibilities include housing, planning, building control, waste collection, recycling, emergency planning and economic regeneration. That last one is beyond the grasp of civil servants - and that is why the national debt is so high. They spend taxpayers money tying up would be entrepreneurs in knots. As many readers will appreciate, government directives are to encourage small businesses. Wealden, don't seem to get it. The national debt is increasing by some £2.5 billion a week, and all local authorities with corrupt officers still in their employ are partly to blame.

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