Bisley-With-Lypatt Parish Council, Community Energy Project

Bisley Community Energy Project

Three public meetings at which presentations were given on home energy efficiency were held during February on the following dates:

Wed 22 February - Bisley WI Village Hall - meeting notes (PDF 72Kb)
Fri 24 February - Oakridge Village Hall - meeting notes (PDF 57Kb)
Tues 28 February - Eastcombe Village Hall - meeting notes (PDF 75Kb)

Bisley Community Energy Project was set up in the summer of 2010. It is a sub-group of the Parish Council comprising parish councillors, energy professionals and interested members of the public. Its aims are to develop discussion and awareness of the problems surrounding energy production and security of supply, and to assess how our community can react to these issues. It reports regularly to the Parish Council on progress and any proposals that it makes for action in this area will be submitted to the Parish Council for discussion and approval.

As part of its remit to research and provide information on energy-saving technologies, the Bisley Community Energy Project is preparing Factsheets which aim to summarise in simple language the pros and cons of various options.They are intended as a starting point to improve individual understanding, and do not replace the need for specialist advice before making a financial commitment to any particular technology. The first Factsheets are now available. More will be added as they are completed.

Comunity Interest Companies | Photovoltaic Panels | Solar Thermal Systems

Minutes of working group meetings:

Many councils, from counties to parishes, are now considering the issues of climate change, carbon emissions, energy and waste. One example of a parish council planning for this can be seen at www.goingcarbonneutral.co.uk

Fintry, in Scotland, have run this inspiring community energy project.

Bisley-with-Lypiatt Going Carbon Neutral (PDF 303Kb) is a discussion paper on climate change and sustainable energy sources.

Gloucestershire County Council are set to generate their own energy and become carbon neutral within 10 years - see the County Council website for more details.

Government Urges Communities To Embrace Microgeneration

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker has again urged communities to embrace microgeneration and install low-carbon technologies like combined heat and power plants, wind and water turbines or district heating networks. Speaking to the Combined Heat and Power Association annual conference, Barker said that communities will be able to find out more about how to generate their own energy through a new website, Community Energy Online.

The website has been developed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, along with the Local Government Group and industry organisations including the Combined Heat and Power Association. The 'one stop shop' for communities provides information from difference sources on generating low-carbon heat and power and links to other partner websites.

The Government is encouraging local councils and community groups to take advantage of current feed-in tariffs for energy generation and the forthcoming renewable heat incentive. Local councils have also been freed up to sell any excess electricity back to the national grid. But recent research indicates that more effort is needed to encourage community-based renewables projects, which are often put off by potential planning delays or fear of outright rejection.

For further information go to Community Energy Online.

Bisley Energy Meeting

A public meeting was held on Wednesday 24th November 2010 in Bisley WI Village Hall to discuss the options for local electricity generation in Bisley-with-Lypiatt Parish. You can see a record of the Discussion Forum here (PDF 49Kb). Feedback forms submitted by members of the public after the meeting are summarised here (PDF 71KB) - 160 responses to date. If you would like to let us know what you think about these issues, please use this feedback form (PDF 25Kb).

A copy of the main presentation given to the meeting can be seen here (PDF 480Kb).

An Energy Presentation by the Parish Council working group was also held in

Eastcombe Village Hall on Tuesday 26th April 2011, and
Oakridge Village Hall on Friday 6th May 2011 - meeting notes (PDF 114Kb)