The importance of peatlands – and the alternative composts available. . The UK government is moving to stop peat being sold: The use of peat… Read More »Banning peat compost

“… reluctantly” and “through gritted teeth.” . In the autumn, further details for the proposed industrial estate to the north of Sidford were presented: This… Read More »Sidford Business Park: further planning application: approved

“Do you have a green thumb and a love of growing plants? Then starting a microgreens business might be the perfect opportunity for you.” .… Read More »The microgreens business

“The benefits community food growing brings to an area, including increasing access to nutritious food, boosting biodiversity and creating community cohesion.” . A citizen science… Read More »Allotments and urban farming: a new study

“Levelling up requires coherent local institutions: strip back layers of local government and replace them with a single-tier system.” “Government plans will be a waste… Read More »Devolution and levelling-up: a single tier mayoral style system

South West Water to report back to Sidmouth Town Council by the end of January . After storms and sewage in our rivers and seas… Read More »Discharges of untreated sewage: SWW to answer questions

“Have they planned the increased infrastructure to go with all this – schools, hospitals, police, fire, utilities etc? Probably not on past record.” A new… Read More »New housing development forces reliance on cars

“Councillors should be paid less because they’re working from home.” “Several studies show productivity while working remotely from home is better than working in an… Read More »The continuing debates around Working From Home

“I strongly suspect that what comes out of a jet plane, or a monster cargo ship, should probably be of rather more concern.” . New… Read More »The debate around woodburners

“With such indifference at the helm of the RIBA awards process, what hope is there for seeing the rapid change demanded by the RIBA 2030… Read More »Sustainable buildings and the House of the Year

“You’d probably do better to buy a bit of re-constituted moorland vegetation in the form of some ‘plant based beef’.” . Dartmoor farmer Anton Coaker… Read More »An argument for farming livestock on uplands

“Repair really is becoming mainstream.” . The Restart Project has some good solid news pieces this month: Apple to make repair easier for consumers – but… Read More »Restart Project: December 2021 newsletter

Giving local people the power to set their own local development rules in suburban areas. . Back in the spring, a think tank put together… Read More »Giving residents the right to vote for more housing

“Farmers cannot wait for ‘guarantees’ from on high, but must look to the soil.” . We are indeed in times of great upheaval in the… Read More »Cutting carbon on the farm

“Proposed policy will require that all new residential and commercial development will deliver net-zero carbon emissions.” “An approach could be taken to require a higher… Read More »Draft Local Plan proposed zero-carbon housing