Next Meeting
The next SNAC meeting is on Tuesday November 18th at 6pm in Swarland Club. Everyone welcome.
Boating Lake Revealed
Volunteers from SNAC and local residents recently teamed up with Forestry England staff to begin work to remove invasive species from around the Boating Lake in Swarland Wood.
If you don’t know where the Boating Lake is – you’re not alone.!In recent years it’s become very overgrown and has transformed into a habitat called ‘wet woodland’.
The group spend a day removing invasive rhodedendrons from around the lake, as well as removing a number of small trees to let in more light.
It’s hoped to continue the work over the coming months.
Posted October 13th 2025
Weekday Bus ? We need your views
We’ve always hoped that we would be able to get a weekday service in addition to the Saturday bus. NCC are now looking to run a 3 month trial on one day in the week. Before they do this, we need some input from you –
- Would you use a bus on a weekday?
- Do you have strong preference for a particular day in the week?
- Where would you like to go? – i.e. Alnwick and Morpeth as on Saturdays, but would you like to use a connecting service to extend your journey to e.g. Newcastle?
- What times of day would you prefer and how long would you like to spend at your destination?
Please email talktosnac@gmail.com with your thoughts, or phone Jan Anderson, parish clerk, on 07775 060430 (during office hours if possible), before 31st August.
Posted July 22nd 2025.
Going Wild in Vyner Park!
On Saturday, Vyner Park buzzed with activity as Natasha Hemsley from the Northumberland Wildlife Trust led a hands-on, family-friendly workshop for SNAC – an inspiring follow-up to her “Go Wild in the Garden” talk earlier this month.
The participants rolled up their sleeves to learn how to build wildlife-friendly features including a bug hotel, hibernaculum, hedgehog house, and bat box. These creations will remain in one of Vyner Park’s wooded areas, providing shelter for local wildlife.
Huge thanks to everyone who came on the day and in particular to Natasha and her assistant Raven for a fun and informative day, and to Rob, Mark, and Greg for preparing the site and supplying some of the materials – your efforts made it all possible!
Posted 30/04/25
Monitoring the River
Jamie Day (Coquet River Action Group) and Rob Payton (SNAC) gave a fascinating talk about the work being done by CRAG to monitor the Coquet and its tributaries.
Jamie began by describing the scope of the project and the organisations that CRAG is building links with, including the Environment Agency. Water quality monitoring has been taking place between Thropton and the coast and the team are about to begin analysing their first 12 months of data.
Rob went on to talk about the Hazon Burn in more detail. It’s one of the few parts of the river system that has been graded as ‘Poor’ by the Environment Agency (most of the Coquet is a SSSI – a site of special scientific interest). Rob noted the decline in birds, fish and invertebrates in the burn over a number of years. This seems to be due to a number of factors including iron oxide deposits from former mine workings, fertilizer run-off, soil erosion and excess organic matter from areas of unfenced grazing.
Posted 20/11/2024.
Can we keep the Coquet clean ?
Join us on Tuesday, November 19th from 6 – 7pm in Swarland Club for a talk by Jamie Day from the Coquet River Action Group (CRAG) and Rob Payton from SNAC. They will talk about the citizen science project being led by CRAG to monitor water quality and biodiversity in the River Coquet and its surrounding catchments.
Jamie and Rob will highlight key features of the river in our area and discuss the issues affecting water quality. This free event is open to everyone and offers an opportunity to learn more about our local environmental efforts. Don’t miss it!
Posted 05/11/24
Wildflower Meadow Report
Members of SNAC have recently worked with an ecologist from Northumberland Wildlife Trust to survey the area.
The great news is that the meadow is doing really well, and the management regime to look after it is ‘spot on’!
NWT have now provided the full report which includes details of all the habitats in the park, together with recommendations for further improvements. You can read the report here.
Posted 08/08/24
Possible Changes to Bus Service
We’ve recently been told that NCC is considering some changes to the 415 timetable which it thinks would make it more sustainable. We don’t have full details yet, but it’s likely they would mean more time in Alnwick and less time in Morpeth. It would still be possible to get to Newcastle, but with a later arrival and earlier departure.
Any changes wouldn’t come into effect until October, but we really need to know what you think of the current service and the proposed changes.
You can let us know by emailing Talktosnac@gmail.com.
Posted 08/08/24
Meadow is ‘Looking Good’
A recent survey has concluded that the meadow in Vyner Park is doing well – in fact in might be good enough to qualify as ‘species-rich grassland’.
Last year SNAC obtained funding for an ecologist, Sara Frisby from Northumberland Wildlife Trust, to survey the area – and to train a number of volunteers to assist. In addition to finding numerous plant species, Sara concluded that the current management regime is also ‘spot on.’
We’ll be getting a full report from Sara in the next few weeks, so look out for more information coming soon.
Posted 20/06/24.
Farm Walk Gets Sunshine!
More than a dozen members of SNAC were recently taken on a tour of Glantlees Farm by owner Judy Fortescue. This year the walk took place in warm sunshine – unlike on our previous visit!
Judy and her family have farmed organically for nearly 25 years and are committed to farming in ways that are good for wildlife. During the visit the group examined a number of hedgerows in varying stages of maturity – from one which looks like a linear wildlife corridor to newer hedgerows which have been planted in the last few years. Judy was keen to point out that more and more farmers like her are taking measures to look after the environment which is great news for all of us.
Posted 02/06/24
Water Testing Starts
SNAC is taking part in the Coquet River Action Group’s project to test water quality on the Coquet and some of its tributaries. Testing is taking place at around 25 sites from Rothbury to the coast. SNAC is testing on the Hazon Burn, which is one of the worst affected tributaries.
Testing will take place monthly to understand what factors are affecting water quality in different parts of the Coquet and its catchment.
Posted 08/04/2024
Bus Service Gets Going!
The 415 service between Morpeth and Alnwick finally began on March 30th – and we were thrilled to see so many people using the service.
As well as the ‘official’ stops in Swarland and Newton, the service operates on a ‘hail and ride’ basis where it’s safe to stop.
We’re hoping to be able to get a weekday service running in the autumn – especially if can demonstrate demand for the route.
Posted 02/04/24
NEW BUS SERVICE STARTING!!
We’re pleased to finally announce that a new bus service will be starting on March 30th. The service will operate between Morpeth and Alnwick, calling at Felton, Swarland and Newton on the Moor. It will stop in the centre of each village but users can also ‘hail’ the bus where it’s safe to do so.
To begin with, the new service will be run on Saturdays only, but we’re hoping to get a weekday service later in the year.
See the timetable here or look out for the posters.
Posted 11/3/24
Bus Service Latest
NCC are continuing to work with a number of bus companies to try and get the service up and running. They have asked for feedback on a couple of potential changes to the timetable which has been circulated previously.
Firstly, instead of operating twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, one possibility is that the bus would operate on a Saturday and one weekday (not a Wednesday so as to avoid competition with the NEED bus).
Secondly, the weekday service would operate in reverse to the earlier proposed timetable, resulting in a longer time in Alnwick (around 4 hours) and a shorter time in Morpeth (around 2 hours), with no connection to Newcastle)
Please let us know your views on these possible changes. The deadline for feedback is 12 noon on Monday February 12th. Please email SNAC at talktosnac@gmail.com or phone Jan Anderson, SNAC Secretary, on 07775 060430.
Posted 27/01/24
The Big Plastic Count
In 2022 the first Big Plastic Count took place. A quarter of a million people counted their plastic waste for a week, showing that the UK throws away 2 billion pieces of plastic every week – only 12% of which is recycled.
In 2024, governments will be negotiating a Global Plastics Treaty that could finally phase out plastic production for good. And so the Big Plastic Count is happening again between March 11th and 17th – using the results to convince UK ministers to lead the way and push for change.
You can take part by registering and getting your free counting pack, and then counting all your plastic waste from March 11th – 17th. To find out more go to https://thebigplasticcount.com.
Posted 24/01/24
The Bus has (temporarily) stalled…
Unfortunately, when the proposed new bus service was put out to tender recently, no companies responded – possibly due to lack of vehicles or drivers at the required times. This is obviously frustrating having got so far and having funding available. However, NCC do seem committed to finding a solution and will be putting out a reconfigured tender in January in the hope it will fit better with what can be provided. Realistically, it is unlikely that the service will be in place at the end of January and we are now hoping for a spring starting date. We’re staying positive and will continue to keep everyone up to date.
Information about the proposed route can be found here.
Posted 13/12/2023
The Bus is Getting Nearer!
Many thanks to all of you who sent in feedback regarding the proposed new bus service. This was overwhelmingly positive and in addition some useful suggestions were made about how the service could be extended further. We do though need to see what the uptake for the proposed service is like first.
The service has now gone out to tender with local bus companies, with a deadline of 17th November. If commissioning is successful, it is hoped the service can beginning the week commencing Sunday 28th January 2024.
We also now have information about the proposed route. Running in the direction Alnwick to Morpeth, the bus would go up past Jubilee Hall in Newton and along the top road to Swarland. From the Leamington Lane crossroad it would go along the Avenue to the bus stop at the Square and then continue along Park Rd, turning on to the B6345 to Felton, and then on to Morpeth from there. The return journey would follow the same route. We are currently exploring suitable stops along the route.
It has also been confirmed that the £2.00 maximum fare will apply, together with all concessionary passes. To get to Newcastle though will cost £4.00 because two separate buses are involved.
Posted 25/10/23.
SNAC visit to SUEZ (the recycling plant!)
A dozen members of SNAC visited the SUEZ Recycling and Recovery Centre this week to learn about what happens to out recycling once it’s collected. The Centre operates 19 hours a day sorting the waste into different categories using a huge system of conveyor belts, rotating drums, air knives, magnets – and crucially some skilled human pickers to ensure that recycled material ends up in the right place. Find out lots more about the visit here.
Posted 21/10/23
River Talk
Steve Lowe from the Northumberland Rivers Trust spoke to an audience of nearly fifty people at SNAC’s October meeting. Steve spoke about the issues and challenges affecting our waterways and highlighted particular problems with the Coquet and some of our local burns. Steve also emphasised the importance of local communities speaking up and taking actions on the issues affecting their area.
Posted 18/10/23
Provisional Timetable Announced
NCC have been in contact with us this week to share details of the proposed bus service for the parish. They have made some changes which would improve on the original plan. The proposal is for a service operating to Alnwick and Morpeth on two days each week, and with connections to and from Newcastle. We’re asking people to tell us what they think by October 23rd. Find out more here.
Posted 12/10/23.
Happy Birthday Arthur!
Happy Birthday to former forester Arthur who’s 100th birthday was marked with the planting of a Sweet Chestnut tree in Swarland Wood. Arthur was joined by Alex McLennan from Forestry England.
Forestry England will be starting the Storm Arwen Recovery work in the woods over the next few weeks, so look out for more information.
Posted 09/10/23.
More dates for Repair Cafe
Following the success of the first Repair Cafe in Gallery Forty5, two more dates have been announced – they are Saturday October 21st and Saturday December 2nd. As well as repairs, technical support and DIY advice will also be available. The team are looking for more volunteers with relevant skills to join the team. Contact cherryhambrook@gmail.com to find out more.
Posted 06/10/23
Ranting about Rivers
Steve Lowe from Northumberland Rivers Trust will be giving a talk at the next SNAC meeting on October 17th at 7pm. It’s called ‘Ranting about Rivers‘ about Steve will be talking about the state of some of our local waterways.
Everyone welcome.
Posted 05/10/23
Launch of the Big River Watch
This weekend is the start of the Rivers Trust Big Rivers Watch which will help build a picture of river health across the country. Simply download the app and spend 15 minutes down by the river answering some simple questions. No previous knowledge or experience required, The information you provide will help to build up a national picture and give more clout in the fight to clean up our rivers.
Posted 22/09/23.
Photo Competition Winner Announced!
Congratulations to David Plumpton, winner of the SNAC Summer 23 photography Competition. We loved David’s photo showing the efforts of Swarland Residents to do their bit for recycling!
You can see some of the other entries in our Gallery.
Well done David!
Posted 5/9/2023
SNAC at the Swarland Show
SNAC’s stall at the Swarland Show was a great success – with lots of information about ways to be ‘greener’. With information about the size of the parish’s carbon footprint – which is 60% higher than the average for Northumberland – it was great to be able to offer suggestions for how to be more sustainable – and hear about what would help people to do that more easily.
Posted 5/9/2023
Getting Together
Following an event in October 2022, SNAC is currently involved in organising and planning a follow up workshop which will take place on September 23rd. A wide range of community based environmental and sustainability groups have been invited and the aim of the event is to establish a network to enable information sharing, collaboration and support.
Posted 22/8/2023
Grab Yourself a Free Tree
Northumberland County Council’s free tree scheme is back for another year and this time they are giving away 15,000 tree saplings to residents, schools, community groups and parish councils. Residents can choose a tree species to suit their garden and groups can choose from Hedge, Copse or Native Harvest species.
For more information, visit https://tree-scheme.northumberland.gov.uk/SelfService/
Great Northumberland Forest Podcast
A new podcast has been launched by the team behind the Great Northumberland Forest. It features glimpses into how farmers and landowners are creating more woodland – including the development of agroforestry, planting for nature and planting in small areas. The first episode is available now on Spotify and features farmer Rachel Henry from Rothbury.
Posted 15/07/23
Drought is on the verge of becoming the next pandemic
It’s easy to take the water that comes out of our taps for granted, but water shortages – not just global but here in the UK are becoming a serious risk. There’s only a finite amount of water available, and the National Audit Office have forecast demand will exceed supply in England by 2034 at the latest. Find out more from in this article.
The warning comes after the recent What a Wonderful World Festival in Alnwick highlighted a range of issues about our rivers and coast, from pollution to coastal erosion, and the work that is going on to develop nature based solutions.
Posted 3/7/23
Community Energy – what’s it all about ?
SNAC member Carolyn recently attended a webinar on Community Energy organised by ‘Going Green Together’. A community energy project might be something SNAC could consider in the future, if a suitable opportunity arises – but it’s by no means straightforward and requires careful planning!
The term Community Energy covers a broad range of different projects and different sorts of community. The community doesn’t need to be geographically located and could be any collection of like-minded individuals. Projects could be specific to green energy production (e.g. wind- or solar farms) or could be a group of shareholders in a project. Group energy purchase to ensure best rates would also come under this heading. A community energy survey is a good way of starting out.
It’s essential to have a strongly motivated group of volunteers to get any project off the ground, and to have wider community support. Schemes must have a sound legal basis, especially regarding control of assets and liability if things go wrong, and should be independent of already established groups such as parish councils or charities. For energy generation projects, getting a grid connection can be a particular challenge, especially in the North East. Projects rarely develop as planned but even if they don’t get off the ground, other less tangible benefits often emerge for the community.
Funding for development is limited at present, but there is lottery money available: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/climate-action-fund-energy
Posted 26/06/23
Renewable Energy – it’s the future!
SNAC’s Renewable Energy event took place on June 24th, with a talk from Brian Watson from Community Action Northumberland. Brian talked about positive developments taking place globally and nationally – as well as what’s happening closer to home – both through the Warmer Homes Grant run by Northumberland County Council and through his new role advising off-gas grid households about how to reduce their carbon footprint.
The audience also heard from three local householders Lesley, Alex and Barry, who spoke about their experiences. Between them they covered the use of solar panels and battery storage, putting renewable technology into a new build and retrofitting solar panels and an air source heat pump in an older farmhouse. The message from all three was how effective the technology is and that ‘if you can – you should’ because individual actions really do make a difference.
Posted 24/06/23
England says NO to single use plastics
Research shows that each year billions of items made from single-use plastic are used in England – and only about 10% are recycled. Most of these are used for takeaway food and beverages. To combat this, the Government has announced a ban on single-use plastics, beginning in October 2023.
Plastic cutlery was in the top 15 most littered items in 2020, and plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down. The new ban is intended to have a significant impact on waste reduction, but won’t apply to plastic that is used as packaging in pre-packaged food items.
Posted 21/06/23
Vape recycling now available
The County Council has become among the first local authorities in the country to offer vape tube recycling bins at its Household Waste Recovery Centres.
The devices contain lithium batteries which can be highly flammable and should never be disposed of in general waste.
The vape tube bins, now in place at all the council’s household waste facilities, will help tackle the growing environmental issues the devices cause.
In the UK, people buy half a billion vapes a year and bin a massive 3 million of them every week. They are quickly becoming part of the fastest growing waste stream in the country.
Councillor John Riddle, Cabinet Member for Local Services, said: “While vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking, disposing of the vapes should always be done correctly.
“No batteries should ever be put in general waste, they must be disposed of in a proper battery bin.
The council also has dedicated battery bins at every HWRC, and proper disposal bins are available at numerous retailers and other locations across the county.
Posted 17/06/23
Winds of Change
The powerful storms that hit the UK between November 2021 and February 2022 created widespread damage. This short video called ‘Winds of Change‘ has been produced by environmental activist Manon Carpeter and shows how, in two areas severely affected by Storm Arwen – Northumberland and Aberdeenshire, mountain bikers are adapting to a more extreme climate to secure a long term future for their trails. It also features Alex MacLennan from Forestry England who recently led our Guided Forest Walk in Swarland Wood.
Posted 13/06/23
Quiet Climate Activism
That’s how a team of experts from the Open University have described some simple steps that everyone can take to have a positive impact on nature and the environment. It includes the food choices that we make, getting involved in citizen science and growing some of your own food. You can find out more at https://connect.open.ac.uk/nature-and-environment/springwatch.
Posted 11/06/23
A Walk in the Woods
Fifteen people enjoyed a guided forest walk in Swarland Wood with Forestry England’s Alex McClennan. Alex talked about the history of the wood, its management and FE’s future plans – as well as encouraging us to ‘smell the pines’. Alex will be back in Swarland on Saturday June 3rd for a community meeting where he will talk more about work taking place later in the year as part of FE’s Storm Arwen Recovery Plan for the wood.
Posted 31/5/23
Low Carbon Energy Event
We’re hosting an event on June 24th to help householders find out more about how to move to renewable sources of energy – and reduce their carbon footprint. Brian Watson from Community Action Northumberland is our guest speaker and we’ll have case studies from local householders who have already changed to sustainable energy sources. Look out for more information over the coming weeks.
Posted 17/5/23
Houses from Fungus
A new architecture centre opens in Newcastle on April 22 2023, showing visions of how architecture can make buildings more sustainable. One of the exhibitions at The Farrell Centre shows structures made from mycelium, the root network of fungus, creating strong, self-repairing and compostable walls.
The centre is part of Newcastle University, entrance is free and no booking is required.
Posted 22/04/23.
Nature’s Pharmacy Wild Herb Trail
Take a walk on the wild side with a guided tour of healing herbs and trees on Glantlees Organic Farm near Newton on the Moor. Managed by farmer Judy Fortescue and her two sons, Glantlees is an organic farm with a focus on environmental sustainability and working in partnership with nature. The woodlands, meadows and moorland around the farm are home to a host of wildflowers, herbs and trees, offering the home herbalist a rich supply of medicines from nature’s pharmacy. Our Trail will take approximately 2 hours and will include a walk around the meadows and hedgerows teaching you how to identify the different plants, flowers, and trees. Bring a mug and we will have an infusion of one of the safest, yet most powerful, healing herbs in nature’s pharmacy to round off the session. Please NOTE: This walk will take place on May 28th WEATHER PERMITTING. Places limited to SNAC members. The Trail Leader is Lesley Long.
To BOOK contact Lesley Long via email longlesleylong@gmail.com by 21st May latest
Posted 21/04/23.
Hydrogen Heating
Northern Gas Networks are building an experimental centre in Gateshead to test hydrogen boilers as a source of heating and cooking as hydrogen produces far fewer carbon emissions than natural gas.
Conventional gas boilers can use a 20% hydrogen mix but, above that level, adaptations are required. So-called ‘hydrogen ready’ boilers that will burn 100% hydrogen are being tested and the results are encouraging.
A Customer Energy Village is under construction in Gateshead, consisting of a range of properties including a 1910 terrace, 1930s semi-detached, 1950s bungalows, 1970s flats and 1990s detached houses, equipped with differing levels of insulation These will be used to measure the effectiveness of hydrogen heating. Larger scale applications are planned in Redcar, Leeds, Hull and Teesside.
However, rolling out hydrogen at scale to meet the government’s intention to ban new natural gas boilers from 2035, would require an adequately funded and ambitious national plan which currently isn’t is place.
Posted 14/03/23.
Photo Comp Winner!
Rob Simpson is the first winner of our SNAC photography competition with his fabulous picture from Swarland Wood. We’ll be publishing some other entries from the competition over the next few weeks. Well done Rob!
New soft plastics recycling bin
Aldi have become the latest supermarket to offer a recycling point for soft plastics. The container can be found in the entrance to Aldi’s Alnwick store. Aldi joins Sainsbury’s and the Co-op who are offering this facility – so we encourage other supermarkets not to get left behind!
You can find out more about local recycling facilities by visiting our Recycling pages.
Environmental talks at Alnwick Garden
Alnwick Story Fest are holding a number of events on Saturday February 25th featuring Matt Pratt (CEO of Northumberland Wildlife Trust), Caro Giles (Countryfile’s New Nature Writer or the Year 2021) and Jesse Greengrass (shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award in 2021). You can find out more and buy tickets at http://www.alnwickstoryfest.com.
Council’s Recycling Plans
The government is consulting on changes to increase the amount of household waste being recycled. All councils will have to introduce a weekly food waste collection service and increase the range of materials they collect.
Northumberland County Council is currently running three pilot schemes – a weekly food waste collection scheme, a smaller pilot of home composting and a monthly kerbside glass collection scheme. These pilots will help shape the new services, but no changes are likely before 2024/25 at the earliest.
In the meantime, check out http://www.snac.online to find out about all the recycling opportunities near you.
Find out about Rights of Way
Swarland Moor Heritage Group’s next talk is being given by Sue Rogers on ‘The Evolution of the Rights of Way network and how missing routes can be found and retrieved‘. The meeting is on February 14th at 7.30pm in Swarland Village Club.
Peat restoration gets a boost
Peat is hugely important to the environment – acting as a carbon store, wildlife habitat and flood controller, but it must remain wet to provide these ecosystem services. Unfortunately, for centuries peat and its vegetation have been cultivated, drained and degraded. When dry, peat emits carbon dioxide and is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas. It is therefore critical to keep peat bogs wet.
The Northumberland Peat Partnership (NPP) has recently received funding to enable it to increase its efforts to protect the county’s peat with a new dedicated peat team.
The team of eight people is working across 10 sites in the county and will help land-managers and farmers fund, map, survey, plan and coordinate the restoration of degraded peatlands.
New Solar Farms approved
Northumberland County Council have recently approved two new solar farms, near Blyth and Bedlington. The farms will generate enough clean, renewable power to supply around 30,00 homes. The developers are also investing about £350,000 in local community projects around the sites.
New Climate Change Action Plan
Newton on the Moor and Swarland Parish Council has recently approved a Climate Change Action Plan. SNAC will be key in helping the PC to deliver many of its actions on raising climate awareness, encouraging people to reduce their carbon footprint and helping to manage land to protect nature. Find out more here.
Farm Walk at Glantlees Farm
SNAC members recently had the opportunity for a guided walk around Glantlees Farm, led by Judy Fortescue. Judy illustrated some of the ways that she is increasing biodiversity on her organic farm. Inspite of the ‘adverse’ weather conditions, it was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about regenerative farming. Judy also provided members of the group with planting trays, acorns and horse chestnuts to take away and grow.
NCC Free Tree Giveaway
Northumberland County Council are repeating their free tree giveaway this year. Local residents, schools and community groups can get a free tree or tree pack to plant to help tackle climate change. Species are available for small, medium and large sized gardens, as well as smaller shrubs for those with more limited space. For more information visit Free Tree Giveaway
Farmers get funding to improve habitats
40 projects in the Northumberland National Park are being funded to help support nature recovery, mitigate the effects of climate change and support nature-friendly farming. One project will increase the number and variety of flowers and grasses, creating a valuable resource for bees and wildlife usually locally harvested seeds.
Big Plastic Count Results
The results of the Big Plastic Count carried out by Greenpeace and Everyday Plastics have now been published. They show that UK households throw away 96 billion pieces of plastic every year and only 12% of it is recycled in the UK. The other 88% is burnt, buried, or dumped overseas.
Greenpeace has started a petition asking Government to reduce single use plastic by 50% by 2025, ban all waste exports, ban new incinerators and roll out a deposit return scheme. You can find out more and add your name to the petition here
Jubilee Tree Planted in Vyner Park
Members of SNAC and the Parish Council planted a Whitebeam tree (Sorbus aria Majestica) in Vyner Park to mark the occasion of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The tree was funded by the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Fund.
A climate friendly alternative to oil-fired boilers ?
As we move towards net zero, the installation of new fossil fuel boilers is being phased out affecting more than 1.5m homes in the UK which currently rely on them. Households are being encouraged to consider electric heat pumps but these can be costly to install especially in older, rural properties. An alternative is emerging – it’s called hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) and produces up to 90% less CO2. Importantly existing boilers can be adapted for around £500. However, HVO is currently classed as a transport fuel and so the industry is lobbying government to reclassify it as a domestic heating oil which would reduce the tax on it.
Find out more here
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