After two very successful Green Heart Awards in 2010 and 2011, Huntingdonshire District Council is once again looking for applications for this year’s Green Heart Community Awards.

Other people’s projects can be both inspirational and motivational and that’s why we want to find out more about the excellent environmental community projects happening in Huntingdonshire.

We want to find out about what has motivated the people of Huntingdonshire to take environmental action, what has been helpful to make their projects successful and what challenges they have faced and overcome along the way.

These awards recognise those community groups and individuals who are getting together and making a real change in their community by reducing their environmental footprint. From energy projects, waste and recycling schemes to sustainable growing schemes and environmental awareness raising events, to getting ideas off the ground, there are people out there who are making a difference, people with bright, innovative and scalable ideas.

From Monday 20 February, you can nominate yourself, a community group or even your local school under one of the seven main categories:

Best primary school
Best secondary school/college
Young green achiever of the year
Green volunteer of the year
Best wildlife or nature initiative
Best energy saving initiative
Best waste, reuse or recycling initiative

An awards ceremony will be held where four short-listed nominations for each category will be invited to attend, with winners being announced at the event

Representatives from community groups may nominate themselves or be put forward by a third party, and anyone can enter as long as they can demonstrate that they have managed, or been involved with an environmental project that has engaged and benefited their local community

Councillor Darren Tysoe, executive councillor for the Environment said: “The Green Heart Community Awards are a chance for us to reward the people of Huntingdonshire who have been making a really difference to improving the environment of our district. We want to hear from schools, businesses, community group and individuals about the inspirational projects that have been taking place over the past 12 months. Once again, the green carpet will be rolled out for the awards ceremony in June”

You have until 27 April to get your entry to us.  Download your entry pack at here

Are you thinking about insulating your home? Want to know more about the different typres of insulation available? Come and talk to our experts on Saturday 25 February from 10am until 4pm at the St Ives Green House.

Huntingdonshire District Council is offering the opportunity of a one year tenancy at its ‘Green House Project’ property in Manor Farm Road, St Neots.
The property is being offered at a competitive rent of £650pcm as there will be a requirement for the tenant to undertake some monitoring of the environmental performance as part of the on-going project.
The property is a part-furnished 3 bedroom semi-detached house, close to the town centre and railway station. Available end of March 2012.
If you are looking for accomodation for a limited period (one year tenancy which may be renewed for a further year) and if you think you have the environmental credentials to be part of this ground-breaking project, please contact the Environment Team at HDC on 01480 388388 for an informal chat, or to express an interest and request an application form.

 Email: greenhouseproject@huntingdonshire.gov.uk for futher details

Those who register on or after 3 March will qualify for the higher rate until 1 April, when it will drop to 21p/KWh.

Solar PV systems are a great way of generating your own electricity and gaining an income from the electricity you have generated. Solar PV captures the Suns energy and converts this energy into electricity. A typical home solar PV system will help you reduce your environmental footprint and could save over a tonne of CO2 per year.

At the current higher rate a typical solar PV system with an installation size of 3KWp can save you around £670 per year, which is made up of the generation tariff at 43p/KWh, export tariff of 3p/KWh and the savings you will make on your electricity bills.

Time is of the essence and there are many options that need to be considered and we are sure you have many questions you would like to ask, so why not visit the St Ives Green House to see a solar PV system in situ and learn more about the changes to the feed in tariff.

The Green House is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and two Saturdays throughout the month. Visit the Book Your Visit page to learn about our opening dates and times

Additional information saving energy visit the Energy Saving Trust

Date: Wednesday 25 January 2012
Time: DROP IN event from 4pm – 7pm, tours of the house start at 4.30pm and 6pm
Venue: St Ives Green House, 1 St Audrey Lane, St Ives, PE27 3XF
Cost: FREE (to private sector organisations based in the East of England with
fewer than 250 employees)

We can offer you support and advice on the topics below:
• Free support to give your premises an energy audit. If savings can be made you can take advantage of a £500 grant to implement changes. (This only applies if you are a business registered in Huntingdonshire).

• One to one grants advice, talk to our experts and find out what funding opportunities are out there for SMEs.

• Experts in construction training, SmartLIFE, can give you advice on how to up-skill staff to take advantage of the growing construction retrofit market and Green Deal opportunities.

• Take a guided tour of the green house, retrofitted from an E EPC rating to a B EPC rating. See renewable technology and refurbishment in practice. Guided tours will run for an hour starting at 4.30pm and 6pm.

• SEE offers a free diagnosis of working practices; highlighting opportunities that can help reduce costs and improve business practices through resource and energy efficiency.

If you would like to register your interest contact: Huntingdonshire District Council on 01480 388315 or 01480 388304

Support for domestic istallations will be rolled out during the second phase of the RHI. This start date is yet to be confirmed.

The scheme will see solar thermal installs receive 8.5p/kWh, biomass boilers receive 7.9p/kWh and heat pump installations receive 4.5p/kWh.

Ofgem will be responsible for administrating the RHI scheme and handling all applications for potential participants.

Full details of the RHI scheme can be found on the DECC website.

Friday 25 November 2011, 2pm until 5pm at St Ives Green House, 1 St Audrey Lane, St Ives, PE27 3TB

The District Council is offering a FREE Fuel Poverty Advice and Information event for voluntary organisations and health/housing professionals.

Taking place on Friday 25 November 2011 from 2pm until 5pm, this event aims to provide these key organisations with the necessary tools and advice to help identify and assist vulnerable households who require help and support in increasing the energy efficiency of their homes.

Organisations including Housing Officers, Environmental Health Officers, Community Support Workers, Health Professionals, Citizens Advice, HomeSheild, Local Housing Associations and others alike are warmly welcome to attend this event to learn more on how they can help spread the key messages.

The event is led by the District Council’s Environment Team who will provide information on grant assistance that is available to improve home energy efficiency and increase the level of thermal comfort in vulnerable homes. A motivating programme of speakers from HomeShield, Citizens Advice Bureau, Charis Grants and NHS Cambridgeshire, will be providing key information and advice on the support available to those who are in fuel poverty. 

Download the Fuel Poverty Advice and Information Event Programme

To register or to find out more on how this event can benefit you contact Heidi Field, Environmental Education & Promotion Officer on 01480 388843 or e-mail

Teachers and governors from schools within Cambridgeshire are invited to join the environment team from Huntingdonshire District Council on Wednesday 28 September between 4pm and 7pm, to find out more about the Green House project and how a visit can benefit their pupils. Tours will be taking place at the St Ives Green House at 1 St Audrey Lane at 4.30pm and 5.30pm.

The Green House project is a sustainable refurbishment project which not only addresses improving the building fabric, but also looks at other ways of reducing carbon emissions by the implementation of an efficient heating system and renewable energy technologies, encouragement of biodiversity and water efficiency measures.

The project is an excellent resource for householders, schools and businesses to find out more about how individuals can help to meet the challenges of climate change and rising fuel costs.

The St Ives Green House provides an inspirational learning environment for key stages 1, 2 and 3 pupils. A visit gives pupils a chance to see for themselves how the environment may be improved and sustained by making changes within the home. Visits to the property are free and groups of up to 30 children are welcomed.

Many primary and secondary schools have visited the property as part of their geography, science and citizenship studies and have found the visit beneficial in meeting their learning outcomes.

The council’s environment team will be leading the tours and introducing the Green House to visitors. Cambridgeshire Environmental Education Services will be there providing information on their centres in Stibbington, Wisbeach and Coldham Wind Farm. Advice on the Eco-Schools programme will be available. Anglian Water education programme will be giving helpful tips on how schools can save water and money and staff from the Education Centre at Paxton Pits run by the Wildlife Trust and the council’s countryside team will be available giving advice on the environmental education visits to their sites

To book a place, or to find out more contact Heidi Field, Environmental Education and Promotion Officer on 01480 388843 or heidi.field@huntingdonshire.gov.uk

Since 2008, Somersham, Cambridgeshire have been plastic bag free, with all retailers agreeing not to offer them to customers. 

Even supermarket giant’s Tesco had to abide by these rules when they opened a Tesco Express in the village at the weekend.

Read more on BBC Cambridgeshire

 Throughout the day more than 60 people attended, some wanting just general ideas on making their homes more energy efficient and others came for the one-to-one advice.  Feedback from visitors was positive and due to the success of this event we will be holding a similar event on Saturday 24 September.

Experts in renewable technologies and home insulation will be on hand to answer your queries.  You can book a 1:1 session with one of the experts by calling 01480 388315 or 388304, please specify whether you are looking for advice on renewable technology or insulation so that we can pair you with the correct expert