ENVIRONMENT

Did you know this is Big Plastic Count Week, 11-17th March?

If you were on Lowestoft's sunny South Beach on 28th August you may have seen people writing in the sand. It was a huge postcard to Rishi Sunak, our current Prime Minister. 

“Dear Rishi, hear our voice, save our beach, Floods 1953. Love, Lowestoft xxx”.

Many people watched and commented, and some Lowdown postcards – Lowdown's favourite social media – were completed. Being a holiday town, it wasn't just locals. 

Sometimes we have big household items which we need to replace. Quite often the replacements are second-hand, and households are left with large things which are difficult to get rid of, especially if you don't have access to a van or a trailer or something. And so sometimes they get dumped in back alleys or on the street. Fly-tipping. No one wants that.

Lowestoft Town Council has a remedy. They are funding a trial scheme 'Bulky Waste Free Collection and Disposal' service.

Local community group #We Are Here Lowestoft (#WAHL) has had a significant influence on our MP, Peter Aldous, and on this government's response to the Climate Change Emergency.

The Government has been forcing through parliament its Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill. Some intense lobbying of politicians over several years resulted in several important amendments being inserted. In a classic to-and-fro between the House of Commons and the House of Lords the amendments were removed in the Commons and re-instated in the Lords. 

The period of consultation was only 16 days. Get your comments in. See link below.

East Suffolk Council have announced their plans for the Battery Green car park and surrounding area.

The design team are Norwich-based architects Chaplin Farrant and Hemingway Design.

On Wednesday 4th October they presented a small exhibition showcasing the plans for us, the potential users, to examine.

It's not hard to think this is a Good Idea.

It's not all that often that we can congratulate local councils.

Lowestoft Town Council has – it seems – listened to people and made some sensible decisions.

They had proposed bringing down the Triangle sails. Contentious, but not outrageous. This has been done. 

But they also proposed removing three of the four trees gracing the Triangle. There weren't many in the area who understood this idea. And they complained and objected.

Use It All is having to take a break.

We currently do not have anywhere to store collected recyclable material.

We hope to return in October, but in a slightly different form.

Still be collecting...

We will be collecting TetraPaks and possibly medicine blister packs on a regular basis. Other things we used to collect are now fairly easily dropped off at shops and supermarkets.

Grass next to lighthouse he warning light.

Without doubt, the biggest technical challenge for retrofitting historic buildings, such as Lowestoft Town Hall, is accommodating plant and services. Air-source heat pumps (ASHP) cannot be placed in basements, unlike traditional boilers, as they need air (obviously). They also must be visually and acoustically screened. Read more CREDIT: architectsjournal.co.uk