November / December 2012 Newsletter

Contents:

£25000 for Queen's Avenue Play Area & Orchard
What happens to my recycling?
Visit to Recycling Centre
Diary
Norgren Planning Application – ACTION NEEDED
£25000 for Queen's Avenue Play Area & Orchard
The Queen's Avenue Park Action Group (which Transition Shipston helped to set up) has been awarded a grant for £25,000 from the SITA trust towards the purchase of new play equipment for the park. This is mainly due to the hard work of Polly Taylor. The total amount already raised now comes to £36000. It is hoped that Orbit Housing Association will add £10000 to this which will mean that work can start on the play area and orchard in the new year. Transition Shipston has raised £750 to buy fruit trees and shrubs for the community orchard which will be integrated into the play area. SITA have stipulated that Shipston Town Council commit to the maintenance of the equipment with the support of QAPAG fund raising throughout the year. Meanwhile the children from Shipston Primary School have voted a 'brilliant' park as one of the most needed things for kids in Shipston... they should soon have one.
For more information about QAPAG contact: Polly Taylor tinkers@btinternet.com               
What happens to my recycling?
Recyclable material is collected and taken to a Material Recycling Facility (MRF) run by Pure Recycling in Ettington. The mixed material is segregated using magnets, optical sorting and other technology until the different materials are sorted into separate waste streams.
Materials are then transported to specialist reprocessing facilities in the UK where they are made into new products. For more information on what happens to your material, please visit Pure Recycling's website for an in-depth look at the recycling process. Alternatively, you can watch a short film showing how the material is processed. http://www.purerecycling.com/home.html
Visit to Recycling Centre - Leaving Shipston High Street at 10.30 am on Friday Nov 30th
If you are interested in what happens to your waste there are still a few places left on the visit to the Pure Recycling Centre in Ettington to arrive at 11am on Nov 30th. We have been asked to wear walking boots or something similar with good tread on the sole (they have some pairs of boots if people really haven’t got anything suitable). We have also been advised that there are steps so it is not a suitable trip for anyone who cannot manage stairs unaided.
Contact geri@horsejoy.comto book a place and for car sharing etc.
 
Norgren Planning Application – ACTION NEEDED
Following the rejection of the their planning application for around 125 houses on the old Norgren site by Stratford District Council, Cala Homes have lodged an appeal. Below is an email from Jane Brabyn who has been leading the campaign against the development for the Shipston Heart Alive! Campaign. Please support her by objecting before November 27 if possible. You can send in an objection by email, and help with writing the objection, if needed, is included below.
PS. The next SHA!C committee is at 7.30 Thursday day 6th December at The George.
All Welcome

From: jb@brabyn.com
To: jb@brabyn.com
Subject: Re: Shipston's planning horrors Resume
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:00:49 +0000
Application(s) reference: 11/02380/OUT
Planning Inspectorate Reference Number: APP/J3720/A/12/2185727/NWF
Dear Locals and Friends
Following my recent email to you, I understand from the Planning Manager in charge of the Cala Homes appeal that local opinion will again have a crucial influence on the inspector appointed to judge the case. It is therefore very important to write again with your comments and objections against this planning application.
This is very short notice as the deadline to make comments is 27th November. Any comments made after that date will not be considered (alas, the morass of council speake is so utterly mind bogglingly confusing I missed out on the importance of that date)
Could you therefore please send your comments and objections as soon as possible, quoting the planning references at the top of this email, to the following address: teamp11@pins.gsi.gov.uk
If you are stuck for inspiration you can resend any original letter you may have sent to the council, preferably slightly changing the wording. If you have lost it, or need reminding of the relevant facts I will print some suggestions below.
Thank you in advance for taking the trouble to read this letter and act on it. With your support and actions, we have got this far. Please, please help win the next round.
The infrastructure of Shipston is already overloaded by the proliferation of new housing built all round the town over the last 20 years.
The site is very prominent, especially from the West and North of Shipston where views from Ilmington Hill and the west will be ruined by the busy development and its accompanying lights
Shipston boundaries have always been confined in a linea river valley and should remain that way.
The proposed development is separated from the boundaries of the town by agricultural land
The proposed development is out of character with local architecture
Increased danger at the two already lethal crossroads on the A429 just outside Shipston
There would be risk of increased flooding
This development would exacerbate lack of parking in the town centre
The Norgren site was originally given planning permission to be extended because Shipston needed employment. It still needs employment.
The council's survey made in 2007 suggests that there are sufficient industrial units to provide employment in the town. This survey is out of date due to the proliferation of new housing . The latest reports state that there is an under supply of industrial land to serve the district's needs for the future.
The government’s new planning policy appears to facilitates permission for developers to ruin swathes of beautiful countryside by allowing developments in inappropriate positions. Does the government want to be remembered or allowing this happen?
There is a need to build houses but surely there are more appropriate sites than this hill top surrounded on 3 sides by an ANOB.
Why build yet another large development outside Shipston whose infrastructure is already heavily overstretched and inadequate for its existing population
The site really should remain industrial. Jobs are needed in and around Shipston and sooner or later - when times improve - that site could become a thriving business premises again providing local jobs - far more beneficial to the community than this frightful plan.
If this development is allowed, it will set a precedent for countless other unwelcome developments to be hurriedly forced on rural districts in the belief that they will help kick start our ailing economy. Look what happened in Spain when similar policies were enacted.
Official speak version which goes down well in the planning world if you can mimic it:
"I object to this development because it would create an unacceptable visual impact on the views across the Stour valley from the Fosse Way, which will be harmful to this key “gateway” to the Cotswolds AONB”.
Further to the planning appeal, my/our objections still remain, in that ……”
the “harm arising from the permission being granted for the scheme will outweigh the benefits
J Brabyn
Telephone 01608 682235
jb@brabyn.com

October 2012 Newsletter

Things we do in Transition Shipston & Surrounding Communities...
Community Garden on Darlingscote Rd
Provide small individual vegetable plots – (there are plots available)
Jointly grow food in communal areas and share produce
We hope to keep chickens next year
Film nights (with bring and share meals)
Films on environmental, self sufficiency and other topics
Bring and share food – cooking theme chosen by host
Next film: “Blues Brothers”, Friday 12th October
Skill Swaps
e.g. wreath making for Christmas, wild food foraging, apple pressing / cider making etc
Shipston High School Gardening & Eco-School Club
Helping to run the gardening club on Tuesday lunchtimes
Tending the garden during holidays
Providing equipment and help for the Eco-School Club
Energy Champions
A number of supporters have been trained by Act On Energy (the local energy efficiency advisors) to carry out initial energy assessments on houses. We give basic advice and refer on to Act on Energy for more technical information.
Fairs and Shows
We run stalls at the Victorian Evening, the Wool Fair and other events around the area.
For the last two years we have run the Harvest Fayre to promote more local food and local businesses.
Public Meetings
We hold public meetings on Environmental and Community issues
If you would like to be involved or help in any way contact Dave Passingham on 01608 661816 or davepassingham@hotmail.com


Shipston Harvest Fayre – fine weather and good stalls
The weather for the Harvest Fayre last Sunday turned out to be fine (despite the forecasts) and for most of the morning the stalls were buzzing with people. There was a wide variety of produce for sale on the 28 stalls ranging from local vegetables and meats to specialist herbs and honey as well as household goods, pottery, rugs... and more (see below for full list of stall holders with contacts). In addition the traditional craft of pole lathe wood turning was demonstrated by our very own Mike Ashton – this attracted much attention from adults and children alike. Once again local artist Howard Watson's pencil face sketches made plenty of money for Shipston Home Nursing and the Queen's Avenue Play area group ran the tombola to raise money to buy fruit trees to plant around their play equipment.

YOUR VIEWS ARE IMPORTANT - Supermarket/Housing Development
Shipston Town Council called a public meeting on Monday 24th September to consult the whole community about their ideas for the future of Shipston. About 100 people turned up including Transition Shipston supporters and the Shipston Heart Alive Campaign who have been campaigning to stop the out-of-town supermarket and housing development because of the threat it would pose to the existing shops and businesses. There was also supporters of the Shipston Needs a Supermarket group who are in favour of the ASL development on the edge of town. The meeting was run by an independent facilitator who started by asking people whether they wanted Shipston to stay as it is or should it have more facilities. Everyone was asked to mark how strongly they felt about these two options on a chart. The facilitator broke the meeting up into groups to come up with ideas for the future. There was a consensus that it will be very important that any changes should be community led and not developer led. At the end of some deep discussions several ideas were suggested and these were voted upon by the whole of the meeting. The highest vote was for preserving the character of Shipston. This was followed by the need for more employment and then better health facilities. A supermarket came only sixth in popularity and many people who voted for this were in favour of a supermarket in the town centre - not out of town. Ideas from the meeting will feed in to the Shipston Neighbourhood plan.

Stalls at the Harvest Fayre:
Little Bird Soaps - Natural handmade soaps
www.littlebirdsoaps.com/
Mabel's Dairy - "Mabel's Marvellous Milk", from Ilmington
www.mabelsfarm.co.uk
Nicky Vickery Animal Artist
Old Farm – award winning home produced meats
www.oldfarmdorn.co.uk/
Lakeside Ethical Treats - chocolate, sweets and snacks.
www.ethical-treats.co.uk/
Shipston Scouts, Guides, Cubs
Contact: d.wright61@btinternet.com
Country Markets - local home grown produce, home made and hand-crafted goods
/www.country-markets.co.uk/moreton-in-marsh-gloucestershire-gl56-0as-i132.html
Shipston Community Arts
www.shipstoncommunityarts.org.uk/
Skylark - Organic Vegetables box scheme – deliveries to your door
www.skylarkorganics.co.uk/
Heath Farm Nuts - hazelnuts/cobnuts, walnuts, hazelnut oil and walnut oil.
db@swerfordheath.com

Alain Rouveure Galleries - Arts & crafts from Nepal
Transition Shipston & Surrounding Communities – Sustainable community food growing, energy efficiency initiatives. Promoting a resilient local economy.
Olive Stall - olives and antipasti from Italy and Sicily
Queen's Ave Play Area action group - promoting the new design for the play area and orchard. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Queens-Avenue-Park-Action-Group/246427545399529
Snuggle Rugs – hand-knitted multi coloured mohair knee rugs
Contact: 664003
Hook Norton Honey - English honey including raw honey plus European speciality honey
Contact: morti@tesco.net
Liz Teall Pottery – hand made slip decorated earthenware pottery.
Cookies – mix of household goods, DIY, stationary, gardening & miscellaneous items.
Visit Cookies shop in Church Street, Shipston
Ridgeway Ice Cream – locally made ice cream
Shipston Heart Alive! Campaign – preservation of Shipston Town 
Holycombe holistic retreat centre – therapies, weekday classes and venue for weekend residential course. http://www.holycombe.com/ 
biss’/’bella due’ - Hand crafted jewellery + Dress agency/’recycled clothes’
Herbal Pantry - unusual herbs and spices alongside the traditional herbs.www.herbalpantry.co.uk
Eco Mum & Baby - Eco friendly & natural products
Avon Cat Rescue – handcrafts
    Contact :662553
Fibromyalgia Association - Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition of widespread pain and profound fatigue. Contact: gudrunberry@hotmail.com

September 2012 Newsletter

Come and join us for the second annual
Transition Shipston & Surrounding Communities
Harvest Fayre
Sunday 30th September, 10am – 2pm

The Fayre is set to be a relaxed family day, where residents and visitors can buy local produce, find out more about environmental initiatives and indulge in some additional retail therapy. The free event will also showcase traditional crafts such as apple pressing and provide information on how to get involved in local environmental schemes, including “harvest share” and children's games.
Don’t forget that many of Shipston’s retailers will also be open to help you make the most of your Sunday in the town.

Fruit Picking / Harvest Share
For many years now old fruit trees and orchards have been neglected and the harvest left to rot. For the last two years Transition Shipston has picked unwanted apples and other fruit from orchards around Shipston then shared them with the High School who have pressed them for apple juice and made fruit pies. Last year the Scouts & Guides collected apples for their stall at the Shipston Harvest Fayre and made a good amount of money to boost their funds.
Despite these initiatives there is still tons of fruit in Shipston each year which goes to waste so we thought it would be useful to set up a wider "Harvest Share" group.If your group or Church would like to be involved we have an organising meeting at 7.30 on Wednesday 12th September at Verity Richardson's house, 11 Mill Street, Shipston-on-Stour, Warks. CV36 4AN . At the meeting there will be a short talk from Philip Morris who is from the very successful Stratford Harvest scheme.
If you are interested in attending please contact Helen Winnifrith at helenwin@tiscali.co.uk
or Dave Passingham 01608661816 davepassingham@hotmail.com
 
Basket-making Course
Also there will be a basket-making course at the farm on 5th October, run by Norah Kennedy. The materials are supplied and you will go home with a basket by the end on the day. It runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is £50 including a light lunch, drinks, etc. Places are strictly limited so book early to avoid disappointment
Details from: Sue Finlay 01608 661157 or sue.finlay12@btinternet.com
Heart of England Transition Networking‏

Meeting of Transition Town groups in and around Warwickshire

Saturday 22nd September, The Lodge, Leamington

We will be discussing how we can work together on our ‘bioregion’ towards planning for energy descent and the future. How groups can work together to look at issues and options that affect many areas – and even more so when there are many local factors in common. We hope to hold a consultation exercise to find out what the local communities want.

August 2012 Newsletter

Proposed Supermarket: From a nation of shopkeepers to Clone Town Britain?
With the threat of a large development on Campden Road including a supermarket it is worth considering the affect that supermarkets have had on other towns. The following is from the Tescopoly website...

The UK's biggest supermarkets are grappling for ever greater market share. Small independent stores and suppliers, and ultimately consumers, are paying a direct price in the face of unfair competition. In the five years to 2002, 50 specialist stores including butchers, bakers, fishmongers and newsagents closed every week. In May 2005 the IGD revealed the loss of 2,157 unaffiliated independent convenience retailers, compared to only 1,079 the year before. Read more... http://www.tescopoly.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=176
Transition Shipston and Shipston Heart Alive” Campaign continue to work to defeat the Aiscough proposal.

Fruit Picking / Harvest Share
For the last two years Transition Shipston has picked unwanted apples and other fruit from orchards around Shipston then shared them with the High School who have pressed them for apple juice and made fruit pies. Last year the Scouts & Guides collected apples for their stall at the Shipston Harvest Fayre and made a good amount of money to boost their funds. One of the main attractions at the Fayre was the apple pressing on another stall at the Fayre. This year we have a bigger apple press which will make the juicing easier and quicker.
Despite these initiatives there is still tons of fruit in Shipston each year which goes to waste so we thought it would be useful to set up a wider Harvest Share group. If you are interested in helping please contact
Dave Passingham 01608661816 davepassingham@hotmail.com

Field Day” Raises £215
The Queen's Avenue Play Area Action Group raised a fantastic £215 at the 'Have a Field day' event on Sunday 15th July. Participants were able to run with the real Olympic Torch donated for the day by Andy Taylor who ran on day 56 of the Olympic Torch relay. Throughout the morning we saw approx 60 people visit the park - the most it's had in a long time! Polly Taylor the organiser said “It was great to see the park being used for picnics, football and kite flying! As well as our mini torch relay track. It created a wonderful atmosphere - exactly what the park should have all year round instead of a depressing, dead space.”
The group should hear soon whether their grant applications which total £60000 to provide a new play area with football pitch has been successful. Transition Shipston has already raised around £800 towards the fruit trees to be planted around the play area
Kineton Community Solar Panels
Finally and after considerable effort, Kineton has its first 'community' array of solar panels on the roof at Kineton Sports and Social Club. They went up this last week, paid for in part by an award, in larger part through loans provided by good members of the community. Mark Levene one of the organisers said “Our installer Eco2solar have been great and KSSC and ourselves at Kineton Community Energy Group (KCEG) are responding to their request to encourage a wider take-up by individual householders by holding an event in the KSSC hall in parallel with Getting Kineton Growing's and Apple Pressing day on Sunday 14 October”.
TRANSITION NETWORK UK CONFERENCE 2012

This year we are back in London, hosted once more by the wonderful Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) (where we were in 2009), and the Conference teams are in the thick of planning a weekend of events and workshops that explore the theme of "Building Resilience in Extraordinary Times".
We have an ambitious programme for this year's event, with 5 distinct elements, which can be attended as stand-alone events or in combination (dates permitting):
Main Transition Conference: Friday 14th September (6.00pm) to Sunday 16th September (4.30pm)

 

July 2012 Newsletter

An Olympic opportunity for would-be torch-bearers
Olympic fans are being offered an exciting opportunity to run their own mini-relay with a genuine Olympic 2012 torch, to raise money for the Queen’s Avenue Playground project.
A local Olympic Torch-bearer is lending the Queen’s Avenue Park Action Group and Transition Shipston their torch to enable local residents to run mini relays around the park in exchange for a donation. The suggested donation is £3 or £10 per family of four.
QAPAG chairman, Polly Taylor, said: “Were thrilled to be able to offer families such a wonderful opportunity to run with an official Olympic torch and have their photo taken with it. The Olympics is about exercise and activity, which is what we’re trying to promote by establishing this new playground. We hope to see as many people as possible taking part and helping us raise money.” All proceeds will go to the Queen’s Avenue Park project which includes new play equipment and a community orchard.
The torch-running event is taking place at the existing Queen’s Avenue Park from 11am to 1:30pm on July 15th. Other activities are also planned and there may even be medals on offer.
To find out more, please contact Polly Taylor on 661154.
(NB this event is not part of the official Olympic relay)
Locally Grown Vegetables to your door
Growing more food locally is an important part of what Transition Towns are about. Clive Stockton has been growing food locally on his 10 acre market garden at Todenham for the last 10 years. He produces seasonal vegetables and raises pigs, sheep, chickens & geese.
We first met Clive when he was selling his produce on the Country Markets stall at the Harvest Fayre in Shipston last September. Since then Clive appears at our door every week on Friday at 3.45 in his little red van with his freshly picked veg, eggs & meat. He also delivers to houses (and a few pubs) in Shipston and other villages in a 10 mile radius as well as having a stall at the Country Markets in Moreton every Thursday morning.
Clive says his produce is almost organic. He does not use herbicides or pesticides on his crops but he does use some herbicides on the paths as weed control. For fertiliser he mainly uses the manure from his pigs and chickens but does have to buy in a small extra amount. The shape and size of the veg isn't always as perfect as a supermarke'ts but he beats them hands down on price, food miles and shelf life.
Despite getting up at 5.30 in the morning Clive turns up with his delivery 11 hours later often wet and cold but with a smile on his face. The veg in the van will have travelled all of 3 miles... you can't get much more local than that!
To Contact Clive phone: 07873 420440
Norgren Planning Application - REJECTED UNANIMOUSLY‏


If you hadn't already heard the Cala Homes Planning Application for housing on the old Norgren site was UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED by the Stratford District Council planning committee earlier this month. This was a great victory for Shipston Heart Alive! Campaign and others who oppose the application, as the Council Planning Officer had recommended acceptance of the application.

Nearly two hundred people turned up at the planning committee held in Ettington earlier in the month to support Jane Brabyn and others who put the case against the development from the floor. They said that what Shipston needs is more employment not houses and that the development would have a negative visual impact. However, Jane said that “Cala Homes are likely to appeal so though the battle was won, the war will most probably continue”.
The application from Ainscough for the Campden Road development including a supermarket is likely to get to the planning committee in September... there is still much to do. If you would like to help with the campaign the next meeting of Shipston Heart Alive! Campaign committee is on Wednesday August 15th at 7.30 in The George Hotel - All welcome.
 Shipston Harvest Fayre – Sunday 30th September 2012
For the second year running Transition Shipston & Surrounding Communities is organising the Shipston Harvest Fayre in Shipston Town Centre. As last year the priority will be given to stalls selling local food and produce. Traditional music will continue through the day. As well as celebrating the harvest the aim of the event is to encourage the growing of more local food and making it available in local shops. The Fayre will be open from 10.00 to 2.00 on Sunday 30th September. If you are a local producer or retailer and would like a stall there is an Early Bird Booking offer (before 31st July) of £23 for commercial stalls and £10 for voluntary (non profit-making) stalls. After that prices go up to £28 and £14 respectively. For more details contact:
Dave Passingham 01608 661816 davepassingham@hotmail.com
Worms
If you are planning to start a wormery, or wishing to restock an existing one, would you like some worms? These little creatures like nothing better than to chew through your uncooked organic waste (vegetable peelings,eggshells, etc) and create soil-improving material to mix in around your vegetables and plants, and a rich liquid fertiliser to enhance it. Also, if you shred your private papers, it is the perfect way of disposing of the shredded material, good for you and the worms love it. In fact adding dry carbon to your wormery is necessary.
There are loads of websites giving advice about wormeries. I have added a link to one of them below. You can buy a custom-built wormery for a wide range of prices, or create one using plastic boxes that fit into each other. Just drill holes in the bottom to allow drainage from one into the other for the rich liquid worm juice (pee) to flow through. Make sure there is only one outlet from the bottom box and put a container underneath to catch the liquid.
They are very easy pets. You don’t need to walk them and they sit happily chewing for weeks while you go on holiday or are too busy to bother with them. In fact they do better with periods of being undisturbed. I collect my veg peelings under the sink for a week before taking them out. The worms prefer their food cut small or beginning to soften as their little teeth can get into things easier that way.
I have found it huge fun watching the little things at work and there is great satisfaction when you get the balance right and they start breeding like crazy. A good way to get children interested in recycling and the wonder of the natural world. Suggested reading for questions : http://www.wormcity.co.uk/wormfaq.htm
Pat Harris

PEAK OIL PEEK
Read Rob Hopkins' reflections on George Monbiot's announcement that "we were wrong on peak oil":
George Monbiot announced in the Guardian on Monday “We were wrong on peak oil. There’s enough to fry us all“, an article which concluded “peak oil hasn’t happened, and it’s unlikely to happen for a very long time”. Read more...http://transitionculture.org/2012/07/04/transition-reflections-on-george-monbiots-announcement-that-we-were-wrong-on-peak-oil


June 2012 Newsletter

Can Shipston feed itself in the future?

Daniel Murray an MSc student from Warwick University is making a special study of the potential for Shipston to produce more of its own food and has asked if Transition Shipston supporters can help in his research. Daniel has written this outline for us....
In the face of global challenges the need for change is apparent. People around the world are realising this which is why small scale, community-led initiatives, like the transition movement, are becoming more prevalent. Highly diverse groups around the globe are initiating local responses in areas such as food production, energy provision and waste management in an attempt to reduce environmental impacts and improve local resilience through building networks that develop support systems and encourage creative responses to the issues faced.
Therefore, as part of my MSc in ‘Environmental Bioscience and Climate Change’ at the University of Warwick, I will be producing an academic study on the potential that Shipston-on-Stour has to supplement food supplies with local production. The project will have three main focuses:
Establish how residents currently source food
Establish the potential for increased local food production through community gardens, allotments, use of surrounding underutilised green spaces, farmland and so on
Compare the environmental and economic advantages and disadvantages associated with the intensification of local food production through ‘traditional’ farming methods and more environmentally friendly methods such as organic
The aim of this project is to explore the idea that local communities can reduce their environmental footprint whilst also making themselves more resilient to global environmental changes. At the core of this is the belief that global problems can only be tackled on a local scale through reducing energy dependence (particularly fossil fuel derived energy) and improving self sufficiency through increasing local food production and reducing the environmental impacts of this production. In theory this ‘relocalisation’ can provide benefits to the local economy which in turn offers a route to sustainable economic prosperity. I will no doubt be contacting many people in the local area and bugging you for information but if anybody would like to contact me regarding the project then feel free to email me at daniel.murray@warwick.ac.uk
Thanks,
Daniel Murray

How to start a Car Club
Car rental on your doorstep?

For the last 18 months the people of Hook Norton have been able to book a car on the internet and walk into the village to pick up the car. All they need to do is to join the village car club for £60. The scheme is ideal for couples or families who don't need to run two cars or individuals who don't travel often. The fee to hire the cars works out much lower than commercial hire so within a couple of bookings the cost of joining is repaid.
At the Transition Shipston meeting on 4th July at the Townsend Hall David Newton from Hook Norton Car Club is coming to talk to us about how the scheme works (see Diary below).
The Hook Norton Car Club is administered through MoorCar www.moorcar.co.uk. This is how the scheme works...

How to convert your own car (How to start a car club)
If you have a car and only use it occasionally then you might consider sharing the use of the car with your friends and neighbours. Moorcar will help you set up your own car club.
You can charge for use by the hour and the miles driven, it is also possible to charge a flat monthly charge between a group of friends and get everyone to pay for the fuel they use.
If you choose the best way of charging for your circumstances, you will be generating a small income to offset the costs of the tax, MOT and the insurance.
So what is involved:
Moorcar can show your car at your address (location) on their website. They use a Google map to place your car outside your house. If you need leaflets to advertise they can customise these for you.
When you are ready to allow other people to book the car, Moorcar will insure the vehicle. This will require that the vehicle has had a recent service, MOT certificate and valid car tax.
Members of your car club can register through the Moorcar website. This will collect all the information required to allow a member to print off the driver’s declaration for insurance purposes.
Once a member is accepted they can make bookings for your car. Members can also make bookings with any other cars in the Moorcar network or a growing number of car clubs across the UK.
It will be your responsibility to collect any charges and make regular checks on the vehicle. Moorcar can provide a checklist for essential items like tyres, oil, water, windscreen wash etc. The simplest system to provide your members with access to the car keys is to attach a keysafe to a nearby wall which gives access to the car keys with a push pin code. Moorcar can suggest a suitable choice of keysafe.
The Transition Shipston Guide to Local Stuff

Transition Shipston is compiling a directory of “Local Stuff”. It will incorporate the local food directory that was published 2 years ago but also include other local information… evening classes, alternative therapy, music, arts, walks, cycle routes, businesses, pubs and cafes (serving local produce).
If anyone can recommend “stuff” for entry contact Pam Bennett pam@pambennett.com
Further objection to the supermarket
Ainscough Strategic Land has recently sent an amendment to the District Council to their planning application for a supermarket plus housing and a petrol station on the Campden Rd. Shipston Heart Alive! Campaign is sending in an further objection to this. If you want to hear more come along to the SHA!C meeting next Wednesday, 13th June, 7.30 at the George. To see the amended plans go to www.stratford.gov.uk/planning
Self-build homes for Shipston?
With so much more housing allocated to Shipston wouldn't it be nice to have a small self-build housing estate instead of a large developer designed one. In October Transition Shipston is planning to have a speaker on building your own home. Here is some info to get us started from The Community Self Build Agency...
To make it possible for men and women from all backgrounds to benefit individually and collectively from being a member of a self-build housing group. Whilst participating in the planning, design and building of their own homes they acquire a range of skills and experience. The Agency is particularly interested in opening up opportunities for those with limited income or the unemployed to participate.
What is Community Self-Build?
Community self build is about a group of local people in housing need, building their own homes and gaining much more besides. As the concept of community self-build becomes more widely known, it is more likely that projects will be initiated by potential self-builders, rather than other organizations. Some projects have already been initiated by groups of individuals. Those without building skills, participate on the basis that they are prepared to make the necessary time commitment and be prepared to learn new skills. Read more
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"
When your life might depend on your next door neighbour, rudeness becomes an unaffordable luxury." Jason Heppenstall
Ask MP to sign up to the Rio-UK Declaration!
 
The Rio+20 Earth Summit is taking place in Rio de Janeiro this June, 20 years on from the original Rio Earth Summit. The UK should be leading the move to a fair and green economy, not going backwards on its commitments. Please ask Nadhim Zahawi our MP to show his support by signing our Rio-UK Declaration.
Take action here and spread the word! - http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/rio-action