by Angela Cotton
During 18-19 September and 2-3 October, fourteen homes in Southampton opened to the public to show practical examples of green living. These included everything from organic vegetable gardening, eco-friendly building materials, water saving measures and home insulation to solar panels for electricity and/or water heating. Four of the homes were in the Bassett/Bassett Green area including Summerfield Gardens, and one was a Collins house in Orchards Way, Highfield. In the Highfield property, the owners are working to make their home as “green” and energy-efficient as possible within the constraints of living in a conservation area, including extensive insulation and the installation of solar panels for electricity generation on their (rear-facing) roof.
The sustainable homes open weekends event was organised by Transition Southampton, a local organisation working to demonstrate practical solutions to the problems of climate change and our dependency on fossil fuels (see www.transitionsouthampton.org). It was a great success with some homes receiving 30 visitors in a single afternoon. A repeat is planned for this year and additional homes willing to open are being sought. If anyone in the HCERA area would be interested in discussing opening your home (or part of your home/garden – you don’t have to be totally green!), or would like to receive details of this year’s event when it is organised, please contact Angela Cotton, 8055 6817.