Nature nearby

How can urban areas have nature nearby?
Natural England have an inspiring answer  - they invite local residents to get together to create "doorstep greens". Exeter City Council calls these "pocket parks".
Whatever the name we're aiming to start up soon in the Whipton area of Pinhoe Ward.
If you're interested in getting involved come along at 10.15 a.m. on Friday 2nd December to Whipton Community Hall Pinhoe Road, near Whipton shopping centre.
I will be there, as will the  RSPB and  Exeter Wild City.

Thanks to Exeter's street sweepers

Autumn winds and rain have been flinging millions of leaves down onto our pavements and roads.

Sometimes lovely to look at. 

But as they rot and grow slippery, not always easy to walk or cycle over.

And definitely not easy to sweep up.

So it's a big thank you to Exeter City Council's street sweepers for being out there in all weathers tackling the problem. Very much appreciated.

Tories' sham-green shame

Many thanks to The Independent news paper's exclusive - Backlash grows over Camerons green sellout  for the following list of the promises that have gone sour as the Govt back-tracks on environment policies and plans.

Planning New rules will strip away protection of the countryside from development – the Government has so far resisted a continuing, widespread campaign against the plans.

Motorway speeds To the horror of environmental campaigners, the Government is raising the limit to 80mph, adding more than two million tons a year to carbon emissions.

Forests Ministers announced last year a mass sell-off, despite no reference in the Conservative manifesto or coalition agreement, but a public campaign forced a U-turn.

Green investment bank A flagship environmental policy has been severely undermined by a Treasury block on it providing loans. It will not be allowed to borrow until 2015.

Eco-homes Another legacy of Labour, but any new homes built with "zero carbon" credentials will not have carbon emissions from electrical appliances counted, undermining the definition.

Quangos The Forestry Commission, Natural England and the Environment Agency have all been prevented from policy-making, while the Sustainable Development Commission and the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution have been axed.

Illegal tropical timber Ministers have scrapped a Conservative manifesto pledge to criminalise the possession of illegal tropical timber.

Aggregates The Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, which diverted £20m in taxes raised from the sand and gravel industry to 200 green projects, has been scrapped.

Daylight lights: what big switch-off?

Very many Pinhoe streets are scheduled to switch over to 'part-night-lighting', which is the "glass-half-full" way of saying Devon County Council proposes to create lots of darkness across Pinhoe sometime in the not-too-distant future.

See - Part-Night Lighting: Carbon reducing scheme

The switch-off/on can't happen until each street lamp has been replaced with one more readily controllable.

Which brings up the seeming lack of any control at the moment down Parkers Cross Lane to Orchard Close.

At least a dozen lamps were shining brightly at mid-day today - as I reported to the County Council number - 0845 155 1004 for highways faults  /problems.

There was an explanation. Sometimes, as the My Devon voice told me, lamps are deliberately left on for repairs checks. Plausible, I thought.

Except, as I cycled on I couldn't see any repairs vehicles parked anywhere. And the two residents I stopped and spoke to told me the lights were often on. Night and day, that is.

So when part-night-lighting does reach Parkers Cross Lane the County Council will be saving a whole lot more carbon than they thought. Unless, of course, they still leave their lamps on during the day.

Ultra-rapid bicycle rescue

Firstly - big thanks to the Pinhoe resident who alerted me to the Claude Butler bicycle. Beside the Exeter-to-Waterloo railway track - below Exhibition Way Bridge.

Secondly - equally big thanks to Pinhoe's excellent PC and PCSO for the speed with which they got the bicycle removed.

They're now trying to trace its owner.

Hope the bike's not too badly damaged and the owner's story of loss has a happy ending.