North Norfolk Environment Week 2003, 7-12 April

North Norfolk people who are thinking of renovating their homes, or even building their own houses from scratch, can get crucial help and advice at an event in the District next week.

North Norfolk Environment Week 2003, from 7 to 12 April, will focus on sustainable construction - the techniques, materials and technologies that constitute good green practice in the building industry.

The week will culminate in an exhibition at Binham Memorial Village Hall (which won the green building category of the North Norfolk Environment Awards in 2000). The exhibition will give members of the public and the building trade information and advice about how to build sustainability into their properties, and the grants available for green building work.

The first day of the exhibition - Friday, 11 April - is for building trade representatives, with presentations on a range of subjects and advice clinics manned by planning, building control and conservation officers from NNDC. The event will be officially opened by NNDC Chairman Don Venvell at 10.30am, followed by a talk delivered by green architect Neil Winder of Green Yard Architecture. Mr Winder will also launch NNDC's new Green Building Advice leaflet, which is to be issued to anyone making planning or building control applications.

On the second day - Saturday, 12 April - the exhibition will be open to the public, with trade stands covering a range of green building issues, from building with lime to low-energy lightbulbs. There will again be advice clinics, and presentations given by environmental and conservation organisations. There will also be performances throughout the day by Momo, the environmental theatre group.

The exhibition is open from 10.30am to 4.30pm both days, and entry is free. A free park-and-ride bus scheme will operate on the Saturday for people living on the eastern side of the District. Buses will leave NNDC's Cromer office at 10am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm.

NNDC Environmental and Green Build Consultant Frances Francis said: "Sustainable construction is a huge subject, so we wanted to bring as much knowledge as we could together under one roof.

"Anyone who is planning renovation or self-build can benefit from a visit to this exhibition, as they can find out how to build in energy- and water-saving features, for example, and thus save themselves money. Or they may find out about local suppliers and green architects, or what grants are available to help cover the cost of the work."

Other events will be held earlier in the week, aimed at promoting awareness of sustainable construction issues within NNDC and for the benefit of the public.

Environment Week begins on 7 April with an in-house, inter-departmental discussion forum for NNDC officers, where policy differences and conflicts can be identified and discussed, with the aim of improving the advice given to the public on a day-to-day basis.

Wednesday, 9 April, sees the judging of the Fix It! competition for primary school children, who had to make model buildings crammed with green features. The competition will be judged by NNDC Senior Building Control Officer Colin Williams who, with his wife, recently won the Norwich and Peterborough Building Society's national green self-build competition.

ENDS