Turn Your Dream of a 'Green' Home into Reality - at Green Build

6 September, 2007

Do you want to save money by making your house more energy-efficient? Are you planning a self-build project, extension or renovation at home? Are you a builder or architect looking for new developments in the industry? Would you like to find ways to change your family's lifestyle to make better use of resources and preserve our precious environment?

Then a free family event run by North Norfolk District Council, in association with the National Trust, on the weekend of 15 and 16 September is for you.

The National Trust-owned Felbrigg Hall, near Cromer, will host the annual Green Build event, which is designed to help the building trade and members of the public reduce their carbon footprint - and potentially save a great deal of money - by adopting sustainable building methods and making 'green' household choices.

More than 40 exhibitors, along with speakers and demonstrators, will be at this year's event in three marquees - designers, builders, experts, suppliers and craftspeople involved in the construction or renovation of homes and other buildings. Their specialisms include rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient heating and lighting, insulation, composting, reedcutting and thatching, eco-friendly design, solar water heating, and using environmentally-sensitive and reclaimed materials.

There will be a programme of demonstrations, talks and workshops given by experts in the fields of energy and sustainable architecture and design, open to visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. There will also be family shows by the Momo Theatre Company on the theme of green building, and Rainbow Healing Arts will be creating artwork using materials found within the home.

North Norfolk District Council's own building control, environmental protection and waste and recycling teams will also be exhibiting, showing how the Council is working to ensure high standards in building projects, protect our District from environmental problems, and help people dispose of their waste.

The event has been held at the National Trust's Sheringham Park property for the last two years, but with 7000 visitors across the weekend last year, it has outgrown that venue.

The full programme of presentations and workshops is as follows:

Marquee 1	Saturday 15 September	Sunday 16 September
Ralph Carpenter, Modice Architects	10.30 - 11.45am Ecological Construction Methods
Nigel Jupe, Renenergy	12 noon - 1pm "Do I need a heat pump?" Explaining how the company assesses energy needs of buildings for clients and produces recommendations	12 noon - 1pm "Do I need a heat pump?" Explaining how the company assesses energy needs of buildings for clients and produces recommendations
Lee Rose, Norfolk Solar	1.10 - 2.40pm BroadSol - The DIY Solar Water Heating Workshops	1.10 - 2.40pm BroadSol - The DIY Solar Water Heating Workshops
Mark Woolhouse, Low Carbon Britain	2.45 - 4pm The codes for sustainable homes	2.45 - 4pm The codes for sustainable homes

Marquee 2	Saturday 15 September	Sunday 16 September
Andrew Robertson, Clean Energy Consultancy	11 - 11.30am Renewable Heating	11 - 11.30am Reducing Existing Housing Carbon Emissions
Momo Theatre	11.45am - 12.15pm Green Build theatre show	11.45am - 12.15pm Green Build theatre show
Andrew Robertson, Clean Energy Consultancy	12.30 - 1pm New Build: Low Carbon Emission Housing	12.30 - 1pm Passive Heating and Conservatories
Momo Theatre	1.30 - 2pm Green Build theatre show	1.30 - 2pm Green Build theatre show
James Frost, Campaign from the Protection of Rural England (CPRE)	2.30 - 3.30pm Green Building in Norfolk Research by the CPRE about buildings in Norfolk pioneering the use of renewable energy and sustainable building design. Churches heated by the sun, bookshops powered by the wind and houses covered in earth...and all on our doorsteps!

Event programmes will be available for £1, including a voucher for a 25 per cent discount off 200-litre water butts, and another voucher for a free 25kg bag of soil improver which can be collected as people leave the car park. The Energy Saving Trust will be giving away a limited number of free low-energy lightbulbs to the first visitors to its stand.

Green Build will be open from 10.30am to 5pm each day.

Council Deputy Leader Virginia Gay, whose portfolio includes sustainability, building control, conservation and design, said: "There are so many ways in which we can reduce our impact on the environment quite painlessly. By building sustainability features into our homes, or making quite small and easy changes to what we do around the house, we can each make a difference.

"It's good for the environment, but it's also simply a sensible use of resources. By consuming less energy or using reclaimed materials, for instance, we can save a lot of money. And as taxpayers we spend a huge amount sending rubbish to landfill which could otherwise be recycled or composted. We'll be seeing many imaginative answers to these problems at Green Build. I hope people will join us to see how they can benefit."

NOTES FOR EDITOR

• North Norfolk residents recycle 43% of their household waste, making them some of the most committed recyclers in the country.
• Felbrigg Hall and its park and gardens will be open during the event - the gardens from 11am, the hall from 1pm.
• Parking for the Green Build event is free.

ENDS