ANY OTHER BUSINESS
i) Items raised by Resident Associations:
Alexandra Palace becoming a Sustainability Centre by Adrian Thomas, Warner Estate Residents’ Association (WERA)
Minutes:
Alexandra Palace becoming a Sustainability Centre
The Committee received a presentation by Adrian Thomas, a regular park user and member of the Warner Estate Residents’ Association (WERA) suggesting that the following recommendations towards Alexandra Palace and Park becoming more sustainable be considered and taken forward:
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Possible short term actions (to 2012) |
More challenging (to 2014) |
Longer term actions (to 2016) |
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Events and activities |
1. Network with Haringey Council and local sustainability organisations. 2. Encourage organisations concerned with sustainability and crafts to hold exhibitions at the Palace. |
Promote the Palace as a venue for environmental meetings, conferences and courses. |
Set up an eco-hotel. |
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Energy generation and energy efficiency in public buildings |
1. Complete energy generation survey. 2. Plan to reduce the Palace’s carbon emissions by 40% by 2016. |
Install Solar panels and smokeless biomass boilers. |
Install wind-turbines if feasible; aim for energy self-sufficiency for the Palace, or a surplus. |
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Energy efficiency: homes |
Publicise the Palace’s concern for sustainability, and promote it as a venue for environmental events |
Set up a permanent housing display showing different methods of insulation, draught-proofing and double-glazing. |
Develop display and establish alliances with responsible retailers and builders. |
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Travel & transport: getting to the Palace |
Improve signage from transport hubs and provide better maps. |
Introduce electric/hybrid buses to provide an energy efficient transport system. |
Evaluate bus system and consider whether to introduce a light rail system. |
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Bicycles & walking |
Make the Palace more bicycle-friendly with better parking, marked paths etc., and provide maps for walkers and cyclists. |
Host bicycle exhibition and events focussing on shopping and commuting. |
Organise bicycle retail outlet focussing on sustainable transport. |
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Food production |
Set up food production demonstration plots on allotments, and a community orchard in the Park. |
Establish an alliance with local garden centre to promote sustainable gardening. |
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Waste and recycling |
Establish a waste and recycling policy with targets, and publicise them to all users. |
Recycle surplus timber in the Park in biomass boilers. |
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Biodiversity |
Build on the impetus from the Springwatch event, and liaise with wildlife trusts etc. to improve biodiversity in the Park. |
Consider how the deer enclosure could be adapted to convey more of a biodiversity message. |
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Lifestyle |
Encourage music festival using the Palace and the Park (cf. Victoria Park). |
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Mr Thomas informed the Committee that the proposals had been circulated to members of the local community and had received positive responses.
The general response from Palace officers was that some of the suggestions made by Mr Thomas could be integrated into the usage of the Palace and Park and others were already being progressed. The Committee recognised that there were financial implications to making the Palace and Park more sustainable and that Trustees would require details of how the proposals would be funded in order to consider them. It was suggested that funding could be sought, for example, energy utility companies provided funding for solar panels.
Mr Andrew Gill, Interim General Manager – Alexandra Palace, advised the Committee that a Sustainability Policy was in place at the Palace and Park and ... view the full minutes text for item 12