Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Don’t tear down my eco-home
TESS DELANEY, priced out of the area she had grown up in, jumped at the new 'OPD' policy allowing her to build a sustainable house — but now the state seems to be retracting its offer
An eco-house, near Manaton, Devon (Creative Commons - Roger Cornfoot).
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
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NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
IN DECEMBER 2018, I applied for permission to build a One Planet Development (OPD) in west Wales. After being refused permission twice, my case goes to appeal later this month.
An OPD is a Welsh policy which enables applicants to commit to a sustainable lifestyle and build a dwelling on agricultural land if they meet certain criteria.
The criteria are not that complicated. A zero-carbon build, 65 per cent of all needs being provided from the land within five years of permission being granted, a land-based business, growing food, limiting journeys and generally bringing your personal carbon footprint down to a level which meets the guidelines for sustainable futures.
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