Press Release:
Kevin McCloud Opens Green Fair for Festival

Grand Design presenter Kevin McCloud moved to this part of the country in 1989, when Frome was rumoured to be 'up and coming'. He moved here because of the beauty of the landscape, the lifestyle and the good local mix of literary, intellectual and arty people. Not too many solicitors, but lots of creative types.

'The success of Grand Designs took me completely by surprise, and the fact that it's got such a huge following' Kevin admits. He's tried to make it 'greener' as its gone along and they no longer use buildings unless they have some intelligent, sustainable aspect to them. 'The one thing I have discovered is that there isn't just one solution to building; there are 1,001 ways to build an eco home. And an eco home is not necessarily sustainable, and vice versa'.

'It's the greatest privilege to work on Grand Designs, as I get to meet people and go places I wouldn't ordinarily go. Mind you, TV is the most unsustainable medium in terms of consumption. We have to eat food that's wrapped in plastic and drink vast quantities of bottled water, as we're on the move constantly. But on the other hand, we don't have an office or use electricity, so it's quite green on that front. I think it's very important to assess one's footprint professionally, as well as personally'.

Kevin is very involved with and acts as an ambassador for WWF and admits to being a passionate conservationist. 'I have always been active in building conservation but the whole sustainability issue just crept up on me unawares. I was involved in 'slow building', which is a bit like the slow food movement. Then I started gardening organically and planting trees about 12 years ago. I'm a bit of an expert on mulching and have ten compost heaps. I find grass clippings are the killer, but the trick is to put layers of cardboard in between. I recommend 6" of grass clippings then a layer of cardboard and build it up from there. I reuse and recycle a lot and it was a logical extension to take that ethos into building projects. My father was an aeronautical engineer and I am very technologically orientated. So I have always been fascinated with efficiency in engineering'.

'Houses are very inefficient machines. They're badly put together, hard to heat, badly designed and that kick started my interest in sustainable housing about 8 years ago. 27% of our carbon footprint comes from our homes and 30% from food, which is why I'm also a firm believer in shopping locally'.

'That's a big pursuit of mine and I'm writing a book about it at the moment. As humans, we love objects and acquiring stuff but how do we rein in those impulses and balance that against destroying our planet? We'd need three planets to keep up with all our consumption, the way we're going. We've just installed a biomass boiler in an effort to get off fossil fuels, which is difficult'.

The HAB housing project is another of Kevin's passions. HAB stands for 'Happiness, Architecture, Beauty'. 'Good or even great architecture should be accessible to everyone, and the proper place to be delivering good architecture is at people's doorsteps. I've often said that your own home is the most important building you ever experience - because it's the one you spend so much time in. I want to create housing that is architecturally exciting, joyful and delightful. The idea behind it is to build homes in a community that people love, a place that you have a relationship with, not just efficient, but beautiful. That the houses should be sustainable is a given and it's not just about the building but also about how we live'.

Kevin is currently looking at a site about an hour and a half from Frome, to build this community 'I want to create One Planet communities with zero carbon emissions and waste. Where there's good transport, community amenities, farm shop and people can have sheds and allotments to grow their own food. And with clean public spaces where children can play safely outside without the fear of cars. I think a car scheme would also be a good idea, not just for the residents but also for others in the area. Of course all this has already been done, but not all in one place'. The website - www.habhousing.co.uk is open for anyone interested in applying for one of Kevin's dream homes.

Or you can see Kevin here in Frome on Sunday 8th July at The Green Fair, as part of the Frome Festival. Kevin will open the Fair at 10.00am in the Cheese and Grain, with a ceremony, in which he will make a green pledge. He says his commitment is to reduce his amount of travel and waste and to maintain and mend things, rather than throw them away. You can also make a pledge, which is in the shape of a leaf, cut out by the children of St. Louis School . These will then be hung on the Pledge Tree. Spot Prizes will be given to those taking part, throughout the day.

'Living sustainably is about thinking globally and acting locally. Frome's Green Fair is the ideal local way to plug into all kinds of technologies, ideas and solutions to help you reduce your carbon footprint and environmental impact'. There will be over 50 stalls at the Fair and it promises to be a fun day out for all the family.

For additional information about the events mentioned in this Press Release click on the Event Titles below.