About this group
The Abbot’s Mill Project was incorporated as a Community Interest Company in July 2010. Our vision is of a world where people live in harmony with their natural environment and with each other and fully understand the social and environmental consequences of their everyday actions.
Our aim is to develop an urban hub of environmental and social excellence in the heart of Canterbury, incorporating; a renewable energy centre, a museum about the importance of the River Stour, a vegan community café and an organic community garden.
The Abbot’s Mill Project will be a Centre for Sustainable Urban Living, which will become a beacon of sustainability, providing a platform for cutting edge environmental science and newly emerging sustainable technologies from across the UK.
The Project will be powered by electricity generated from renewable sources, principally from re-instating a water wheel into the old mill race on the site of the former Abbot’s (Denne’s) Mill (the seven-storey mill that once stood on St Radigund’s Street).
The Environment Agency has identified over 24,000 former mill sites in England, which could yield a minimum of 5% of our gross demand for electricity. This could easily be increased to 15% with the introduction of new carefully planned and more efficient, small-scale/micro generation sites.
This site with its clean, green renewable, power generation capacity is an opportunity waiting to be realised. The island site offers the last opportunity to harness the Stour for power generation purposes.
Canterbury’s mill sites were created in the past as sources of potential energy; recently they have been used merely as the backdrop for residential development.
The new centre will be designed to be accessible to the whole community. We aim to involve and attract people who would not otherwise be involved in (or spend too much time thinking about) sustainable living and renewable energy, as well as people who are already keen enthusiasts and want to learn more.
Education will be the focus of the centre. We will organise tours, courses and workshops for the general public/tourists, schools, environmentalists and local groups. We will also develop training courses, work placements and apprenticeships (as well as employment and supported employment) for people disadvantaged in the labour market, including people with learning difficulties/disabilities.
As a social and community enterprise and Community Interest Company, it is our aim to work in partnership with local residents and community groups. We want to ensure that local people and business are involved and taking a lead as much as possible.
We will employ people from within the local community (i.e. Canterbury) as far as possible. We will offer opportunities (training, work experience, volunteering and paid employment) to people who are disadvantaged in the labour market – especially people with learning difficulties/disabilities.
We also aim to use local (within Kent) contractors and suppliers wherever possible throughout the build and once the project is up and running.
Tuesday 21 June 2011
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