Simple ground rules for barn conversion; Sponsored by

Byline: STEVE EMSLEY

The building was to be insulated to a high specification and energy would include a high percentage of renewable, locally generated sources.The pond supports newts and dragonflies, primarily, and a range of pond insects and water snails. There is also a wide range of birds finding a rich haven on the edge of the fells.It has been in her family for quite a while and, in the last few years, she has set about making it a beautiful and low-energy building, with a wildflower meadow selected to consist of upland fell plants.Replacing concrete roof tiles are local slate tiles in keeping with the feel of the place. A solar thermal water heating panel on the roof kept a tank of water at a good 41 degrees for a shower, even early in the morning.The house has most internal walls and roof lined with a very thick layer of insulation made from local wool and assembled in Penrith. The old stone stalls from the byre form the ends of the kitchen units. The tops for these units are made from recycled plastics, such as yogurt pots, pressed into colourful work surfaces.There is a ground source heat pump for heating, and a log stove in the open sitting room.Firstly, whatever could be salvaged from the old building should be reused in the new one, providing it was useful. Locallysourced materials were to be used wherever available.Materials were to be sustainable, such as local wood and stone, while the use of PVC was to be minimised. Other materials could be recycled ones. If any of the old barn material was not going to be reused there, she would see if other local people had a construction use for it, so waste was minimised.Finding builders willing to work with these kind of specifications is an important part of going green in building work.When the owner set about getting the barn into a liveable condition she set a few green ground rules for herself and builders to follow. I thought these were an interesting guide to anyone doing conversions and building work who wants to consider the environment.Of course, we don't all have the chance to rebuild barns, but applying some of those green principles to whatever building projects we want done would greatly reduce the environmental impact on the world around us. It might also make our little corner a nicer place to be.To be more precise, I visited his old barn, which the current owner has been converting into one of the most ecologicallysound and beautiful places I have ever visited.JOHN peel was a famous fox hunter, I am not. He was born in the 1770s and had a house in the Northern Fells in the North of the Lake District. I am not that old, but I was lucky enough to be invited to visit his house last weekend.

Of course, we don't all have the chance to rebuild barns, but applying some of those green principles to whatever building projects we want done would greatly reduce the environmental impact on the world around us. It might also make our little corner a nicer place to be.