A former Lieutenant Colonel in the army, Dick has starred in two series of It's Not Easy Being Green. The BBC programme follows his family's trials and tribulations as they relocate to Cornwall to live a low-impact lifestyle, making their own renewable energy and providing their own food.

In Peterborough, Dick visited the Green Backyard project on London Road, which is turning a piece of waste ground into an environmental haven.

After being shown round the site by Eco Art co-founder Renato Antonelli and project officer Sophie Antonelli, Dick spoke to The ET about Peterborough's bid to become the Environmental Capital.

He said he was feeling "pretty optimistic" about Peterborough's bid.

"It's a huge challenge," he said. "In the UK everybody's thinking more and more about being green and for Peterborough to say 'we want to be the capital, we want to take charge', is great. You've got to go for it in life, and I think it's a big big aspiration, a lot of work but worth it."

So what does he think of the city's green credentials?

"You're on your journey to being green," he said.

"It's difficult for a city to become green, or environmentally sound, because cities are so huge and diverse. I'm looking around here and this site is a great idea but you've got industry all around it. Trying to get everybody to buy into what's being done for all aspects – the waste management, their energy usage, their transport – are massive massive problems.

"You've set the bar very high. You've said you want to be the capital and want to be the best. It's no mean feat to try to achieve that."

By living a low impact lifestyle, Dick and his family have gone to extreme lengths to be environmentally friendly, but he insists being green isn't about depriving yourself.

"We probably do more than most people, but we don't suffer for it," he said. "It's still 21st Century living. You've got to enjoy life, that's one of the key things, so I'm not into sack cloth and ashes, and being miserable, none of that.

"The mantra that everybody talks about when they're being green is 'reduce, reuse, recycle', so you reduce how much you're using.

"With the credit crunch everybody's worrying about money, it makes sense to spend less and use less, which means anything that's costing you a lot of money you should change.

"For people can't afford not to have their loft insulated. They will save money very quickly, and I think that's the important part of this.

"There are grants available too, and if you're in rented accommodation, get the landlord to do it.

"Other very simple things can be done, for example houses should be ventilated but not drafty. Often people will have the heating turned up and the windows open, it's stupid, why?

"You want fresh air, you want ventilation but let's not waste our energy. Everyone knows now that if you turn your thermostat down a degree, you will save 10 per cent of your bill." Continues on next page