Country's greenest development gets go ahead
5 June 2009
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England’s first large-scale development to be built to Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, has been given the green light to move ahead. Barratt Developments Plc and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have received planning permission to build 195 zero carbon homes as part of the Hanham Hall ‘eco village’ in South Gloucestershire.
The eco village is part of the Carbon Challenge programme run by the HCA, the national housing and regeneration agency. The new homes will be constructed using energy efficient materials, with very high insulation standards to conserve energy and water use in a design by HTA Architects integrating buildings in a landscaped setting that benefits both residents and local wildlife. Materials from the existing buildings on the site will be recycled in the new development and heat from air extracted from the homes will be recycled. Rainwater will be harvested for use in homes and gardens and residents will have access to allotments and orchards to grow their own produce.
Housing Minister Margaret Beckett said: “Since our housing currently makes up a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, it's essential that the fight against climate change begins at home. This is why we’re making all new homes increasingly energy efficient, and zero carbon from 2016.”
“The Hanham Hall site shows that zero carbon new homes are becoming a reality. This will also be a real, sustainable community – showing that zero carbon homes help create attractive and sustainable places for people to live now and in future.”
Hanham Hall itself, a former hospital building, will be refurbished and transformed into a community centre for the neighbourhood. The centre will include a ‘sustainable living hub’ to help people become ‘greener’; with access to a crèche, café and a base for a car club. A community owned and run development trust will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the entire neighbourhood, including building maintenance, car sharing and gardening clubs.
Robert Napier, Chairman of the Homes and Communities Agency said: “As one of the HCA’s flagship schemes, this is about testing the highest level of the Code for Sustainable Homes and looking at innovative ways to achieve true sustainability. This will be the first large scale development in the country to be built to this high standard, demonstrating that while Level 6 is a challenge, it is one we must achieve if we are to prevent the impact of climate change and dwindling natural resources.”
Under the Code for Sustainable Homes, a new home’s sustainability is measured against nine categories of sustainable design. These include reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions through use of new technologies; consideration of health and well being within communities and household management and steps implemented to minimise ecological impact.
Other categories include water usage, materials used in construction and the environmental impact of sourcing them, making provision for surface water run off through adequate drainage systems, reduction in waste destined for landfill sites and reductions in pollution. Level 6 is achieved if a development scores a minimum of 90 out of 100 points across all nine categories defined by the Code, and includes mandatory requirements to be zero carbon and a design for water usage of 80 litres per person per day.
Mark Clare, Chief Executive of Barratt Developments PLC, said: “We are delighted to be building the first zero carbon community at Hanham Hall. There is no doubt that there will need to be significant changes in the way that homes are constructed to meet higher environmental standards; this project places us at the forefront of this important agenda.”
Work on site is due to start by the end of this year and the first homes are planned to be completed by 2010. The development will be the first created as part of the government’s Carbon Challenge programme, which aims to help the housebuilding industry fast track a number of developments that significantly reduce the impact on the environment, provide important lessons for delivering low carbon development and encourage people to live more sustainable lifestyles.
Ends
For further information please contact:
Homes and Communities Agency
Gemma Bird on 020 7881 1054 or email gemma.thompson@hca.gsx.gov.uk
Barratt Developments
Dan Bridgett on 020 7299 4873 or email dan.bridgett@barratthomes.co.uk
Note to editors:
1. Planning permission at Hanham Hall is subject to a S106 Agreement.
2. Hanham Hall, a former hospital site, is 6.6 ha in size and located directly between Bristol and Bath. The site falls within the village of Hanham around seven kilometers out of Bristol town centre, and is surrounded by the picturesque Hanham Hills.
3. The Carbon Challenge is run by the Homes and Communities Agency on behalf of Communities and Local Government to accelerate the house-building industry’s response to climate change by fast-tracking the creation of several zero carbon housing developments. It will deliver a number of homes in different locations that meet Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6, ahead of the Government’s mandatory targets, in a high-quality, sustainable setting.
The key aspirations of the Challenge are to:
- Raise environmental standards – development will achieve Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes – zero carbon.
- Deliver high-quality design combined with exceptional environmental performance – homes that keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
- Drive down construction and supply chain costs through economies of scale – while aiming to achieve zero carbon.
- Incorporate lifestyle features that cut emissions within the community through good designs that encourage behavioural changes in the use of electrical appliances such as televisions and computers, and include changes in transport, waste collection and food delivery.
- Ensure that affordable and low cost homes are included, especially for families.
4. Other than Hanham Hall, there are three other sites being progressed through the Carbon Challenge programme. South Bank Phase 1 in Peterborough will be developed by pPod, a consortium made up of Morris Homes, Gentoo Homes and Browne Smith Baker architects. South Bank Phase 1 aims to provide a variety of market sale and affordable homes along with public spaces. The 344 homes will be zero carbon, powered by a combination of biofuel and solar panels, requiring no energy from the national grid and 120 of them will be affordable – either for social rent or shared ownership via local housing association Cross Keys Homes.
The third Carbon Challenge site in Bickershaw, Wigan is to proceed this summer with the early infrastructure contract. This will provide changes to the highways, the development of a marina alongside the existing canal and other onsite service installations. It is planned to recommence the developer procurement process when these works have made good progress later this year. The scheme at Brodsworth, Doncaster is still being appraised following submission of two final offers and we hope to be able to make a further announcement this Summer.
5. The Homes and Communities Agency is the single, national housing and regeneration agency for England. We bring together the development and regeneration expertise of English Partnerships, investment functions of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities, with major delivery programmes of Communities and Local Government.
Our role is to create opportunity for people to live in high quality, sustainable places. We provide funding for affordable housing, bring land back into productive use and improve quality of life by raising standards for the physical and social environment.
Over the current three financial years the HCA controls a budget of £17.3bn.
6. Barratt Developments PLC is Britain's best-known homebuilder, with a network of divisions strategically located throughout Britain. These divisions trade under the Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes and Ward Homes brands.
7. Working alongside Barratt Developments Plc on Hanham Hall are HTA architects, ARUP, Kingspan Offsite and Sovereign Housing Group.
8. Ben Derbyshire, managing director of HTA said “Our design seeks to be good for the environment but good for consumers as well. We have worked with our partners to create a product that suggests sustainable lifestyles and at the same time will be popular with house-buyers”