Does your developer qualify for a big pat on the back?
If your developer has done an amazing job we want to know about it as soon as possible. Please email us at sustainabilitymyarse@gmail.com with details of where you live, and how the developers have made a sustainable environment so we can give them a boost.
A few places that have been suggested, or market themselves, that are, or have tried, or are trying to embrace sustainability and which we are researching to gain evidence. Bathurst Developments, Cirencester - Preliminary positive information statement received re proposed development at Chestertonn near Cirencester. (We are hoping to see drawings and financial costings that can be reproduced.)
There will be a number of different phases; and phase 1A at the Somerford Road end will hopefully be started by the spring of 2021.
With regards to renewables, we are looking very much at the efficiency of our homes and are not looking to bolt on solar panels making it looking as if they were put on as an after thought.
There maybe some built in panels installed and again here, there are large steps being made in the technolgy of these panels.
We are also looking to put in storage area for batteries, and again technology is moving fast in this area.
We are also in positive discussions with the Council, regarding the possibility of putting in a solar farm. If both come forward and technology is available at the time this will supply the development directly.
EV charging points, we are looking to be making one available for every house with the ability to add on another. Again is this the future or is hydrogen or some other source of energy going to be the answer? We are going to be encouraging a modal shift for people away from the motor car towards buses and cycles, creating new cycle routes into Cirencester and around the development along with cycle storage for each of the properties.
Rain water butts are due to be put in place for all the houses.
The primary school, commercial properties and community buildings will be treated differently with possible use of green roofs etc: but there is still a long way to go.
Markey Construction in association with Haboakus (Green Square/Kevin McCloud) Applewood, Cashes Green, Gloucestershire, 78 eco-homes designed and built in 2015. Unfortunately they went on to suffer from various problems including gas leaks, damp and draughts. Allotments and shared green space are features of this popular development built to Sustainability Level 4.
Peabody Trust lead the BedZED project, South London - completed in 2002, the UK's first ever large scale eco-village of 100 homes, in South London. The design included solar PV, rainwater collection and grey water management.
Linden Homes, Graylingwell Park, West Sussex - 750 homes - the development was built on a former hospital site located to the north-east of Chichester city centre. The 34 hectare site is a designated Conservation Area and contains two Grade II listed buildings, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, 472 protected trees and is a Registered Historic Park and Garden. They were promoting use of bikes, rather than cars, but they did not install PV or ground source heat pumps.
Citu, Lilac Grove, (Low Impact Living Affordable Community) is a development of 20 eco-build households in West Leeds. The houses are made from timber panels with straw bales. They use a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system, they each have a solar array, solar thermal for hot water heating and they have allotments where they grow their own food.
Ssassy Property - Springfield Meadows, Southmoor, Oxfordshire, 25 custom built eco houses under development with a central garden, orchard and wildlife pond.
Woodpecker Properties & the Duchy of Cornwall, Poundbury, Dorset - this is info from the website: construction started in 1993. As Poundbury has developed, it has demonstrated that there is a genuine alternative to the way in which we establish new high density communities in this country. Poundbury is approximately two thirds built and is planned to grow to around 2,700 homes by 2025. Poundbury based renewable energy company Wessex Eco has been working on a range of sustainable energy solutions for residents. This includes power walls, and a solar slate product that has an aesthetic appeal that can help homeowners become more sustainable by generating electricity by sunlight in the day and powering the home in the evening. Other homeowners have had electric car and bike charging points installed. A popular e-bike shop in Poundbury champions the benefits of e-bikes in the community. There are two public car charging points in Queen Mother Square. The unit is a Rolec Sercuricharge and tokens can be purchased in the garden centre and restaurant for £1, with more planned across the site. Provision has been incorporated in all new houses now being built at Poundbury for EV charging points. From visiting Poundbury, our research: the single 7 kWh charging point at the garden centre is the only one available in town, and the display was broken during our visit - and has been for some time. You can use it for one hour only - which will give you about 20 miles of extra range. There is no rapid charging available in the town - the nearest is Dorchester. Visually the town is attractive with wide central roads, free parking, interesting varying architecture and all home sizes from modest to grand. However, there is not a solar panel in sight, and all the current homes under construction seem to be built from concrete. No houses with solar slates were visible, nor private charging points, although not every property was inspected. We remain to be convinced that this qualifies as an eco development. Green space and trees make it ecologically better than some other developments.