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A site in Peterborough has recently moved a
step closer to becoming the country’s second zero carbon community
in English Partnerships’ Carbon Challenge.
House builders have been invited by
the national regeneration agency, the East of England Development
Agency and Peterborough City Council to express interest in
developing 450 environmentally sustainable homes at South Bank Phase
1 (Glebe Road). This is the first step in the competition process
that will end in spring 2008 with the appointment of a preferred
developer for the site.
South Bank Phase 1 - a 7 ha area of
brownfield land, owned by the three public sector bodies - has been
identified as the second site in the country to be suitable for
development under English Partnerships’ Carbon Challenge, following
a 150-home site in Bristol.
The site is part of the regeneration
of the South Bank of the River Nene in Peterborough, which in turn
is part of an overall billion-pound transformation of the city being
led by urban regeneration company Opportunity Peterborough.
The Challenge is an opportunity for
developers to gain experience of building to the highest level of
the government's Code for Sustainable Homes. It calls on developers
to demonstrate that zero carbon homes, combined with cutting-edge
building design and technology, are economically viable on a
commercial scale.
John Lewis, Regional Director for
English Partnerships, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for
Peterborough to be leading the way on climate change, with more new
highly sustainable homes being created to meet the needs of local
people. With Peterborough striving to become the most sustainable
city in England the bar is set high, but the Carbon Challenge will
bring it a big step closer to achieving this goal.”
This initial stage asks for evidence
that the firms have the right team to build homes which respond to
the climate change agenda by reducing carbon emissions and
incorporating features to reduce water usage and energy consumption,
as well as minimising waste and encouraging more environmentally
sensitive lifestyles by residents. The chosen developer will need to
work closely with Opportunity Peterborough and its public sector
partners to ensure that the site integrates with the master plan for
the complete South Bank which is currently being drawn up.
Peterborough City Council Leader
Councillor John Peach said: “This is an exciting milestone in the
Carbon Challenge proposals and we look forward to receiving
submissions from developers.
“The Glebe Road carbon challenge
community is significant for Peterborough in several ways. It will
provide an important impetus for proposals for the redevelopment of
the wider South Bank area and the scheme will contribute to
Peterborough’s aspirations to become the UK’s Environment Capital
for sustainable living and technological excellence.
“I hope the technologies
incorporated into these carbon challenge homes are quickly adopted
by all residential developers and especially those that are
responsible for new house-building schemes in Peterborough.”
George Bennett, Regional Renaissance
Manager at EEDA, added: “The Peterborough City carbon challenge
shows that the region is ready to rise to Gordon Browns' challenge
to deliver half a million new homes while being as carbon neutral as
possible. This project is a real example of partnership working and
will bring a key strategic site back to life and help Peterborough
achieve its full potential as the heart of a sub-regional economy.
English Partnerships will ensure
that all homes are well built, well designed, of the best quality
and are available to the widest cross section of the community as
possible. The government has made it clear that all new homes will
need to be zero carbon from 2016 and through the Carbon Challenge,
South Bank Phase 1 will be leading the way.
Around six developers are expected
to be short listed who will then be invited to submit a more
substantive bid in response to a detailed design brief. The selected
developer will be responsible for preparing plans for the site and
undertaking wide-ranging public consultation as part of the planning
process, giving local people an opportunity to help shape the new
development.
October 2007 -
Peterborough UK Community Website
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