Carbon Challenge

The Carbon Challenge is being delivered by English Partnerships on behalf of the Department of Communities and Local Government with the principle aim being to accelerate the housebuilding industry’s response to climate change.

Building on the lessons learned on the Millennium Communities programme, the Challenge aims to fast-track the creation of a number of new communities designed to meet the highest level of the Code for Sustainable Homes, but will still meet English Partnerships key requirement for high standards of quality and design and will seek to maintain the cost efficiencies evident through the Design for Manufacture Competition.

The Carbon Challenge will assist housebuilders to develop the skills and technology needed to meet the 10-year environmental goals being set by Government for new housing development, and in particular, will act as a testing ground for the Code for Sustainable Homes and the new Planning Policy Statement on climate change.

An exhibition about the Carbon Challenge is being held at the Building Centre in London 2 - 21 June 2008.

 

What is the highest level of the Code for Sustainable Homes?

The Governments new Code for Sustainable Homes has six categories, the highest being level 6. This represents an extremely challenging set of performance targets across a wide range of sustainability issues including energy, waste and water.

In particular the energy standard for code level 6 requires net zero carbon emissions for each new home. This means that any energy taken from the grid to facilitate the running of the home, has to be less than or equal to the amount put back through renewable technologies.

Individual homes have to be carefully designed first of all to minimise the amount of energy required for day to day heating, lighting and other uses. This could include highly energy efficient construction and the installation of ‘A’ rated appliances. Subsequent energy demand can be met through the use of low carbon technologies such as biomass combined heat and power and/or renewable technologies such as wind turbines or photovoltaic panels.

Carbon Challenge requirements

English Partnerships have developed a detailed Carbon Challenge Generic brief which includes key standards and submission requirements at various stages throughout the life of the development process.

Download the Carbon Challenge Generic brief from the Publications page.

Progress on the Carbon Challenge

English Partnerships is bringing forward a number of sites on which to deliver the Carbon Challenge. Each site will be marketed individually through the procurement process. They will each have their own set of briefing documents which sit alongside the Carbon Challenge Generic brief and which will detail unique local requirements such as affordability and planning issues.

Hanham Hall

Hanham Hall, near Bristol is English Partnerships’ first Carbon Challenge site.

In December 2007 the preferred developer was announced as Barratt Development Plc who worked with HTA, ARUP, Kingspan Offsite and Sovereign Housing Group to research and put together the winning bid.

Download the winning bid below:

• Contents - PDF (1.4 MB)
• Introduction - PDF (947 KB)
• Context - PDF (4.3 MB)
• Design – PDF (5 MB)
• Landscape - PDF (1.8 MB)
• Sustainability - PDF (3.5 MB)
• Transport Security - PDF (3.1 MB)
• Delivery and Management- PDF (4 MB)
• Team Structure - PDF (2.7 MB)

It is anticipated that planning permission will be submitted in summer 2008 and the development completed in 2011.

The documents attached below outline how the Barratt winning bid addresses issues of sustainability, including energy and water supply, the construction methods which have been proposed and how it will ensure the Grade II listed Hanham Hall be preserved and best used in the innovative new development.

Download briefing sheet on construction method (PDF 23KB)

Download briefing sheet on heritage (PDF 16KB)

Download briefing sheet on sustainability (PDF 19KB)

South Bank Phase One, Peterborough

This is the second Carbon Challenge site identified by English Partnerships and which includes land owned by EEDA and Peterborough City Council.

The development is expected to deliver circa 450 dwellings, all specified to 'Level 6' of the Code for Sustainable homes, and will incorporate an element of mixed use. The total site area is approx. 7 ha (17 acres).

In December 2007 an announcement was made of the six shortlisted developers selected to proceed to the detailed bidding stage:

• Barratt Developments
• Carbon Challenge Consortium
• Gladedale
• Gleeson Homes & Stewart Milne Developments
• One Peterborough
• pPod consortium

English Partnerships is working with partners to evaluate the bids and the final submission deadline is May 2008

It is anticipated that the preferred developer will be announced in summer 2008 with a view to work starting on site in the summer of 2009.

Bickershaw, Wigan

Bickershaw near Wigan has been brought forward by the North West Regional Development Agency. It is a former coalfield site, part of English Partnerships’ National Coalfields Programme. 

The development is expected to deliver circa 650 new homes to Code level 6 and the other quality standards of the Carbon Challenge sites. 

The first stage of the procurement process is now completed and those shortlisted to progress onto Stage 2 will be announced in May or June 2008. 

Bickershaw Wind Turbine

A separate procurement is in progress for an Energy Services Company (ESCo) to install and operate a wind turbine on the neighbouring Bickershaw Activity Park to supply the housing on the Carbon Challenge site.

The closing date for Expressions of Interest is now closed and the shortlisted parties will be informed in May or June of their successful progression to the second stage.  

Brodsworth, Doncaster

Brodsworth Woodlands in Doncaster has been nominated by the Regional Development Agency – Yorkshire Forward. Brodsworth Woodlands is also a former coalfield site and part of the National Coalfields Programme.

Around 500 new homes will be created alongside 13,500 sqm of environmentally sustainable commercial space to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard on this 19.5ha site.

The procurement process is underway and Expressions of Interest have now been received. These will now be evaluated and a shortlist of developers selected to progress to Stage 2 which will commence in May or June 2008.

Bickershaw and Brodsworth are the first sites to be included in the Carbon Challenge which are not owned by English Partnerships.

Further sites will be announced during 2008.

 

The Carbon Challenge factsheet is available to download from the Publications page.

Download the The Carbon Challenge Fact Sheet for Local Authority Partners as a PDF (318 KB)

To keep up to date with the latest developments of the Challenge, visit the Carbon Challenge e-magazine.