Press Release
Entec helps English Partnerships select winner of first Carbon Challenge site

Issue date: 14th December 2007

Entec has successfully supported English Partnerships (EP), the national regeneration agency, in determining the winning developer for the first Carbon Challenge site at Hanham Hall in Bristol. The proposed zero carbon development will deliver high standards of design quality and wider social and economic sustainability, while increasing the environmental performance of the new community.

Entec was appointed as lead technical advisor to the EP Carbon Challenge team to help set the standards to be achieved for the Carbon Challenge, and to contribute to the delivery of the initiative in collaboration with local EP offices, Regional Development Agencies, councils and the developers.

Commenting on the project and Entec’s contribution, Jim Kersey, director at Entec said: “We advised on a number of areas concerning social, environmental and economic sustainability. The process of the brief’s development included workshops with other advisory bodies and structured feedback/communication loops that now form an applicable basis for a number of new communities across the UK.”

Working in partnership with Communities and Local Government, EP and other advisory bodies, Entec input technical expertise to the Carbon Challenge generic brief, gave advice to the Hanham Hall delivery team on producing their site-specific documents, assisted in the procurement process and in the evaluation of the tender submissions.

Vera Seibold, who leads Entec’s Sustainable Design Group said: “Hanham Hall being the first Carbon Challenge project has provided an excellent opportunity to perfect the Carbon Challenge process that now forms a robust basis for all forthcoming Carbon Challenge sites across the UK and will contribute to a successful progression of future projects.”

The winning proposal by Barratt Developments PLC delivers a sustainable design strategy which is in clear agreement with what the Carbon Challenge is about, not only to achieve level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, but also to incorporate sustainable best practice. Steve Carr, English Partnerships’ Director of Policy and Economics, said, “The winning bid isn’t just environmentally sound – it brings people into the equation to create a truly sustainable community.

“We are meeting a dual goal – tackling climate change whilst improving housing quality. I am delighted that so many developers rose to the challenge. The winning bid by Barratt tipped the balance because they thought about eco-living not just eco-buildings.”

Mark Clare, Chief Executive, Barratt Developments PLC said, “Barratt fully supports the zero carbon objective and we want to make as big a contribution as we can as quickly as we can. We are delighted to be asked to deliver this ground-breaking project, which will be the first large-scale zero carbon community in the country. It will enable a family occupying one of these homes to reduce their entire carbon footprint by 60 per cent. ”

Enquiries to:

Victoria Logan
Email: logav@entecuk.co.uk
Tel: 0191 272 6337
Fax: 0191 272 6592

Notes to Editors:

• Entec is one of the UK’s largest environmental and engineering consultancies. The technical and business skills of over 800 staff and associates are dedicated to delivering strategic, technical and engineering solutions which bring commercial benefits to our customers at home and overseas. This know-how is based on over 60 years of consulting experience in the public and private sectors. For further information, please visit our website www.entecuk.com
• Entec’s Sustainable Design Group is an interdisciplinary sustainability team that includes specialists in architecture and urban design, energy, ecology, materials and waste, water, wider utilities and project management and applies a holistic approach to sustainable solutions.
• English Partnerships is the government’s national regeneration agency delivering high quality, sustainable growth in England, by developing a portfolio of strategic projects and acting as the government’s advisor on brownfield land. It also ensures that surplus public sector assets are used to support wider government objectives. English Partnerships helps create communities where people can afford to live and want to live. Information on projects and programmes can be found at www.englishpartnerships.co.uk
• English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation are working with the Department for Communities and Local Government to establish the proposed Homes and Communities Agency.
• The Carbon Challenge is run by English Partnerships 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 in a high-quality, sustainable setting.
  

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