Eco-Town moves step closer thanks to power deal

Grant Prior 15 years ago
Share

Residents of 7,500 low-carbon homes planned for Devon will benefit from Combined Heat and Power following a unique funding agreement between developers, energy providers and the government.

The district heating network will cover new homes planned for an Eco-town at Cranbrook near Exeter and the neighbouring £120m Skypark commercial scheme being developed by St Modwen.

Developers behind the Cranbrook scheme consist of Hallam Land Management, Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon Homes and Redrow Homes.

The link-up between local development agency Exeter and East Devon Growth Point, energy providers E.ON, St Modwen and Cranbrook’s developers has enabled the completion of an energy supply agreement that will capture £4.1m of grant funding for a district heating network.

A district heating network using renewable energy is one of the most efficient ways of delivering low carbon housing schemes such as Cranbrook. But these schemes require significant capital investment at the outset which has so far been out of reach for house builders.

A combination of £3.7m grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Fund and further contributions of £400,000 from the local authority partners, together with significant investment from E.ON, St Modwen and Cranbrook’s developers, has successfully bridged the funding gap enabling the scheme to go ahead.

Exeter and East Devon Growth Point Chairman and East Devon District Councillor Ray Franklin said:  “What we are actually doing is rewriting the blueprint for how developments are built and how energy can be supplied.  We will be one of the first, if not the first local authority in the country to build a mass open market development with district heating from day one.”

A biomass district heating scheme for the first 2900 homes at Cranbrook could provide an estimated, 10,000 tones of C02 savings a year and could set a precedent for all national house builders to follow.

East Devon District Council has approved planning permission for the schemes energy centre which is to be built on the site of the Skypark development near Exeter Airport.

Ian Guy, Senior Development Manager for St Modwen, said: “The energy centre facility fully supports our plans to make Skypark a sustainable employment hub to serve Exeter and Devon’s economy, creating up to 6,500 jobs locally. We, and our development partners Devon County Council, believe we are taking an important lead in low carbon development which will become more and more important to business occupiers over the next few years.”

Construction work on the Cranbrook site is due to start later this year.

Latest news

Skanska signs £197m deal for Mayfair offices job

South Molton job consists of two big office buildings
15 hours ago

Cost of fixing unsafe cladding soars to over £16bn

Watchdog urges new 'hard target date' to complete all recladding works
16 hours ago

Scottish Water opens bidding on £800m framework

Innovative ceramic membrane water treatment works programme
16 hours ago

Carbon capture concrete hits London sites

Neustark and Aggregate Industries launch new technology to UK market
15 hours ago

Six win £300m cladding retrofit deal

Major social landlord Riverside Group to reclad 22 towers
16 hours ago

Winchmore lands brickwork package on Graham £80m academy

Alkerden Academy is one of the largest schools to be built in the region
16 hours ago

Construction firms blast “true cost of Budget”

Firms fear tax hikes will lead to reduced hours and job cuts for staff
4 days ago

Steel bridge specialist sold to staff

Nusteel Structures Group becomes industry's latest Employee Owned Trust
4 days ago

Ex-Lendlease chief to lead Euston housing regeneration

Bek Seeley to head Euston Housing Delivery Group
4 days ago

Ardmore lands Kensington hotel revamp

Contractor to transform former Kensington Holiday Inn
4 days ago

RED wins £35m brace of projects in Bristol

Works include student halls and major facade fire safety remediation
4 days ago

Wates starts £300m Gartree super prison job

Early works start on 1,700-prison place job next to existing prison
4 days ago

Five road schemes worth £1.3bn axed

Still no decision on £1.5bn A66 upgrade or £9bn Lower Thames Crossing
5 days ago

Budget: Chancellor to fund HS2 tunnels to Euston

Schools and hospitals get extra £1.85bn cash injection to tackle work backlog
5 days ago

Skills card changes will mean fewer labourers

CSCS wants to cut the numbers with 500,000 labourer cards currently in circulation
5 days ago

Wates hires former ISG fit-out chief to lead new team

Lee Phillips to head up new London office fit-out arm
5 days ago

Major London offices to student rooms scheme approved

65 Fleet Street office block to be converted to 850-student rooms
5 days ago

M Group Services buys MEICA contractor BGEN

Warrington-based engineering contractor employs 1500 staff
5 days ago

VINCI Construction swoops for FM Conway

Conway family sells £580m turnover Kent-based highways contractor
6 days ago

United Living bolts on property upkeep firm Pilon

Deal to buy £40m turnover social housing property services contractor
6 days ago

Sheffield facade specialist bought by Swedish firm

Building envelope giant Fasadgruppen makes first UK acquisition
6 days ago

Nexus buys Coleman Construction & Utilities for £5.4m

Nexus moves into civils with acquisition of East Sussex contractor
6 days ago

Councils get £68m to clear brownfield sites

Site renovation work will clear way for 5,200 new homes
6 days ago

Private investor buys Midlands contractor MCS

Deal values £100m revenue building contractor at £22m
6 days ago

Willmott Dixon to build Oxford net zero council HQ

Work to start next year on net zero office upgrade as Old County Hall sold off
6 days ago

Phoenix subbies get pay less notices after ISG failure

Building services specialist tells suppliers they won't be getting paid
7 days ago

Midgard confirmed on £60m Golden Lane office contract

Main works will create 120,000 sq ft of prime office space on historic site
7 days ago

Van Elle buys Scottish specialist Albion Drilling for £3.5m

Acquisition builds capability in Scotland's booming energy sector
7 days ago

French PM and cost consultant Artelia buys Pick Everard

Artelia UK operations swell to nearly 1000 staff after bolting on UK consultant
7 days ago

Go-ahead for West London 58-storey resi skyscraper

North Acton scheme at Old Oak Common to form gateway to emerging cluster
1 week ago

Contractor services