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East Devon plans prototype eco town

Posted: 27/07/2007

A new community planned for Cranbrook in East Devon could be a prototype for the 'Eco-towns' proposed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The local authority is aiming for a high standard of sustainability and renewable energy usage on a green-field site with its own railway station.

Richard McCarthy, Director General of Programmes, Policy and Innovation at the Department for Communities and Local Government, speaking at a Growth Summit following this week’s launch of the Government Green Paper on Housing, told an audience of 300 delegates from central and local government with a special interest in regeneration and housing provision:”We must not overlook the need for good design of both homes and communities, the urgent need for the highest environmental standards and lifestyles, and an innovative approach to transport provision".

“Some of you are already making great progress in these areas. East Devon District Council are blazing the trail with the Cranbrook development east of Exeter, which will serve as a prototype of the new eco-towns which the Prime Minister has announced, with challenging targets for energy efficiency and rail links into Exeter”.

Affordability is intended to be a cornerstone of the project - 40% of Cranbrook’s first 2,900 homes should be Affordable Housing, and the New Community Partnership now believe they can exceed the ambitious target of 16.4% renewable energy set by the Council in December last year.

Negotiations are still proceeding over some of the detail of the development, ahead of a formal granting of outline planning permission, but EDDC understands the consortium can now deliver 16.7% renewable energy.

Planning Officers have said they want Cranbrook to be as green as possible whilst taking a realistic attitude about what currently existing technology can deliver.

Ultimately, the town is expected to contain around 5,000 homes. For the first 2,900 homes, the Council expects developers to meet the highest standards of the governments code for sustainable homes. The code includes a range of standards in terms of energy use, insulation, water use, materials, surface water run-off and waste.

EDDC’s Development Control Committee agreed in December that the developers should deliver buildings with a minimum of 16.4% renewable energy. Non-domestic buildings are still governed by the BREEAM standard and an agreement to provide at least “Very Good” has already been achieved for Cranbrook.

EDDC has always said that the town would meet high standards of design and sustainability. In an area of high house prices and low wages, EDDC also signalled how seriously it takes its responsibility to families on low incomes – hence the 40% affordable homes target.

In the Eco-towns Prospectus, EDDC’s Leader, Councillor Sara Randall Johnson, says: “Our vision is to realise the full economic potential of Exeter as a major regional centre, providing a range of employment opportunities and a self-sufficient new urban community where people will have the ability to live in close proximity to where the majority of new jobs will be provided. Expansion of Cranbrook will play a major part in this vision”.

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