25 October 2012
A development of 91 homes – all of which could potentially be available to self builders – has been granted planning permission by Plymouth City Council. The project is potentially the largest single self build scheme in the UK.
The project will involve the construction of a brand new eco-village at Bickleigh Down, overlooking Dartmoor. As well as the new homes there will also be an assembly facility, a green building store, a community garden and a woodland area. One side of the site will feature a series of ‘earth sheltered tubes’ that could accommodate cafes, shops or business space.
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It is being led by CornerstoneZED – a joint venture between social investment company Cornerstone and ZEDprojects, an offshoot of architects Zedfactory.
The new development is being heralded as Europe’s first ‘zero carbon community’ as the ultra efficient kit homes have been designed so that each can generate enough income from the solar energy they produce to cancel out any utility bills.
Cutaway diagram showing the principles of the kit home design that is proposed
The new Eco-Village will also create 33 jobs for people in an on-site factory that will assemble the homes.
Tim Byles, Chief Executive of CornerstoneZED said: “At its core, Bickleigh Down Eco-Village is all about sustainability – environmental, economic and social. Providing much needed housing and employment, it will create a green gateway to the South West.”
Plymouth’s Cabinet member for Finance Mark Lowry, said: “This innovative scheme will put Plymouth on the map as a centre of excellence for green construction and low carbon business. It will bring more environmentally friendly, quality housing for the city and importantly, it raises the bar for future developments. We want to see more sustainable developments in Plymouth that address energy issues and the rising cost of bills in this way.
The development team claim the kit house it has designed offers self builders lots of choice over size, layout and finishing as it is based on a simple kit of parts. The team is also exploring the possibility of a ‘self finish’ option – where it constructs the homes to watertight stage, and self builders finish them off.
Work is expected to begin on site in summer 2013.
Image of the overall project
For further information: www.zedfactory.com/zedprojects
