28 PROJECT REPORT: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS
Homes (and by extension, the wider industry) can achieve.
BETTER THAN NET ZERO
Greencore Homes has a stated company goal to provide homes that are “Better Than Net Zero.” It’s thought the average UK home accounts for 60-100 tonnes of embodied carbon during construction, and emits three to fi ve tonnes per year when occupied). Bucking the trend, Greencore designs and builds their homes to go ‘below’ zero embodied carbon during construction, and offer net zero emissions each year of occupation.
GREENCORE HOMES PROMISES CUSTOMERS HOMES WILL BE HEALTHIER FOR THEM FINANCIALLY, MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, AS WELL AS FOR THE PLANET
WWW.HBDONLINE.CO.UK
The Canopies comprises 42 homes, conceived as a fl agship scheme to demonstrate what ‘Better Than Net Zero’ housing can deliver at scale,” explains Greencore Homes COO, Laura Stone. “From the outset, our ambition was to go beyond standard regulations and create homes that surpass energy performance standards while raising the benchmark for responsible housing.”
The project, which received £8m of funding from Homes England, “brings together aligned partners with a shared commitment to accelerating the delivery of high quality, sustainable and affordable homes, while raising the benchmark for responsible housing,” Stone says. The masterplan – developed by HTA Design – was very much landscape-led, integrating green infrastructure and enhancing biodiversity. It also focused
on improving both walking and cycling connections to fully integrate the development within the local community. The 42 homes comprise 27 for private sale and 15 affordable – a mixture of shared ownership and fi rst homes.’ The houses span a range of one, two, three and four bedroom options, “designed to support fl exible living and adapt to changing household needs,” says Stone. This range was largely shaped by local demand, alongside viability considerations and Greencore Homes’ sustainability objectives. Despite the mix of sizes and tenures, they have been designed to be tenure blind, with the same architectural approach and high uality specifi cation applied to all 42 properties. “This ensures a cohesive neighbourhood and refl ects our commitment to delivering a genuinely mixed-tenure community,” explains Stone. There was strong demand in the local area for a highly sustainable scheme such as this, says Greencore. Oxfordshire County Council has committed to achieving carbon neutrality across its estate and operations by 2030, meaning low carbon was the goal on new developments. This meant Greencore Homes’ offering was an ideal solution, with the joint Local Plan 2041 identifying a need for 16,530 new homes across South Oxfordshire. “The Canopies responds directly to both pressures by delivering high quality homes that meet pressing housing needs while aligning with the county’s ambitious environmental targets, offering residents future-ready energy performance and healthier, more sustainable living,” Stone says. The team still faced some planning challenges. Although it is a brownfi eld site just a few minutes from Didcot railway station, gaining approval required detailed discussions about the development’s design, landscape integration, access and environmental performance. There was a Tree Preservation Order around the site’s perimeter, which needed “careful management” and close engagement with the local authority. The trees that were retained – as well as the surrounding countryside – were ultimately used to shape the fi nal layout of the development. “We adopted a landscape-led approach, orientating homes around green corridors and existing features rather than imposing a standard housing pattern,” Stone says.
Although there were challenges, Stone says the outcomes of the discussions were “extremely positive,” adding: “The development responds sensitively to its context, protects and enhances its natural assets, including mature trees, and ultimately delivers a stronger, more environmentally responsible scheme.” Planning consent was secured in
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