Regen.net,
5 June 2009
An eco-village in south Gloucestershire billed as England's first large-scale zero-carbon development has been given the green light.
'The plans for the Hanham Hall eco-village, a joint development between Barratt Developments and housing and regeneration quango the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) that includes 195 zero-carbon homes, has received full planning permission.
The development, part of the Carbon Challenge run by the HCA, will see the homes built to Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH), the code's highest level.
It will also include a transformation of Hanham Hall, an old hospital building, into a community centre for the neighbourhood with a "sustainable living hub" to help advise residents on how to live more low carbon lifestyles.
Robert Napier, HCA chairman, said a community owned and run development trust would be responsible for the day-to-day management of the village.
He said: "This is about testing the highest level of the CSH and looking for innovative ways to achieve true sustainability. This is the first large scale development in the country to built to this high standard, demonstrating that while level 6 is a challenge it is one we must achieve if we are to prevent the impact of climate change and dwindling resources."
