The Hackbridge Project

[Tristan_Parker]

Background

Hackbridge is a suburb within the London Borough of Sutton and is home to approximately 8,000 people. The area is largely residential and housing includes 18th century listed cottages, late 19th century terraced houses, inter-war semi-detached homes and BedZED, the internationally recognised development of 100 homes built to sustainable design principles in 2000.

In 2005, Sutton Council stated its commitment to moving towards ‘One Planet Living’; a concept based around ten sustainability principles and developed by BioRegional. This is set out in the Core Planning Strategy BP61 as a,

“... key long-term target …to reduce the ecological footprint of residents to a more sustainable level of 3 global hectares per person by 2020 from the current ‘3-planet’ baseline of 5.4 global hectares.”

In order to achieve such a vision, Sutton Council is working in partnership with Bioregional to create a ‘Sustainability Action Plan’ based upon the implementation of the ten ‘One Planet Living’ principles: zero carbon; zero waste; sustainable transport; local and sustainable materials; local and sustainable food; sustainable water; natural habitats and wildlife; cultural and heritage; equity and fair trade; and health and happiness.

The Core Planning Strategy further sets out that Hackbridge,

“…will be the focus for a flagship sustainable regeneration project that brings about the renewal of the fabric of the area through environmentally innovative mixed-use redevelopment schemes.”

The Hackbridge Masterplan

Sutton Council commissioned the Hackbridge Masterplan from a team lead by Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design in late 2008, with the final draft published in January 2009. At the same time, The Hackbridge Project: Sustainable Suburb – Charter was produced by key stakeholders.

The Masterplan vision states that Hackbridge requires the following in order to become a “sustainable suburb”:
• mixed use within the neighbourhood; thus extending the local centre to become a district centre
• increase the demand for local facilities by increasing the resident population
• ensuring there are housing types to suit differing needs, and provision of social and community facilities
• transforming intra-Hackbridge transport
• raising the quality of the area
• transforming the area’s image
• ensuring that renewable energy opportunities are embedded within the Masterplan

The Sustainable Suburb Charter, a voluntarily produced document which complements the formal planning process documents, draws out 13 objectives for the regeneration of Hackbridge, as follows:
• the creation of a local centre for Hackbridge
• to achieve maximum energy efficiency “in all households, businesses and public buildings in the area”
• to pilot parts of the South London Joint Waste Management Plan
• a recycling rate higher than the average for London; and water consumption rates lower than the national average
• to establish a resource pool and evidence base for all forms of sustainability.
• to manage and maintain areas specifically for bio-diversity
• to provide opportunities for community engagement through the regeneration programme
• the development of high-quality pedestrian and cycle routes
• meeting 20% of Sutton’s new housing target, including social housing
• increasing employment opportunities for local residents and enabling them to improve their skills
• providing new facilities to meet the requirements of an expanded population, e.g. new schools, new health facilities, etc
• to provide easily accessible green and open spaces
• to reduce the disparity in residents’ life expectancy, and reduce obesity in general

Both the Masterplan and the Charter make explicit reference to the “sustainable regeneration” of Hackbridge based upon BioRegional’s “One Planet Living” principles. Particular attention is given to the lowering of energy consumption and CO2 emissions, to the extent that the “zero carbon-footprint” aspirations are central to Hackbridge’s regeneration proposal. Indeed the “regenerated” Hackbridge is marked to residents as a “low carbon zone”; a “flagship”, “mass-retrofit programme”. Under the auspices of “One Planet Living” it is also suggested this transformation of Hackbridge should be achievable without burdening the residents with any additional environmental cost.

The Environmental Profile

In order to incorporate the standards of One Planet Living, the regeneration of Hackbridge aims to significantly improve the performance of the housing stock with regard to reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The report Energy Options Appraisal for Domestic Buildings in Hackbridge was produced in April 2008 by Parity Projects, on behalf of BioRegional Consulting, and is aimed at providing a “proposal of work” to support Sutton Council in improving energy efficiency in Hackbridge. Essentially, this document was tasked with developing a proposal which would contribute towards the creation of Hackbridge as a truly “sustainable suburb”, primarily by reducing CO2 emissions and improving the energy efficiency of existing homes within the area.

The Energy Options Appraisal

The principle aim of the Energy Options Appraisal was to investigate and evaluate such factors within the context of the domestic housing stock. Having examined levels of energy usage and carbon emissions, the report considers a variety of measures to reduce energy consumption and encourage good practice amongst residents. In addition, the most effective responses to such requirements are considered in terms of resources and allocation of funding. The report identifies these sequential stages as:

What could be done → What should be done → How could it be done

Potential Energy and CO2 Reductions:

A graph based on data from the Energy Options Appraisal was then produced, illustrating the potential energy and CO2 reductions if all the recommendations outlined within the report are taken up. The forecasted annual reductions if all measures are installed are 56.0% less energy consumption and 51.2% less CO2 emissions from 1990 levels. The Parity Projects report proposes a 20-year strategy to achieve the targets outlined in the Kyoto agreement. In order to achieve the desired energy efficiency in Hackbridge, the report outlines key recommendations:

• prioritise those measures which are most economically beneficial
• create an awareness of the requirements amongst building contractors and home owners
• develop an order of works which provides optimum cost efficiency;
• create and maintain a record of work which has been undertaken

A variety of the proposed improvement measures are listed and categorized as relating to heating, hot water or electrical, including:

• Loft Insulation – 300mm
• Loft Insulation – 400mm
• Cavity Wall Insulation
• Solid Wall Insulation (Internal)
• Solid Wall Insulation (External)
• Draught proofing
• Under Floor Insulation
• Secondary Glazing
• Double Glazing
• Triple Glazing
• Heat Exchange Ventilation
• Turn Heat from 18 to 17
• Boiler for One Hour Less Per Day
• Boiler Replacement
• Solar Water Heating With Scaffolding
Required
• Solar Water Heating No Scaffolding
Required
• Energy Saving Light Bulbs
• Efficient Appliances
• Solar Voltaics