Hodgetts Estates is committed to sustainability and has set a very high target for this development to be “The Greenest Business Park in the West Midlands”. The proposals incorporate the following features and building standards:
- Targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ Rating for all buildings;
- Energy Performance Certificate ‘A’ Rating for all buildings;
- Speculative buildings to be built to UK Green Building Council’s ‘Net Zero Carbon Ready’ standard for construction;
- At least 10% of energy generated from on-site renewable or low carbon sources, electricity to sitewide infrastructure to be 100% renewable and ensuring all buildings can be adapted to accommodate existing and future technologies, e.g. solar panels and battery storage;
- Air and ground source heat pumps to provide heating to all offices;
- Recyclable structure and cladding system;
- Use of low environmental impact and bio-based materials that also provide good insulation;
- Electric vehicle charging points and ‘rapid’ charging points, with ducting provided to all parking spaces to future proof the development;
- Ducting provided to lorry parking spaces for fully electric and hybrid electric lorries, to future proof all service yards and the overnight lorry parking facility;
- Rainwater harvesting to reduce water consumption, for measures such as flushing toilets, landscape watering and vehicle/interior cleaning;
- Minimise construction waste;
- Develop a Sustainable Travel Plan to minimise single occupancy vehicle trips to and from the site; and
- Substantial biodiversity net gains of +30% for habitats and +158% for linear features – far in excess of the 10% policy requirement.
Design Guide
The Design Guide provides an overarching framework for future applications to follow to ensure high quality, highly sustainable and appropriately designed development comes forward to create an exemplar business park for North Warwickshire.
The seven High Quality Design Principles (HQDPs) and associated Design Parameters, set out in the Design Guide, would ensure that future developments follow a prescribed design template. Application of these would ensure the extensive scheme benefits listed above are realised and guarantee compliance with relevant planning policies and guidance, including the Dordon Design Guidance and Code.
Driven by the Design Guide, in all aspects relevant to sustainability and design, future development proposals would either meet or exceed the standards currently required by legislation, policy and guidance.
