English Partnerships launches a zero carbon design competition for housebuilders
The second phase of the Design for Manufacture competition, called The Carbon Challenge, is calling for green and affordable housing communities.
However, national regeneration agency English Partnerships, which is running the competition, said there would be no upper cost limit as it did not yet know how much the green homes would cost.
Developments will have to meet at least level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes as well as the conditions for the new PPS on Climate Change.
EP has already brought forward two sites for the competition – Hanham Hall near Bristol and Glebe Road in Peterborough.
The agency is also calling for the public sector and the private sector to bring forward further sites that could be developed as part of the challenge. It is expected that in the first year of the competition, five sites will be identified.
Site owners will be able to draw up their own brief based on a generic brief by an EP panel.
The successful bidders for the first two sites will be announced in autumn 2007 and work will start on site in 2008.
