‘Net zero’ Shropshire garden village plans announced

Bradford Estates have announced plans to build a sustainable garden village-style settlement on land to the west of the A41 in Shropshire.

The developers claim it would be net zero carbon when completed and include 3,000 sustainably developed homes and 1.8 million sq ft of commercial space.

Bradford Estates’ managing director, Alexander Newport, commissioned WSP, a global consultancy and world leading expert in responsible and sustainable development, to analyse the project and make recommendations that will allow Bradford Estates to achieve its goal of achieving net zero carbon status, reinforcing his commitment to creating a scheme that will not only set a standard for Shropshire, but also the UK as a whole.

The WSP report has helped Bradford Estates identify a number of clear steps which will allow it to achieve its net zero carbon ambitions, including the community being powered entirely by renewable electricity.

WSP’s analysis found that a £23m investment by Bradford Estates would see 45% of the electricity needed to power the proposed homes and commercial properties generated using ‘roof tile-looking’ solar photovoltaic panels.

The balance would then be sourced through solar photovoltaic panels in discrete locations elsewhere on the Estate’s 12,000-acres which, with around 30 solar energy sites already installed around Shropshire, would be very much in-line with other renewable initiatives across the county.

‘During the current Covid lockdown, we have seen a staggering reduction in carbon levels across the country, and indeed across the UK,’ said Mr Newport.

‘As we look to the future, we need to ensure that we don’t revert to old habits which will return emissions to pre-pandemic levels. This means a new approach to considering the environmental impact of everything we do, including future developments like J3.

‘Shropshire Council has been very clear about the importance of tackling the county’s climate emergency and should be commended for the proactive steps it is taking to achieve its target of becoming net zero carbon from 2030.’

By designing an internally self-sufficient community, which includes both homes and a strategic employment area, the requirement to travel frequently is removed from people’s lives, leading to a natural reduction in transport emissions.

The plans at J3 also incorporate new local amenities such as retail, schools and recreational areas, as well as medical and doctors’ facilities further reducing the need to travel, whilst at the same time alleviating pressure on local services outside of the project.

‘The WSP report estimates that about 50% of car-bound peak hour trips could be eliminated because of the adjacency of homes to schools and places of work alone,’ added Mr Newport.

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