Energy

Little Haldens will be an exemplar sustainable low carbon development, committed to delivering energy efficient healthy homes. High levels of insulation, an airtight construction and a layout optimised for solar gain will promote passive heating;while high performance glazing, shading and use of cross breezes will reduce the risk of overheating in the summer, ensuring a comfortable indoor climate year-round.

Homes will have mechanical ventilation, a fan that brings in fresh air and expels stale air. The outgoing air heats the incoming air, reducing the need for heating from traditional heating plant. Warm waste water from showering will also be recovered to pre-heat the water for the remainder of the shower, reducing energy for heating further.Air source heat pumps will provide homes with heating and hot water. These use a small amount of electricity to take heat from the outside air and upgrade it for use inside. With continued investment in renewable energy to supply grid electricity at a national level, connecting into the grid is a great way of benefiting from this clean low-carbon electricity. Further, not using traditional combustion technologies like gas boilers will improve air quality, which is a rising concern in cities.

Homes will also produce their own hot water and electricity using solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) panels on their roof,helping keep energy costs for residents down.Little Haldens is aiming to exceed local planning carbon targets and is targeting a 35% reduction in regulated carbon dioxide emissions on site.

Water

Our approach to sustainable water management focuses on weaving the water cycle within the development and landscape proposals, to manage storm water runoff, mitigate flood risks within and beyond the site boundary, enhance biodiversity and amenity, and minimise the footprint on local water resources.

Water sensitive design principles have been adopted in developing a sustainable drainage strategy for the development.A series of dry and wet ponds at the base of the valley will attenuate and storm water runoff and will mitigate the increase in impermeable surfaces. The ponds will also intercept and manage overland flows, that currently gather at the base of the valley during intense storms. This will significantly reduce the risk of surface water flooding to the site, the Peregrine Business Park and properties along Gomm Road. Surface water runoff will be controlled at source with large extents of green roofs, roadside swales and tree planters intercepting the runoff and removing diffuse urban pollutants.

The main pond at the heart of the system will be planted, creating new ecological habitats. A swimming pond is proposed and will be associated with the main pond. It will be separated to ensure appropriate water quality is maintained. Rainwater will be harvested from the main pond to irrigate the allotment gardens and top-up the swimming pond.

Water efficient fittings and water butts at plot levels for garden use will help reduce potable water demand, and the stress on local water resources.

Waste

Our philosophy is that waste is a design flaw. Our approach to waste has been to design a place where resources are used wisely. We are developing ways to encourage waste minimisation and to ensure waste is used, recycled or recovered effectively. This applies to both construction waste as well as that generated once the development is fully occupied.

Our approach follows the waste hierarchy, which priorities the reduction of waste over other options. Materials that cannot be reused or recycled will be recovered as a useful product on site. One example of this is diverting food waste from landfill to be used as soil rich in nutrients for the numerous growing spaces within the development and to create biogas to power community vehicles or as electricity/heating in community buildings. Another example is to use locally sourced existing materials in the new development, for example reusing excavation waste in the landscaping featured and using materials such as flint and reclaimed brick in building facades.

We estimate that 34% of the total waste generated once the development is fully occupied will be dry mixed recycling, 16%will be food waste and the remaining 50% of the waste produced on site will be refuse waste.

All buildings have been designed to include enough space inside for the hygienic storage of different types of waste,including recyclable and compostable items. External bin stores will be compact and discretely located, yet easily accessed from all properties. The location of commercial waste facilities will be located to reduce waste collection vehicle movements around the site.