Raising standards for new homes

Milton Keynes has been a leader on setting standards for new homes for over 25 years. Currently there are two main initiatives - the low carbon policy and the carbon offset fund.

The Council's Sustainable Development Policy

Milton Keynes has adopted a sustainable development policy for new homes, known as Policy D4. All new schemes with more than 5 dwellings (for residential development) or incorporating a gross floor area in excess of 1000m² (for other development) will be required to include the following:

• Energy efficiency by siting, design, layout and buildings' orientation to maximise daylighting, avoidance of overshadowing, passive ventilation;
• Grouped building forms in order to minimize the external wall surface extent and exposure;
• Landscape or planting design to optimise screening and individual buildings' thermal performance;
• Renewable energy production e.g. external solar collectors, wind turbines or photovoltaic devices;
• Sustainable urban drainage systems, including rainwater and waste water collection and recycling;
• Significant use of building materials that are renewable or recycled;
• Waste reduction and recycling measures;
• Carbon neutrality or financial contributions to a carbon offset fund to enable carbon emissions to be offset elsewhere (see below).

The Carbon Offset Fund

Housebuilders who feel that they are unable to meet the very low carbon standards expected on new homes have an alternative way of contributing towards a lower carbon city. As part of a tariff agreement they can instead contribute financially into a fund that is then used to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes across the city. This fund, which was the first of its kind in the UK, allows homeowners in the city to obtain discounted insulation and other energy saving measures. To find out more about how you can save money through the Milton Keynes Carbon Offset Fund call the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre on 0800 8048 777.

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Energy efficiency in existing homes

Milton Keynes continues to support improvements in energy efficiency in existing homes, despite its stock being already above the national average (as measured through the Government's Standard Assessment Procedure - SAP). For the past ten years, it has worked with United Sustainable Energy Agency (USEA - formerly Milton Keynes Energy Agency) in tackling poor energy performance in homes and the alleviation of fuel poverty. USEA operates the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre in the city: for free and impartial information on how to save energy at home call them on 0800 512012. USEA also runs a scheme to help homeowners find quality assured installers at competitive prices known as Cocoon.

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Cutting emissions in industry, commerce and the public sector

A number of organisations within Milton Keynes, including the Council and the Open University, have already gone through the Carbon Trust's Carbon Reduction programme. For more information about this, or other Carbon Trust programmes, please call them on 0800 085 2005.

A number of organisations, including Argos and the Council, also obtained an award under the prestigious Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme. This is now being replaced by the Carbon Trust Standard as the way in which bodies can show their ongoing commitment to reducing emissions year on year.

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Encouraging clean renewable energy

The ThimkAgain! campaign recognises that the only way that Milton Keynes will reach its longer term goal of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions is through fostering a switch towards renewable energy. A number of relatively small-scale projects are already taking place across the city:

Daimler

In 2007 Daimler erected a 20m high Quiet Revolution wind turbine and modified two car parking bays for charging electrically powered vehicles at their UK head office in Tongwell, Milton Keynes. The wind turbine was expected to produce between 6,000-10,000 kWh per annum.

Makita

This warehouse in Tongwell incorporated a Biomass Boiler (wood pellet or chip) producing 17,000kWh per annum.

The former Octel Site

Located between Watling Street and the main railway line in Denbigh West, Bletchley, a small industrial estate is being built that includes 42 Windsave micro wind generators (one for each unit). In addition there are two larger Proven wind at the entrance to the development that are expected produce 15,000 kWh per annum.

The former Nampak Site in Woburn Sands

As part of a development of some 280 dwellings including the refurbishment of an existing social club for community facilities near the station in Woburn Sands, solar water heating was installed on all houses and flats with roofs orientated within 45 degrees of south (considered to be optimum direction for solar panels). It is estimated that that this will reduce carbon emissions from the development by 6.4 per cent from the baseline. The combined total output of the panels is estimated to be almost 250,000kWh per year.

Beanhill GP Surgery

Completed earlier on 2008, this new doctors' surgery includes five solar water panels and 36 photovoltaic panels with an estimated combined annual output of 5,555kWh which equates to 12% of the development's total energy use.

In addition the National Energy Centre includes 6.47kWp of photovoltaic panels, solar water heating, a small wood pellet stove and is heated by a ground source heat pump. This is described in more detail on the page about the National Energy Foundation.

and your project...?

We know that there are other initiatives out there that we have missed out on this page. We haven't mentioned Oakgrove School, or the Wolverton Transition Towns project. So if you'd like to help the ThimkAgain! campaign by telling us about a climate change project that you have been doing in the city, then we'd love to hear from you. Just send an e-mail to our webmaster, ideally with a picture and a few words that we can use.

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