Setting the context

• North Staffordshire Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder Area (RENEW North Staffordshire)

• Intervention areas

- Areas of Major Intervention (AMIs)

- General Renewal Areas (GRAs)

RENEW Key Facts

Although some of these facts relate specifically to Stoke on Trent, the issues are reflected in the other intervention areas across North Staffordshire.

• Between 1999 and 2003, Stoke on Trent lost 1,450 residents a year

• In the last 50 years, the population of the old Six Towns has halved • 7000 homes (4.3%) across the conurbation are empty. In central areas this

rose from 7.7% to 9.4% during 2005

• If new build and clearance continued at past rates, it was estimated that there would be a surplus of 20,000 homes

• The original RENEW prospectus recommended 14,000 properties be cleared and replaced with 12,000 new build properties. However, the clearance figures have now been greatly reduced

• If economic and Housing Market Renewal strategies are successful, it is estimated that we will stop losing population by 2011, and bring the number of empty properties down to a normal level by 2021

Chesterton General Renewal Area

• Predominantly pre 1919 terraced-type properties

• Lack of investment into private sector stock

• Empty properties

• Failing retail units

• Poor environment

Intervention to date

• 20 Housing Corporation funded refurbishments - 10 for social rent 10 for outright sale

• General Renewal Works :

- Facelift work

- Boundary wall schemes

- Environmental improvements

• Eco terraced properties

Before After

Economic

Environmental

Ecoterrace - the brief

• Regional Housing Board Funding (£840,000 maximum)

• Minimum of 6 terraced-type properties

• Must achieve minimum CSH Level 3 (Eco XB – Eco Homes very good)

• Ideas must be transferable

• Within General Renewal Area

• Attract other funds

Staffs Housing requirements

• Ecohomes excellent

• Contemporary living

• Full remodelling of terraced units

• Housing Corporation compliant D&Q standards

• Effective PR and sharing good practice

• Award-winning

Eco terrace - acquisitions

www.ecoterrace.co.uk

The Energy Saving Refurbishment

2008

Demolitions? Emissions?

diagram courtesy of Casey Cole – carbonlimited.org

•160,000 homes in Newcastle/Stoke

•90,000 in council tax band A

•50% byelaw terrace houses?

•Approx. 45,000 terraces in area

•Standard terrace house SAP: 20-30

•Heating costs: £800-1200 per year

•CO2: 102kg/m2 per year

•Approx 6.6 tonnes / year / house

The competition bid:

a) generic solutions for the typical terrace house...

b) design for a specific property…

c) proposals for a wider context…

Carbon reduction:•EPC Band B / Ecohomes Excellent

•78 CO kg/m2/year reduction

•5.3 tonnes CO2 reduction per year

Cash savings:

•24 CO2 kg/m2/year new performance

•Heating costs: approx £200 per year

•£100 saving per month

Comfort improvements: A sustainable house is one that sells!

ground floor

•Passive solar gains•Recycled plastic loft insulation – U-value: 0.20•Heavily insulated floors – U-value: 0.25•Kingspan drylined walls – U-value: 0.30•Isover sound reduction insulation

existing

new build

first floor

•Nuaire Sunwarm solar panel hot water cylinder•Nuaire Sunwarm positive pressure ventilation•100% low energy lights•High efficiency ‘Band A’ boiler•Tap flow regulators

existing

new build

• Agree criteria for QUALITY

• Performance based brief

• Project concept has co-ownership.

• Role of critical friends

• Dialogue with project partners fosters

corporate responsibility.

• Project framework to support same…eg:

project hub software.

• Importance of monitoring post completion

• Open source sharing of experiences

Transferability of ideas built in on day one.

Achieving design quality…

Working in partnership:

• Staffordshire Housing Association

• Newcastle Borough Council

• Regional Housing Board (RHE)

• RENEW North Staffordshire

• Housing Corporation

• Axis Design Architects

• Carbon Trust