13 December 2006

 

English Partnerships appoints First Base to develop
Heart of East Greenwich

English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, has appointed First Base, the residential-led urban regeneration developer to create the Heart of East Greenwich project, a scheme set to regenerate the site of the former Greenwich District Hospital.

 

The scheme, designed by architects Make, proposes a new town centre and civic hub for East Greenwich including state of the art leisure suite, health centre and library alongside a high quality public realm and a range of shops, cafes, markets and flexible workspace.

 

Key to the scheme is the creation of a mixed tenure balanced community providing family, affordable and private for sale housing with a range of one, two, three and four bedroom homes. 

 

First BaseÕs plans for the Heart of East Greenwich are designed to ensure the scheme is integrated into its surroundings and will be a sympathetic and sustainable development for this important site.  A key element of the scheme is that it will be carbon neutral and at the leading edge of environmental sustainability targets.

 

Philip Dibsdale, Area Director for English Partnerships said, ÒWe have been working closely with the local community in order to understand what the people of East Greenwich want and need from the new development. In selecting First Base IÕm confident that we will deliver a highly sustainable mixed-use scheme that will best meet the needs of the community.Ó

 

Elliot Lipton, Managing Director of First Base said, ÒWe are extremely proud to continue our relationship with English Partnerships in Greenwich and I believe that together, we can create a special place ensuring the long-term success of the scheme, within a framework that is affordable for residents and which supports the lifeblood of the community. This is an important step forward in our vision to build more quality, sustainable and mixed tenure homes for the people of London. We look

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forward to working with English Partnerships, the London Borough of Greenwich and the local community in developing our first carbon neutral development on this important site.Ó

Leader of Greenwich Council, Councillor Chris Roberts said: ÒIÕm pleased to welcome First Base as the developer for the Heart of East Greenwich regeneration scheme.  I look forward to working closely on exciting and ambitious plans to create a new, energy-efficient and sustainable community.  We will seek to maximise the benefits for local people including a new local service centre, leisure centre, library, health and community facilities alongside shops, cafes, and hundreds of new and affordable homes.

ÒAs well as a commitment to a carbon neutral development there will be a range of new and attractive public open spaces.  These new services will help spearhead the regeneration of East Greenwich and greatly improve local facilities for new and existing communities.Ó

 

In delivering the Heart of East Greenwich scheme First Base will work in partnership with English Partnerships and Greenwich Council, who will be responsible for the public and leisure services operating on the site.

 

ENDS

 

For more information and images contact:

 

Catherine Snow – English Partnerships 020 7531 2465 Catherinesnow@englishpartnerships.co.uk

 

Catherine Greenwood / Jessica Gooch – Lexis PR on behalf of First Base

020 7908 6488 / 020 7908 6447                                                        

cgreenwood@lexispr.com / jgooch@lexispr.com

 

Notes to editors

 

The Heart of East Greenwich will deliver London's first major carbon neutral development.

This will be achieved through on-site generation of heat and power using Biomass CHP, ground source heat pumps, thermal storage and photovoltaics; supplemented during peak periods by gas boilers.

 

The development will have the capacity to generate excess renewable electricity to offset any carbon derived from using the gas boilers for heating. Any additional excess electricity will be sold back to the national grid, reflected by lower energy costs for residents.

 

The heat generated by the CHP plant will be used in summer to provide the cooling demands of the development and the hot water supply to both residents and civic amenities (e.g. the leisure centre). This will be supported by a reduction in building energy consumption through lower faŸade and window U values, ventilation heat recovery and improved air tightness. Green roofs will also be incorporated into the design to provide additional insulation to buildings as well as ecological benefits. In addition, the embodied energy of the development will be reduced through the use of renewable, recycled or low embodied energy materials.

 

English Partnerships is the governmentÕs national regeneration agency. Our aim is to deliver high quality, sustainable growth in England. We do this by developing out portfolio of strategic projects and acting as the governmentÕs specialist advisor on brownfield land. We also ensure that surplus public sector assets are used to support wider government objectives, especially those contained in the Sustainable Communities Plan. English Partnerships helps to create communities where people can afford to live and want to live, and supports the urban renaissance by improving the quality of our towns and cities. Information on projects and programmes can be found at www.englishpartnerships.co.uk

 

The Greenwich site will form part of the London-Wide Initiative a pilot scheme launched to fast-track more affordable homes in Greater London. The scheme will focus on a portfolio of sites, selected as a test-bed for introducing a range of new ideas for the delivery of homes. The pilot scheme will deliver up to 4,500 homes over the next five years of which around 1,500 will be affordable homes for key workers. Three development partners have been selected to work in partnership with English Partnerships to deliver homes through the London-Wide Initiative; First Base, Key London Alliance and a consortium led by Countryside Properties plc.

 

First Base is the residential-led urban regeneration developer that creates stylish homes in great urban spaces.

-       It transforms the way that properties are built - using best practice modern construction methods that keep costs low yet quality high, embrace sustainability and ensures value for money.

-       It transforms the way that communities are formed - with a mix of tenures, a range of homes, a commitment to high quality management and services that make friends of neighbours.

-       And it transforms the way that style meets function - with attractive designs, inside and out, that do more than simply look good.

 

Designed by renowned architects, built by skilled craftspeople, managed by experts, First Base homes are quality, sustainable properties for purchase or rental.

 

First Base was included in the 2006 RIBA -Top 50 Clients- survey for its innovative approach to quality design, using renowned architects including AHMM, Richard Rogers Partnerships, Glenn Howells and Fletcher Priest for a range of projects across the capital.

 

First Base is currently involved in a range of projects that will deliver mixed tenure housing in London and the south east:

-       selected as a Development and Management partner with English Partnerships as part of the  London-Wide Initiative First Base is working on five sites which will deliver over 1,500 homes, in London

-       working with Blackstone / Generation in a development and construction management role on the KX200 regeneration project in Kings Cross to deliver a mixed-use scheme comprising predominantly affordable student accommodation to over 850 students.

-       selected as 1 of the 4 private sector organisations to participate in the Housing Corporations New Partnerships in Affordable Housing Pilot. The scheme is intended to create a wider market for the delivery of mixed tenure homes as well as develop a new competitive framework for the Housing CorporationÕs investment programme.

-       selected as a development and delivery partner to East Thames Group to implement their ambitious housing plans in London.

-       in partnership with Lend Lease, First Base have been selected by the London Borough of Newham for the regeneration of Canning Town and Custom House, and are one of two short listed for the £1.5bn  regeneration of Elephant and Castle, and one of two short listed for the Stratford City project including the Olympic Village.

 

For further information please visit www.firstbase.com

 

Greenwich Council is involved in a £750 million modernisation scheme that will transform the provision of local services, education and housing across the borough.

A central part of the development is the creation of three town centre mixed used developments at East Greenwich (Heart of East Greenwich scheme), Woolwich and Eltham.

For further information visit www.greenwich.gov.uk or contact Michael Diop at Greenwich Council Communications Unit on 020 8921 6262 or email Michael.diop@greenwich.gov.uk