FIRST BASE AND ENGLISH PARTNERSHIPS SUBMIT PLANS FOR PIONEERING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN GREENWICH

Urban regeneration developer, First Base, has submitted plans for a new mixed-use development which will regenerate the site of the former Greenwich District Hospital. Working with English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, First Base will deliver one of London’s first major zero carbon developments to transform the important East Greenwich site into a thriving community.

The ‘Heart of East Greenwich’ project is part of the London-Wide Initiative (LWI), a scheme managed by English Partnerships to deliver more affordable homes for Key Workers throughout London.

Ahead of the planning submission to Greenwich Council, First Base and English Partnerships have undertaken an active community consultation process. They have engaged the wider Greenwich community to ensure that the proposals meet the needs of those living and working in the area. First Base also consulted with young people through ‘My City Too!’, a forum designed to involve younger generations in the future development of their local community.

Designed by Make Architects, Arup and Lovejoy, plans for the new neighbourhood include 645 homes comprising of one, two and three bedroom apartments, maisonettes and four bedroom townhouses. The proposed scheme is set to create a mixed-use and mixed-tenure, balanced community, incorporating 50% affordable housing to provide family, Key Worker and social for rent homes. A significant number of this affordable housing will be sold through shared ownership mechanisms under the London Wide Initiative.

The ‘Heart of East Greenwich’ will also be one of London’s first major zero carbon developments and will set a new benchmark in environmentally sustainable communities. This will be achieved through on-site generation of heat and power using Biomass CHP and thermal storage, supplemented during peak periods by gas boilers.

Elliot Lipton, Managing Director of First Base, comments, “We hope the Heart of East Greenwich will shape the future of sustainable developments in London.

“Throughout the pre-planning process English Partnerships and First Base have worked closely with the people of Greenwich to ensure our plans reflect the needs of the local community. Following extensive consultation, we are confident that the scheme will match affordability and sustainability and act as a catalyst for ongoing regeneration in Greenwich.”

Philip Dibsdale, Area Director for South London Gateway at English Partnerships, said, “Support and commitment from local people has been instrumental in helping us to create plans for this former hospital site and will ensure its transformation has a hugely beneficial impact on the area.

“The Heart of East Greenwich demonstrates that it is possible to deliver a development that achieves the highest environmental standards without compromising design quality.”

The ‘Heart of East Greenwich’ scheme will also create a new public square and community hub. This will include state of the art leisure facilities with two swimming pools and fitness studios, a heath centre including two doctors’ surgeries, plus a library, crèche, a range of shops, cafes and flexible workspace to support local creative industries.

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

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For further information please contact:          
Jess Gooch / David Lucas
Tel: 020 7908 6447 / 020 7908 6422                                                      
Email: jgooch@lexispr.com / dlucas@lexispr.com

NOTES TO EDITORS:

First Base Limited
Transforming Urban Spaces and building communities.

First Base is the 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, embracing sustainability and ensuring 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 and affordable properties for purchase or rental.

First Base is currently involved in a range of projects that will deliver mixed-tenure housing in London and the South East. These include:

• London’s first major carbon neutral scheme on the site of the former Greenwich District Hospital
• Stratford City Olympic Village, as part of the Lend Lease consortium
•  the regeneration of a site in Kings Cross to provide affordable accommodation to over 900 students
• a number of schemes under English Partnerships’ London Wide Initiative including Adelaide Wharf in Shoreditch and two sites in regeneration hot spot, Elephant and Castle

The company was included in the RIBA ‘Top 50 Clients’ survey for its innovative approach to quality design, using renowned architects including, Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, AHMM and Fletcher Priest for a range of projects across the capital.

First Base is also a founding member of the UK Green Building Council. The organisation, launched in the Spring of 2007, aims to provide leadership and cohesion to the UK Green building movement, provide a single, powerful pan-industry voice to Government, facilitate knowledge sharing and spread best practice and raise the international standing of UK industry.

For further information please visit www.firstbase.com

English Partnerships is the national regeneration agency helping the Government to support high quality sustainable growth in England by creating well-served mixed communities where people enjoy living and working. 

In collaboration with the Housing Corporation, the Academy for Sustainable Communities and Communities and Local Government we are establishing the new Homes and Communities Agency that will begin operating in 2009.

For more information on our work, please visit www.englishpartnerships.co.uk

The London-Wide Initiative (LWI) is a government-backed scheme managed by English Partnerships, which enables key workers to buy their own homes. English Partnerships has purchased a range of 15 development sites across inner and greater London to deliver new, affordable homes in collaboration with the Housing Corporation. Under the Initiative the government shares the costs and the benefits of homeownership with purchasers in order to make these homes more affordable.