Entries for January 2008

The Government’s own departments are failing to meet its own sustainability standards by a long way because it is accorded low priority, MPs on the Commons Public Accounts Committee have complained.

The Treasury is proposing to amend the regulations governing Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) on energy and water efficiency equipment. This scheme allows businesses to claim 100% tax relief on investments in approved technologies (those on the Energy Technology List and the Water Technology List) in the year that the investments were made.

The lack of any significant use of renewable heating systems in the UK may come to haunt the UK Government.

“From 2016 all new homes in Britain will have to be zero carbon. So by 2026 Britain will have seven per cent of the housing stock at a zero standard, reaching 100% in 2166, 140 years after Germany,”   Professor Lewis Lesley, Daily Telegraph letters, 14 Jan.

Mistakes of the eighties are coming back to haunt the UK, following the European Commission’s renewables effort sharing plans announced this month.

The London Development Agency (LDA) is recruiting a panel of architectural, landscape and urban design consultants to assist the LDA, the London Climate Change Agency, the Olympic Delivery Authority and other Regional Development Agencies.  The panel will work on a range of specialisms including design policy and guidance, master planning and urban design, production of small scale design proposals for individual buildings, design management (the organisation of design competitions exhibitions workshops and seminars)
and landscape design for parks, streets, squares and other open spaces.  All applicants must request a pre-qualification questionnaire by email from the email address below.

East Hampshire District Council is looking for masterplanners with expertise in urban design and community for the regeneration of a formerMinistry of Defence site at Whitehill Bordon.  258 hectares of land, a mixture of brownfield and greenfield,  will become available in 2012.  The Council wants to build 5,500 homes, a new town centre, employment facilities, community facilities and to improve public transport.  The aim is to develop East Hampshire’s existing Green Town vision to create a sustainable community/eco town that is recognised as a model of good practice and enhances the surrounding natural environment.

North Down Borough Council intending to build a new multi-pool leisure complex in Bangor, including an Olympic size pool.  This is to be completed by March 2010.  Heat and power for this complex will be supplied by a new Combined Heat and Power plant, which is to have sufficient capacity to serve other Council properties in the area.  The site for the CHP plant is in an historic walled garden, and the building to house the plant will be procured separately at a later date.  Fuel for the plant will be derived from a new Council recycling centre supplying and chipping waste wood from residents and local manufacturing businesses.  The scope of works includes the supply, delivery and installation of the CHP.  The biomass wood chip boiler will have a thermal output capacity of 2.5 MW.  The steam will drive a steam turbine, which will generate electricity at an output capacity of at least 280 kWe.  The boiler will also generate low pressure hot water via a vacuum condenser unit.  Tender documents are available at the web address below.  Queries are being handled by Stephen Whitley, Michael Whitley Architects, Belmont Business Park, 232-240 Belmont Road, Belfast BT4 2AW – email stephen@mwa-ni.co.uk

English Partnerships is appointing a project management and cost management panel for four years from July 2008.  The panel will have five members and will be used by partner organisations including local authorities, regional development agencies, urban regeneration companies, urban development corporations, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) continues to roll out its sustainable energy advice programme.  It is setting up another four networks, this time for the West Midlands, East Midlands, South West and Yorkshire and Humberside.  EST is looking for organisations to run the Advice Centres for these networks.  Those tendering need to have experience of advising consumers on energy efficiency, renewable energy and
low carbon transport.  They also need to be able to work with communities, businesses and members of the supply chain at a regional and local level. 

Cobh Town Council inviting applications from multidisciplinary design-led teams to be included on
the tender list for an urban design feasibility study.  The aim is to produce a development framework and a vision
for the short and long term sustainable revitalisation of the town centre and waterfront in Cobh, County Cork.  
Copies of the pre-tender documents should be sent by post to the contact below, headed “Design Team Proposals for Cobh Urban Design Feasibility Study”.  Emailed submissions will not be accepted.

The Geological Survey of Ireland is seeking a consultant to perform an assessment of the geological storage of CO₂ in hypothetical deep saline.  This is a preliminary study to determine the suitability or otherwise of such reservoirs for long term carbon storage. It will not require physical injection of CO₂, but the successful bidder may be required to undertake follow-up work in the form of seismic surveys and deep diamond drilling.  Any queries about this project should be directed to Jeanne Copeland at Achilles Procurement Services, 1 Harmsworth, Greenmount Office Park, Harolds Cross, Dublin 6 -email: info@achilles.com  Tender documents can be downloaded from the web address below.

Most of the residential buildings of 2050 are already standing today, so sustainability performance in existing buildings is crucial to a low carbon future. High density residential blocks in particular present both considerable mitigation opportunities and challenges. Dr Paul K Hatchwell analyses support, regulation and trends at a time of rapid change, revealing a very mixed picture. 

The Government-sponsored Technology Strategy Board is backing R&D into more energy efficient lighting, lasers, high brightness LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes)and displays with a new £10 million investment programme opened up for competition just before Christmas.