North Staffordshire distribution centre achieves the highest ever BREEAM 2008 rating and is projected to save up to £300,000 a year in running costs
Gazeley’s 35,500m2 G.Park Blue Planet in Chatterley Valley, Staffordshire is the first ever building to achieve a design-stage BREEAM Outstanding rating by scoring exemplary credits in four areas of BREEAM and achieving an exceptional standard of sustainability as a carbon positive development.
It is projected to save up to £300,000 per year in reduced running costs as a result of the environmental features incorporated into its design – providing further evidence that achieving a high BREEAM rating improves return on investment.
Paul Gibbon, Director of Sustainability at BRE Global said: “Obtaining the first ever design-stage BREEAM Outstanding is a remarkable achievement. This development scored very highly in all sections of BREEAM and achieved exemplary credits in the key areas of daylighting, reduced CO2 emissions, construction waste management and use of low carbon technologies. What is more the development shows that achieving a high BREEAM standard means lower running costs.”
Jonathan Fenton-Jones, Director of Sustainability and Global Procurement at Gazeley said: “Receiving the first BREEAM Outstanding rating is the highest recognition for Gazeley’s focus on sustainable logistics. With G.Park Blue Planet at Chatterley Valley, we believe we have created an industry blueprint for cutting-edge developments. Not only does it deliver significant environmental savings, it also creates total energy and water cost in use savings of up to £300,000 per annum.”
The new BREEAM Outstanding rating was introduced in August 2008 to recognise a new standard of sustainability for exemplary developments. A score of 85% must be obtained to achieve Outstanding, compared to 70% for an Excellent rating. There are also higher minimum standards under Outstanding – for example 10 out of the 15 available credits for reducing CO2 emissions must be achieved, compared to the 6 required for an Excellent rating.
Highlights of G.Park Blue Planet’s sustainability are:
- Energy: The target is to have a carbon-positive development. The whole development will be powered through a biomass plant located on one edge of the site to provide heating and electricity. In addition, photovoltaics are installed on one part of the roof and electro-kinetic road plates are set within internal roads to generate electricity from vehicles entering or leaving the site. Energy efficiency measures are adopted throughout.
- Water: Besides having water-efficient fittings, a rainwater harvesting system is installed to collect roof water and re-use in the building. The rest of the roof water and surface water will be diverted to balancing ponds created on site, which will also act as ecological features.
- Materials: The majority of materials used in the building are either A or A+ rated in BRE Global’s Green Guide to Specification. Most of the building materials are sourced from suppliers with an Environmental Management System in place and all timber is FSC certified. All internal finishes have very low levels of volatile organics.
- Waste: The development targets zero waste sent to landfill. The waste tonnage generated on-site is so minimal and any waste that is generated will be recycled. Most major suppliers are committed to retain their own waste for recycling.
- Ecology: The site is brownfield and a significant ecology enhancement plan is in place. The landscaping plan includes a number of native species to be added to the site, which will be maintained and managed throughout the life of the project.
- Local community: The green spaces and habitats within the development will be accessible to the public. In addition, the development will create training and development opportunities in an area that has been abandoned for many years. Although the development is currently not within proximity of existing public transport, new bus stops are planned for the road leading to the site, which will contribute to a greener transport strategy for future building users and the wider public.
The overall Chatterley Valley park is a joint venture between Advantage West Midlands and the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone, Newcastle Borough Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Staffordshire County Council. The park totals 70 hectares of land that will be transformed over the next decade, creating a total of around 4,000 jobs.
Further information on BREEAM can be found at www.breeam.org
