Hill Group has formed a joint venture partnership with Bioregional Homes to build zero-carbon, affordable homes.
The partnership will embrace Bioregional Homes’ One Planet Living® principles – building homes that are zero carbon, from sustainable materials using modern methods of construction in developments where recycling, food growing and biodiversity are encouraged – helping people and local communities to flourish.
The developments will comprise a mix of market-sale housing and discounted market-sale homes, so local people can afford to buy somewhere to live in their area. The JV will aim to widen access to home ownership by ensuring that reduced house prices are protected permanently through community governance structures.
Bioregional is a sustainability charity and social enterprise founded more than 25 years ago that has an impressive track record in creating locally affordable and truly sustainable developments. These include the pioneering BedZED ecovillage in South London and One Brighton. Bioregional created the One Planet Living framework, which has now been used in real estate development worldwide.
Bioregional Homes is a subsidiary of the charity and was set up in 2018 to create genuinely affordable, zero-carbon homes that enable sustainable lifestyles.
Sue Riddlestone, Chief Executive, Bioregional Homes, said: “We are delighted to be working with Hill and have been very impressed with their ethos, aspirations and strong capability as house builders. Together with Hill, we want to show that beautiful, affordable, net zero carbon development can be done.
“Right now, the global pandemic is occupying our minds and threatening lives and livelihoods. But the climate crisis, the ecological crisis, and the housing crisis have not gone away. We need to achieve a net zero carbon economy within the next 10 years – which means all new homes must be net zero from now.
“At the same time, we want to create homes that are genuinely affordable to local people on local salaries. We are keen to engage with local communities to get this right, and to make sure that any houses that get built will contribute to making their neighbourhoods better.
Andy Hill, Chief Executive, Hill Group, said: “This is a very exciting move for Hill as we continue to evolve the way we deliver homes for the future. We look forward to focusing on a number of already identified projects with Bioregional Homes. We are also keen to develop a range of inspirational house types which will be energy efficient and reflect One Planet Living principles.”
