Project Taunton Wins Low Carbon Housing Award

Project Taunton, the regeneration of Taunton's town centre, has been officially recognised as an exemplar of low carbon development in the South West having been announced as a winner of the RegenSW Low Carbon Housing Competition.

Project Taunton was the only development in Somerset to be recognised and one of just five winners across the region. RegenSW is the renewable energy agency for the South West and its competition was open to developments where more than 1,000 new homes will be built before 2013.

Project Taunton comprises approximately 50 hectares of under-utilised land in Taunton and is a mix of residential, commercial, retail and cultural developments. The regeneration is unique in that it aspires to be the first commercially viable net zero carbon development and is setting new standards at a national level.

A critical part of Project Taunton's winning entry was the Taunton Protocol. This is a fundamental part of Taunton's low carbon regeneration and is a set of sustainability principles for developers to adhere to. The Taunton Protocol goes beyond the current national standards for sustainability and is seen as a pioneering statement in the industry.

Talking about what the award means for Project Taunton, Ian Franklin, Project Director of Project Taunton, said: "This award is fantastic as it officially recognises our commitment to sustainability. We are totally dedicated to making Taunton a great place to live and work, both now and in the future, but we realise we can't do this on our own. We need everyone involved in the regeneration of Taunton to be equally committed to delivering a carbon zero development and that is why we developed the Taunton Protocol. Winning this award means that we'll be able to use the expertise of the RegenSW team in making our ambition a reality."

"This is excellent news," said Council Leader, Councillor Ross Henley. "RegenSW is a leader in the field and it will be invaluable to be able to tap into such expertise.

He continued: "It also goes to show that Taunton Deane Borough Council and Project Taunton are forward-thinking and take protection of the environment and the responsible use of energy extremely seriously." Praising Project Taunton's success, Tony Norton, head of low-carbon development at Regen SW, said: "Project Taunton has significant scale and some of the most ambitious carbon targets in the south west. It has the potential to be a leading example of low-carbon development in the region."

ENDS