Crest wins showpiece zero carbon scheme in Docklands

Crest Nicholson has won two of the South East’s highest profile housing schemes, including London mayor Ken Livingstone’s showpiece ‘zero carbon’ development in London’s Docklands.

Livingstone announced today that the One Gallions consortium, made up of Crest, BioRegional Quintain and the Southern Housing Group, had been picked as preferred development partner for his ‘zero carbon’ scheme at Gallion’s Reach by the Royal Docks.

The mayor’s announcement followed hot on the heels of news that English Partnerships had selected Crest and Galliford Try to develop 700 homes on the ‘Epsom Clusters’ hospital site in Surrey.

As well as renewable energy, energy efficient architecture and natural materials, the Fielden Clegg Bradley designed scheme includes other eco-friendly features like on-site food growing and car and cycle clubs.

Crest beat London and Quadrant Group and Lend Lease/First Base, as well as consortia led by the Guinness Trust, Metropolitan Housing Trust and Bellway Homes.

At Epsom, 54 ha of land will be developed to provide new homes, shops, a hotel/conference centre and public parkland.

Around one third of the homes will be affordable, including social rented and some targeted at first time buyers. The new homes will all be built to the Eco Homes Excellent standard in a bid to reduce carbon emissions by 50% across the development.

Some of the existing hospital buildings, including the small number that are listed, will be retained and converted into apartments and a hotel as part of the overall scheme, which was designed by HTA Architects.

The Epsom ex-asylum site is one of the largest development sites to come forward in EP’s 14,000 home hospital sites programme.