Surrey Eco-Town to Promote Local Jobs and Houses

6 November 2007

Exciting plans to bring sustainable homes and jobs to Surrey were today revealed when Dunsfold Park Ltd announced it is bidding to become the UK’s first Eco-Town.

Thinking around an eco-community at Dunsfold Park, the former aerodrome near Guildford, began in 2002. The plans submitted to the Government last week include the development of 2,600 new homes, 2,000 on site jobs, a new Primary School and primary health care, community sports and recreation facilities and a museum of the area’s aeronautical heritage. But what makes the Dunsfold Park project so interesting is the range of ground-breaking initiatives that showcase the UK at the forefront of meeting the climate change challenge. These include:

 - A 3.5Mw Combined Heat and Power plant fuelled by local bio-mass to provide all the electricity, heating and hot water for the existing businesses and new homes.

- New homes meeting the highest Government rating for zero carbon development

- An entirely new process developed by local scientists and Dunsfold Park Limited that converts household waste into fuel products

- 100% water harvesting and recycling

- a layout that reduces the need to travel by car

- car user charging, electric cars and buses

The sustainable development proposals have already been subject to five years of comprehensive consultation with local authorities and surrounding communities.

Jim McAllister, Chief Executive for The Rutland Group, comments: “We want Dunsfold Park to become the most sustainable, green development in the UK and demonstrate a new way forward for future home building. We are committed to delivering a scheme that matches the achievable on-site jobs to the new homes and fits in with the local area. We hope the Government will recognise how well developed our plans are, and award Dunsfold Park eco town status as a pathfinder for future schemes”.