Property interview: “The construction sector is slow to change” says MD behind £125m Leeds green district

ZERO carbon cities are on the agenda as countries across the world attempt to reduce the impact of climate change, and Leeds is leading the way following the announcement of a Climate Innovation District at the South Bank. With the United Nations Climate Change Conference, countries across the globe are looking at ways to cut carbon emissions, to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below two degrees Celsius.

With increasing populations, growing economies this seems increasingly difficult. Chris Thompson, managing director and founder of Citu, the developers behind the UK first, £125m district

“We have to fundamentally change how we go about things to prevent this, by trying to combine innovation but also sustainable thinking,” he said.

The new district will include 500 low carbon homes alongside manufacturing facilities, offices and amenities at the 15-acre South Bank brownfield site.

Mr Thompson said: “Carbon emissions globally come from cities. If you look to the cities, the biggest emissions come from buildings, transport and energy systems. So if we’re to stem the tide of climate change we’ve got to tackle it and not dance around it anymore, and change the way we design our cities.

“We have an opportunity with this development to tackle this with low energy buildings, relying less on car travel with buildings close to amenities.”

Even with energy generation the South Bank district will be innovation, drawing on various renewables to supply it and lessen reliance on the National Grid.

“Our purpose at Citu is to help tackle climate change through delivering exemplary developments. The construction industry is slow to change, it relies on precedent to lessen the perceived risk of doing things differently.”

Citu Innovation District, South Bank, LeedsCGI of Citu’s planned South Bank development

Mr Thompson said local authorities and planning departments have been “very receptive” to Citu’s proposals.

The South Bank development ticks all the boxes: tackling housing shortages; using brownfield land; generating jobs and growth in a part of the city that has been neglected in the past.

Mr Thompson said that connections to the city were key in deciding to launch the Climate Innovation district at South Bank, where major development schemes at Tower Works, as well as the move by Burberry to relocate its manufacturing facilities will rejuvenate the area.

Citu has also been working with universities locally, including Leeds Beckett, for its planned 60,000 sq ft manufacturing facility with help from a grant from Innovate UK and Leeds City Region LEP.

The £3m facility will be manufacturing low carbon houses, and is said to be capable of producing 750 homes a year, supplying the South Bank site.

With initial planning for early phases and a submission pending, a verdict on this development is due in summer.

Mr Thompson said: “Developments like this are what attracts people to Leeds and makes them want to stay in Leeds. We are giving them a diff typology of housing, doing something that isn’t currently on offer.

“One of biggest challenges the city has in sustaining growth is jobs and skills : getting skilled people and keeping them. The Climate Innovation District will help to attract and retain talent, keeping skills in the region.”

 

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