Northern Ireland Sustainable Planning Awards 2011

The 2011 winners of the RTPI / RSPB NI Sustainable Planning Awards were announced at an event held in Stormont.

The awards recognise developers and individuals who have followed a 'green' planning process from start to finish. There are four categories:

• Sustainable Communities and Regeneration
• Rural Areas and the Natural Environment
• Urban Development and the Built Environment
• a Judges Choice award - which was new this year.

The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland won in the Urban Development and the Built Environment category. The judges were particularly impressed by the commitment of the team from the outset to achieve a sustainable building, made that bit more difficult by the stringent demands of creating a space suitable for storing and viewing public records.

A private dwelling with associated work space at Leap Mill in County Tyrone won the Rural Areas and the Natural Environment award. This stood out as an example of a small development that has made the utmost effort to fit in with its environment, featuring everything from reuse of buildings to renewable energy generation.

The awards recognise developers and individuals who have followed a 'green' planning process from start to finish.

The proposal for a One Planet Living housing development to fund wider re-development of a former quarry and cement workings at Magheramorne, outside Larne in County Antrim, won the Sustainable Communities and Regeneration category. This is unusual, as there is nothing yet to visit on the ground. But these awards are to recognise achievement across the whole planning process, and the panel was very impressed by the strong connection between the planning team and the local community, which together overcame issues and achieved outline permission.

Finally Castle Espie, the WWT centre on Strangford Lough, won the Judges Choice award. This is not for an overall winner but to recognise an entry that the judges felt stood out in some way.  Castle Espie was the only entry that had put such a focus on the natural environment as part of the whole package in their planning application and approval. The habitat restoration areas are innovative, using tidal exchange to re-create saltmarsh habitats.

Mr David Ferguson, Deputy Secretary in the Department of Social Development, presented the awards at an event in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings on 22 March.

The RTPI and the RSPB thank the Department of Social Development as sponsor of the Sustainable Communities and Regeneration Award, and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for additional sponsorship.

The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland 

The judges commended the aim to show sustainable development in this unique building, one of only three similar facilities across the UK.

The building has already been recognised as being of the highest standard, by meeting the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Excellent rating, and the judges agree.

Features that contributed to that achievement ranged from sourcing of recycled and recyclable materials, to efficient energy use.

The building makes the most of solar gain with windows on the east-facing side and a twin-wall an outer window separated from an inner double-glazed window by several inches, to allow natural ventilation system controlled by opening vents.

There are exposed concrete beams which warm up and gradually release heat, movement sensitive lighting and a biomass boiler. The central core of the building is a concrete block to keep a cool and dry environment to store the precious historic records. The architects had to find ways to use natural lighting in the areas where documents would be viewed and restored, without putting the documents at risk from bleaching.

The whole building was built not only above the current floodplain, but above future floodplains based on climate change predictions.

Leap Mill

This family home and workplace impressed the panel as an example of how single dwellings and restoration of old buildings in the countryside can work.

We are pleased this building will feature in the new design guide to accompany Planning Policy Statement 21.

The project was a labour of love, but shows that it is possible to design and build an affordable restoration project, maintaining local historical and family connections. Where former outbuildings were simply too dangerous to restore, all the old stone was reused and any extra stone was quarried on site.

The lower floor of the main house is set below ground level and benefits from natural insulation, while insulation levels elsewhere are very high. The wood-burning heating system uses locally sourced wood which has kept heating costs to a minimum. There are well-progressed plans for an Archimedes screw hydro-system as well.

This building has local roots, and took sustainability through to sourcing of materials and local tradesmen, and management of local countryside.

Magheramorne

This may be considered unusual, as there is nothing on the ground to visit at Maghermorne.

But these are sustainable planning awards, and the panel were very impressed by the commitment and dedication of the team to overcome planning difficulties by working very strongly with the local community.

The team was the first we have heard of seeking more planning conditions and a planning agreement to go with their outline planning permission, over and above what Planning Service required.

Despite stringent conditions not being included, Lafarge remains committed to delivering a One Planet Living community at this site, and to work with partners in business and outdoor/conservation/heritage organisations to make this project succeed.

Castle Espie

This was the only entry that had put such a focus on the natural environment as part of the whole package in their planning application and approval.

The habitat restoration areas are innovative, using tidal exchange to re-create saltmarsh, reedbed and other habitats.

The main new building links three existing older buildings that have been retained onsite, and energy use is all controlled centrally in a building management system. As well as passive solar gain, there is a wind turbine, plenty of grey water recycling and even a green sedum roof.

The team has also been keen to try new ideas, even if this has meant a few teething problems along the way. The hempcrete building, compost toilets and reedbed sewage treatment are just a few Importantly, as a well-known visitor and educational site, WWT has developed a sustainability trail to highlight all the excellent features of the
development, and to encourage others to take action too.