Willmott Dixon has secured Millfield Green, a net-zero carbon project that will see the construction of a new retirement village in Caddington, Bedfordshire
The Millfield Green scheme will be a Willmott Dixon, Inspired Villages and Legal & General Capital’s first net-zero retirement project.
The scheme sees the construction of 200 apartments that will help tackle a major issue laid out in the South Bedfordshire Local Plan, which identified a need for 9,050 new dwellings for people over 55 years of age.
Willmott Dixon has been appointed on phase one, which includes 80 apartments at the centre of the sustainable village complex and one assisted living block that comprises six one- and two-bed apartments.
The company is behind a number of similar retirement villages and its scope here will see it develop leisure and fitness facilities, including a bar, restaurant and entertainment suite and ancillary community space at the village’s centre.
The project will be part of Millfield Green’s five-year development programme that starts this month and runs across four phases.
As part of the Willmott Dixon’s ‘Now or Never; our decisive decade’ strategy, the company has pledged that its own operations will be zero carbon in ten years and is aiming for its supply chain partners to be net-zero carbon in operation by 2040, ten years ahead of the UK government’s target.
The site will benefit from the installation of ground source heat pumps by Legal & General, through their investment in Kensa Group, to generate renewable energy, alongside on site photovoltaics, improved building fabric and insulation, and mechanical heat vent recovery units to make it as energy-efficient as possible.
Electric vehicle charging points will also be installed in 10% of parking bays – which will include 121 spaces in its first phase and 214 overall – with infrastructure in place to increase it to 100% once demand grows.
As part of Willmott Dixon’s commitment to leaving a legacy in the local community, the contractor will also be working with local suppliers throughout the development and creating opportunities for businesses in the surrounding area.
To complement this focus on the environment, green spaces have been incorporated throughout the village’s design to enhance its natural setting.
One step closer to meeting sustainability targets for 2030
Michelle Cotterill, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “It’s been amazing to work with two businesses that mirror our sustainable ethos, and we’re looking forward to implementing these eco-friendly measures into more of our projects as we continue to expand our residential portfolio and fight for a more sustainable future.”
Phil Bayliss, CEO of Later Living at Legal & General Capital, commented: “We have to Build Back Better after Covid-19 and the housebuilding sector provides both jobs and vital economic resilience.
“Millfield Green is set to create around 1,100 jobs through construction and operation. But as we accelerate building, we have to avoid stoking up a climate crisis which will create another serious emergency.
“We continue to make terrific progress through our partnership with Inspired Villages as we set out to revolutionise the later living offer in the UK and address the chronic shortfall in supply.
“Bringing forward the UK’s first net-zero retirement community is another string to this bow, creating savings for residents and clear environmental benefits as we progress towards a carbon-free future.”
