1. Summary.

RENEASE is a Partnership is both a local and a trans-national partnership working to a common aim. Our aim is to demonstrate the viability and benefits of integrating bio-climatic design and renewable energy use, as part of a more holistic approach to sustainable social housing.

The Project has 4 main objectives:

The Project has Local Partners and Trans-national Partenrs. The Local Partners are:

The Trans-national Partners are:

The RENEASE Project officially began on 1^st of May 2002 and will end on 31^st March 2003.

The activities of the RENEASE Project to date have been the following:

This has been carried out mainly by CCEA and the NIEH. As guide entitled "Design Issues for Sustainable Social Housing", was drafted and discussed, and this Guide deals with the main issues relating to sustainability and how they apply to social housing.

In addition to this 4 case studies were looked at in some detail, as follows:

More research was then undertaken by Solearth Ecological Architecture (consultants appointed by CHA) which was used to develop the Outline Brief for the Pilot Project. Solearth looked at a further 10 good practise case studies, and incorporated these and the original findings into document entitled "Proposal for Carbery Housing Association", which proposes a site selection criteria, the best practise to be aimed at in the Pilot Project, and an outline design brief for the proposed development.

To complement this research, 2 Study Tours have been undertaken;

The RENEASE Pilot Design has been closely consulted with prospective residents from the start. Proposed users are drawn from the CHA housing list, that currently lists over 120 households in need of social housing. All applicants are asked to fill in an initial questionnaire that establishes the type of housing they aspire to and their awareness and interest in sustainability, as well as other base-line information.

The proposed training of prospective residents has been delayed by difficulties encountered in identifying a site where the Project can be located. In February 2003 a definitive site was agreed in the Bantry area. CHA has 33 households on its list for Bantry, and their preferences have been incorporated into design proposals. An initial meeting with prospective residents and other stakeholders has been held in Bantry, to present and discuss the approach and bio-climatic design proposals.

In March a Training Programme in Design, Sustainable Living and RES, delivered by CCEA, BRD and Solearth, will begin. We expect at least a dozen prospective users and other stakeholders. The Programme will consist of a design workshop and 4 evening training sessions held in Bantry itself. The sessions are open to the public.

A further one-off Training Session in energy efficiency measurement for social housing will be delivered by NIHE for architects from Cork County Council Architects Department and Technical Staff from other Partners will also be held in March. This will train around a dozen professionals on the use of software to measure energy efficiency in homes.

CHA’s main role has been the design and pre-development of a Pilot Project based on the good practise identified and consultation with users. The first step was to Tender for and appoint architects, which was carried out by CHA in May 2002. The second step was to identify and secure a site for the Project. This proved to be the hardest objective to meet!

CHA is a registered hosuing association, approved by the Irish Department of Environemnt and Local Government for the development of social housing. CHA can therefore apply for Voluntary Housing Grant to fund the purchase of approved sites for social hosuing, as long as they are under a specific cost limit.

CHA found on investigation that no viable sites (that were zoned for hosuing) were on the market around urban centres with the greatest housing need within in the target area. Commercial sites were available, but they were invariably over the cost-limits specified by the DoE&LG. Sites were available in more remote areas, but these did not satisfy the site selection criteria established by our research, or for that matter the requirements of County Council Planners for social housing. Local Authority land banks contained such sites, but these land banks were not available to us.

As a result by February 2003, CHA had undertaken enquiries (most of them leading to lengthy abortive negotiations) for 14 different sites, including three approaches to Local Authorities for public sites. At the end of this period we had only identified two specific sites where Pilot Projects could be proposed. This was very time consuming and frustrating for those involved, and made the achieving of RENEASE objectives much harder.

The 2 sites were:

These will constitute the RENEASE Pilot Projects. The Partners aim is to have submitted Outline Planning Applications for both sites by March 2003, and to have secured the required QS costing for both of the developments, to confirm that the standards they propose are viable within the Department of Environemnt cost limits. The Outline Applications will be developed on the basis of the good practise design brief developed by RENEASE, but also in consultation with future residents, local community groups and environmental organisations, county planners and other stakeholders.

The RENEASE Project Launch was held on the 22^nd of May 2002 in Clonakilty. This included local political representatives and presentations by all Partners and Solearth about the aims and principles of the Project. Around 25 local authority and community representatives, prospective users and stakeholders attended the Launch.

100 copies of a publication entitled "Design Issues for Sustainable Social Housing" were printed by CCEA and distributed mainly at a Good Practice Conference held in Cork City (Nov. 22, 2002). This was chaired by the Mayor of Cork County, and included speakers from University of Belfast, University of Dublin and Gwalia Housing Association. Around 100 people, mainly local authority staff and representatives, community organisation representatives, prospective users and other stakeholders, attended the event. CCEA has produced a CD-ROM was produced of this event, which includes the Good Practise Guide and Speakers presentations, and has been circulated to other interested parties.

50 copies of the "Proposal for Carbery Housing Association" have so far been produced and circulated mainly to members of Carbery Hosuing Association and to Cork County Council officials as well as other stakeholders. This proposal was presented by Solearth at the Good Practise Conference in November.

Information on the RENEASE Project is available at Carbery Housing Association’s Web Site on www.carberyha.utvinternet.com. However, the Good Practise ifnromation (which will be downloadable from the Web Page) is pending incorporation. A Final Report, which incorporates the final design philosophy, the Planning Applications submitted and other information will be produced at the end of the Project.

Partners intend to persevere with the implementation of the two Pilot Projects (Bantry and Sherkin Island) after the end of RENEASE. The Models will be sued as the basis for further project proposals in different areas.

José Ospina

Cork County Council

REVES

Blackwater Resource Development

RENEASE Final Report

Bantry - Proposal to Carbery Housing Association

Good Practice Guide

RENEASE Seminar Nov. 2002