In this section we collated feedback from you and other Prestwich residents and shared it with yourprestwich.com.
As the feedback period has now closed, we have stopped accepting comments on this for now.
It is clear that over the next 80 years plus the environment is going to change dramatically due to Global Warming. We will experience drier summers and wetter winters. It is important that the the Prestwich Regeneration factors this in:
- By reducing the impact on global warming during the build itself
- By catering for the future climate change s rather than retrofitting later
Tree Cover:
- Its important we maximise the benfits of trees for shading, CO2 absorbtion and their cooling effect during hot summers
- The correct trees need to be planted and we would welcome guidance on this
New Buildings:
- Reduced energy usage, maximum insulation
Capture Carbons straight from the air by planting trees, such as silver birch, crab apple trees and other fruit trees and hedgerows/ fruit bushes.
All new leases to village businesses are subject to achieving ♻️ standards..
Reduce waste by ensuring all businesses and users of the village have access to local recycling and upcycyling advice and initiatives.
Capture carbons straight from the air by planting trees, such as silver birch, crab apple trees and other fruit trees and hedgerows/ fruit bushes.
All new leases to village businesses are subject to achieving ♻️ standards..
Reduce waste by ensuring all businesses and users of the village have access to local recycling and upcycyling advice and initiatives.
Recycling of waste. Reopening iof Clifton road tip in prestwich?
Sustainability should be a golden thread through the regeneration, including all elements and factors of the design, construction and future use of the village centre.
Muse’s comments and commitments in this regard were generally encouraging, but there are weaknesses – for example, why propose to increase parking provision.
Thought should be given to tree planting – sustainable types and locations. Green areas shown on plans but some may be accessible only to residents, and some appears to be on roof gardens.
Agree some trees and drought tolerant shrubs at ground level. Not just kn roof gardens
MEASURING & REPORTING:
– Climate, environmetnal & carbon impact assessment & publicly accessible.
– Include scope 1,2 & 3 carbon footprint.
– A more aspiration biodiversity gain target (poor baseline).
(Theme complied through responds to Prestwich Environmental Forum’s Green Regeneration survey)
BUILT TO GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS:
– Well insulated homes
– Solar PV
– Ethically sourced materials
– Recycled materials where able
– Buildings built to last
(Theme complied through responds to Prestwich Environmental Forum’s Green Regeneration survey)
Agree about hig levels if insulation and solar pv o. Roofs. Sloping roofs
ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES & FUNDS:
– Reduce focus on vehicle infrastructure.
– Accessibility of all public, residential & commercial space
– Consider reducing overall car parking, ensuring adequate disabled parking.
– Increase active travel infrastructure including beyond the red line (links to and from)
(Theme complied through responds to Prestwich Environmental Forum’s Green Regeneration survey)
CONSIDERATE BUILDING:
– Minimise environmental impact during build.
– Management of site traffic.
– Meanwhile space to be considerate of environment and consider developing a community hub to inform the final hub.
(Theme complied through responds to Prestwich Environmental Forum’s Green Regeneration survey)
The JV need to state the environmental certification methods they will use for each type of building within the masterplan and the rating they will meet. So for example …passivhaus for the residential? BREEAM for the retail and community hub? EPC ratings? Please can they define the various certification methods to be used , explaining why they have been chosen. Buildings should focus first of a fabric first approach with high insulation and use the energy hierarchy system to decide on heating, power, lighting, most appropriate for each building.
Bio diversity of planting with green walls (car park ?) lots of appropriate planting providing greenery. Water features also assist in bio diversity and systems incorporated in build for bird boxes, and other wildlife.
Development should look into green walls and mechanical trees – both have been shown to absorb more carbon and deliver local climate cooling at vastly better rates than tree planting. Supplementing natural greening with advanced technology will improve the environment while having a real climate impact.
More grass, less paving. More trees. Better insulation please. And planting.
Less parking, reduces pollution and improved safe areas in the village to increase walking opportunities in evening or early morning as village currentlynot conducive to walk through off peak hours therefore people resort to car use.. .
Agree its not nice to walk round in the evening when shops close af 5pm. Do not Beeston increase car parking dacilitjes.
The JV need to be considerate of the environment at all stages of the build.
More parking will inevitably mean more traffic on Fairfax road and consequential air pollution.
Tree planting is essential, and it must be the right variety of tree to help capture the most CO2.
Green spaces should be included for the community, not just for residents of the development.
The overall themes should be grouped into three key areas:
> Built in a way that minimises impact on climate & environment.
> Built to protect the community against climate & environmental changes into the future.
> Building a community that supports all to adapt to new ways of living for a changing world.
The latter is where we need to ask the Council & developers to be brave, not to try and maintain current ways of living to help us actively move to new required ways of living. Just as one example, there is no point trying to maintain business footfall arriving by car in the short-term, if ultimately all businesses will suffer from a less inhabitable world.
As the built environment accounts for c40% of CO2 emissions it is incumbent on the JV partners to ensure this development in Prestwich is constructed to highest sustainability and environmental standards, and where possible, these standards should be exceeded.
It’s not difficult to achieve these existing standards, there just needs to be the will by the JV partners.
Muse already have very good aspirations in their sustainable building policies.
The minimum standards for all buildings should be the PassivHaus Principles. All buildings should have flat roofs so Bifacial Solar PV systems can be installed, with the option for roof gardens being incorporated.
On site commercial/domestic waste disposal could be handled by a small incineration plant which could also provide low grade ambient heating for the commercial premises and communal buildings such as the new community facilities. This low grade heat can be distributed via a district heating system.
An increase on the PassivHaus Principles could be achieved by adopting the Modern Method of Construction, which would also reduce waste on site and traffic movements to and from site, by c45%. The use of Glulam and CLT would further enhance the overall sustainability of the development too.
As cars aren’t going anywhere soon, the car park on Fairfax Road should be built using Glulam and CLT, with a Solar PV canopy on the upper level, and the whole structure should be cladded with moss as this is natures natural plant which thrives on air pollution, and cleans the air of particulates. Maybe the Moss idea could be included in the Net Biodiversity Gain rules for all developments, gains which should be doubled for this development from the current level under the 2021 Environment Act.
In fact, all buildings in this development should be clad in moss taken the traffic levels on BNR and the subsequent air pollution from this main arterial route, to and from Manchester. The question of trees can also be addressed under the Net Biodiversity Gains rules.
We will only see what the embodied and operational carbon figures, including the carbon associated with the demolition and disposal of materials once an actual development design is agreed, and the Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessment has been calculated.
Large Trees Needed for cooling and as windbreaks!
Trees provide shade and release moisture through transpiration, reducing heat absorption and keeping the surrounding area cooler. As the impacts of global warming a felt this will become more important and will make the village square and surround areas attractive places to meet and sit – think about how that feels when you have been on holiday in hot climates!
The central village currently has a wind tunnelling effect, and strategically placed trees will act as natural barriers to the wind, reducing its strength and creating more comfortable environments.
Additionally, trees improve air quality by absorbing pollutants, and add to the aesthetics of the area, making it more attractive and enjoyable.
Please do not ignore the use of trees dues to concerns of insurance companies or of maintenance, they are much cheaper to manage in the long term and planting early gives them time to grow.
Improved water management:
Climate change can lead to more frequent and intense rainfall, which can result in flooding. The regeneration should improve their water management by implementing green infrastructure solutions such as rain gardens and permeable pavements, which can help to absorb and filter rainwater.
Bury council was testing the use of trees for urban drainage on bury new road, see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXmCmvS3zII&t=13s
There should also be a land survey to identify where possible flooding may occur and also where all the surface water goes to (which I hope is not ‘The Clough’ as that needs to be kept pollutant free).
Agree about improved water management. Not just for rainwater to prevent flooding. But also for the new houses / flats toilet flushing to conserve water resources in the summer.
Enhance building design:
Buildings can be designed to be more energy-efficient and climate-resilient, with features such as better insulation, shading devices, and green roofs. The developers should be encouraged and incentivised to incorporate these features in new buildings and to clearly demonstrate how they have done this via some form of environmental audit.
Install shading devices:
Buildings can be designed to incorporate shading devices, such as awnings and overhangs, to reduce solar heat gain and keep the building cool in the summer.
Awnings would also add to the attractiveness of the village (provided they were identical) and would enhance the ‘local’ element of the village. Prestwich used to have them as can be seen here: https://www.manchesterpostcards.com/images/prestwich21.jpg
And an attractive modern equivalent can be seen here: https://www.createstreets.com/projects/hampshire-garden-village/
Reducing the heat absorption of the new buildings:
This will help mitigate the urban heat island effect, improve indoor comfort, and reduce energy consumption for cooling.
1. Cool roofs: Are designed to reflect sunlight and absorb less heat than a standard roof. Cool roofs can be made of reflective materials or painted with reflective coatings. Installing cool roofs can reduce the temperature of buildings and lower the energy needed for cooling.
2. Green roofs: Green roofs are covered with vegetation, which absorbs and dissipates heat through transpiration and evaporation. Green roofs can help reduce the temperature of buildings and improve air quality. They also provide habitat for wildlife and can improve the aesthetic value of a building.
3. Shading devices: Installing shading devices such as awnings, louvres, and external blinds can help reduce the amount of solar radiation entering a building. This can reduce the heat absorbed by the building and lower the energy needed for cooling.
4. High albedo surfaces: Using high albedo surfaces, such as light-colored pavements and walls, can reflect sunlight and reduce the amount of heat absorbed by a building (but important the pavements don’t stain like those in Piccadilly Gardens)
5. Building orientation and design: Buildings can be oriented and designed to reduce heat absorption. For example, buildings can be oriented to face north-south to minimize solar exposure, and windows can be strategically placed to allow for natural ventilation and daylighting (It would be nice to see if this has been factored into the recent proposed design)
6. Insulation: Proper insulation can help reduce heat transfer between the interior and exterior of a building. Insulation can be added to walls, roofs, and floors to reduce heat absorption and energy consumption for cooling. Triple glazing should be considered.
Best efforts should be made to consider improvements over and above the standard building regulations to set an example for the design of urban dwellings, especially considering the density of some of the likely footprints (apartments and townhouses).
Ground source heat pumps, heat recovery within dwellings (reducing the need for gas energy usage) and solar/PV to roofs should be considered.
The carbon lifecycle of all building materials (both external and internal finishes) should be targeted to be as low as possible, not using bricks made outside of Europe would certainly be a good starting point.
Agree about improved water management. Not just for rainwater to prevent flooding. But also for the new houses / flats toilet flushing to conserve water resources in the summer.
Muse already have very good aspirations in their sustainable building policies.
The minimum standards for all buildings should be the PassivHaus Principles. All buildings should have flat roofs so Bifacial Solar PV systems can be installed, with the option for roof gardens being incorporated.