Solar panels, recycled water: a glimpse inside Britain's carbon-neutral estate

When Marianna and Steve Binks get up in the morning, their thoughts are typical, domestic ones - getting themselves and their two children ready for work, school and the normal activities of everyday life. That they are at the cutting edge of the carbon-neutral lifestyle is not uppermost in their minds.

But it is clear to newcomers at the Beddington Zero Energy Development, or as it is more commonly known, BedZED, in Wallington, Surrey, is no ordinary housing estate. 'To be honest, it's only when you see people from all over the world being shown around here, that you realise you are living somewhere very different," says Mrs Binks.

The wind cowls on top of the blocks of flats, sitting adjacent to the wildlife-friendly green roofs and the black-dotted photovoltaic solar panels on walls, immediately mark out the apartment blocks as out of the norm. What is less obvious is that the estate has been built so that the windows are south facing to maximise natural heat and light, and that the large, innocuous-looking building in the corner is in fact a wood-fired combined heat and power plant providing heating and electricity for the residents.

This development, a partnership between the self-confessed "hardline" carbon-neutral architects ZEDfactory, BioRegional, a local charity devoted to sustainable enterprises, and Peabody Trust, could be a model for the future of environmentally sound living of the kind being encouraged by the tax breaks announced by Gordon Brown in this week's Budget.

Inside the Binks' home, as is the case in every one of the 100 or so properties that house about 300 people in total, it is the little things that also make it stand out.

Every time Mrs Binks puts on the kettle, for instance, she is using aerated, recycled water, its use measured by a highly visible meter that acts as a reminder of how much is being used. When any of the family use the shower or lavatory, the dirty water is recycled. Cooking is done on an electric induction hob, and the food in stored in cupboards made from chemical-free birch, taken from sustainable sources, as is all the wood on the estate. All other building materials are similarly sourced, using local suppliers.

None of the properties on the estate has heating. They are designed so warmth comes from a number of sources, such asan air duct from the wind cowls. The Binks say despite having a baby, they are never concerned about warmth. "We do have a spare heater, but rarely use it," says Mrs Binks.

Use of cars by residents is not encouraged, with a charge for the small number of parking spaces, while alternatives are fostered by a car-pool scheme and "plug-in" points for electric cars.

But a carbon-neutral lifestyle is not simply about recycling toilet waste, says Chris Wilford, an architect with ZEDfactory: "We take a holistic view about the whole enterprise."

With that in mind, the development is an equal mix of social housing, shared ownership and private sale and, to ensure diversity and maximise day and evening use, there are offices and live/workspaces. Not surprisingly, there is a strong sense of community.

Mr Wilford admits not all residents are die-hard environmentalists. "We know people will put heaters into their houses, particularly in the conservatory areas, which can get cold. We know that is contrary to the spirit, but you can't be dogmatic about it.''

He added: "We think it is important to encourage people to live here intelligently. You don't have to tell someone who lives in a stone French farmhouse that keeping the shutters closed during the heat of the day ensures that it remains cool. But it is an intelligence that some people have lost in our urban environment.''

ZEDfactory, run by Bill Dunster, an architect who pioneered carbon-neutral buildings, is involved in similar schemes around the country, using the ideas from BedZED, in partnership with private developers and housing associations. It also sells"kit houses" which, assuming you can find an experienced builder and some land, you can erect a carbon-neutral three-bedroom house for about £200,000.

Carbon-neutral lifestyles apart, there is one other factor that convinces the Binks BedZED is where they should be: "It is just a very nice place to live. We haven't got the electric car yet, but we are very happy here.''

Three other British carbon-neutral initiatives

* ASHTON HAYES

This village in Cheshire is aiming to become the first carbon-neutral community in the UK. Thanks to the Going Carbon Neutral Project, its school already has a solar panel, and a wind turbine is to be installed. The pub and football team are aiming to neutralise their carbon emissions.

* HAMPTON SCHOOL

The all-boys' secondary in Middlesex was last autumn Britain's first school to go carbon-neutral. It has calculated the levels of greenhouse gases it produces and is funding a Climate Care scheme to offset the school's emissions through the planting of trees. The gases given off by kitchen waste and pupils' travel to and from school are included in the calculation.

* WHITCHURCH HOSPITAL

Whitchurch Hospital last year became the first NHS hospital to have an eco-friendly biomass boiler installed to serve its energy requirements. The boiler, fuelled by leftover woodchip from local manufacturing, provides a sustainable solution for heating and is helping the village by sourcing the fuel locally. The boiler is said to save up to 115 tonnes of CO2 a year that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere.

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