The house that looks after itself turns a rubbish dump green

A THREE-ACRE former dump for sewage and industrial waste known as "Land East of London Road, Sutton" may seem like an unlikely focus for a revolution in ecologically sound urban living.

But if a joint bid by one of Britain's biggest housing associations and the Bio-Regional Development Trust is successful tomorrow, this is what is planned for the distinctly brown-field site.

The site will form the home of the ZED - the Beddington Zero Energy Development - which aims to be almost self-sustaining.

Energy-efficient design, photo-voltaic solar panels and a 350-kilowatt combined heat and power (CHP) plant, burning tree-surgery waste, would make the proposed development self-sufficient in energy.

"By maximising natural heat and light from the sun and by using heat from normal domestic activities like cooking, heat energy requirements will be just 10 per cent of normal homes of similar size," explains Chris Twinn, associate director of consulting engineers Ove Arup.

"The CHP plant will produce enough heat and power for all the houses and offices, and a grid connection will allow us to sell any excess electricity and draw in extra to meet peak demand."

A "total water strategy" for the ZED involves water-saving devices, rainwater collection for gardens and flushing lavatories, and a four-stage sewage treatment plant designed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust with 1,500 square metres of reedbeds and fast-growing willow coppice which, says WWT wetlands ecologist Matthew Millett, would itself provide fuel for the CHP plant.

Commuting to work by car is the typical household's second-biggest energy drain, so the ZED plan includes 1,700 square metres of serviced offices with IT connections.

"This will make it possible for self-employed people to work near their homes and create a tele-commuting centre for other workers, saving energy and improving quality of life," says Bio-Regional director Pooran Desai.

To help create a good living environment in the high-density ZED, each of the 90 or so townhouses, maisonettes and flats will have its own area of garden or roof terrace, designed by architect Bill Dunster.

The developer, the Peabody Trust, London's biggest and oldest housing association, is investing pounds 10m in the project, to be recouped by housing sales, office rental and use of 20 housing units for social lettings.