THE DEEPING PROJECT.
A blueprint design illustrating what we need to do to start building sustainable homes and communities…
This blueprint design was born out of an attempt to build three 'eco' homes near Romsey in the Test Valley from 2015 to 2019. A proposed development called Timsbury Deeping that achieved local and national news coverage at the time - even though it ultimately failed to get planning permission. This design is a scaled up version of that proposal that incorporates all the components required to create a fully sustainable community.
Building and Climate Change
In May 2019 the UK Government declared a climate change emergency, responding to pleas from scientists and environmental organisations to act once and for all to stop the devastating march of climate change.
Buildings generate, in one way or another, about 44% of the greenhouse gases emitted by the UK each year. Finding innovative ways to reduce the contribution of buildings to our overall emissions will significantly help the national effort to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint.
The concepts that make up the Deeping ‘blueprint’ would provide exactly the sort of solutions needed to reduce housing’s contribution to the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions and to address the climate change emergency.
What would the ideal Sustainable Community look like?
The Deeping ‘blueprint’ is based on an example 18 acre/6.4 hectare site and would consist of 60 earth sheltered homes and a small ‘farm shop’ style outlet. This would showcase the following key ecological principles:
- Minimise greenhouse gases emitted through building construction.
- Emit no greenhouse gases heating and lighting the buildings.
- Generate surplus electricity on site.
- Minimise water use and harvest rainwater.
- Process sewage and waste water on site using domestic treatment plants and an Integrated Constructed Wetland.
- Maximise local food production, selling surplus via the Farm Shop.
- Maximise ecological opportunities increasing biodiversity far above the levels present on a traditional housing development.
This concept showcases Earth Sheltered building techniques. Earth Sheltered living allows you to be part of the natural landscape and the natural insulation helps keep you warm in winter and cool in the height of summer. Your home is underneath the plants and animals allowing them to continue and prosper – not displacing and eliminating them as happens in a traditional development. Collecting and processing water on site virtually eliminates any impact your home has on the fragile water supplies in Southern England. Using insulation, heat storage and photovoltaic electricity generation means that you are not only covering your own carbon footprint but helping to reduce the UK’s emissions overall. This is a new way of living – a light touch on the world.
Each of the factors that would make future developments fully sustainable is detailed on the subsequent pages of this site (accessible from the menus at the top and bottom of each page and the table below). Throughout this blueprint some recent housing developments in the Test Valley are used as comparative examples but these developments are typical of what is built across the country and can be assumed to be nationally representative.
| Sustainability | Summarising the three key sustainability issues that are associated with housing developments. Greenhouse gas emission, biodiversity loss and water pollution. |  |
| Community | The layout of the blueprint site and a description of its main components using an interactive map. |  |
| Dwellings | The features of an Earth Sheltered dwelling that make it ideal for sustainable living. |  |
| Carbon | The use of Energy Performance Certificates to calculate the greenhouse gas emitted constructing and operating buildings. |  |
| Biodiversity | The use of the Natural England Biodiversity Metrics to calculate the change in biodiversity resulting from a housing development. |  |
| Water | The use of the Natural England Nitrate Neutrality calculations to show how waste water can be cleaned up using Integrated Constructed Wetlands. |  |
Messages of support from organisations who provided help designing this blueprint development ...
The World Wildlife Fund
‘Your community of earth-sheltered buildings sounds an excellent opportunity to develop skills, innovation and experience in building zero and low carbon homes and well as providing a real-world reduction carbon emissions – a really welcome example of action to tackle the climate crisis. The UK needs many more projects like this if it is to have any chance of meeting the commitments of the 2008 Climate Change Act – now, of course, focused on delivering net-zero in the UK by 2050.’
Gareth Redmond-King, Head of Climate Change, WWF-UK
Southern Water
‘Thank you for sending me your proposal for an ecological community based in Test Valley
Southern Water are committed to exploring and supporting sustainable solutions for water treatment particularly where solutions increase Natural Capital value, contribute to Biodiversity Net Gain aspirations and use a Catchment approach to improving water quality.
We wish you every success with your project and hope to come and visit when it is complete, perhaps we could use as a demonstration site for developers and councils wishing to explore the potential of wetland solutions?’
Joff Edevane, Growth Planning Lead, Southern Water
Norfolk Rivers Trust
‘Many thanks for sending your proposal for The Test Valley.
The Norfolk Rivers Trust fully endorses initiatives of this quality and insight, our experience with the Ingol wetland has been totally positive in driving the agenda for natural solutions.
We have recently had enquiries from local housing associations and the request for feasibility studies no less than ten wetlands.
We hope that your local authorities will see the opportunity to provide nature based solutions.’
David Diggens, CEO, Norfolk Rivers Trust
What’s in the name?
Deeping was the Old English or Saxon word for deep fen or low place, which inspired the name Timsbury Deeping. There are still many Deepings to be found across the country.