Redrow helps steer car club research
Redrow has provided assistance and funding for new research by Carplus in collaboration with the University of the West of England's Centre for Transport and Society, to look at the experience over the last decade of using car clubs on new housing developments, in particular how car clubs can reduce parking requirements and improve the local environment. The house developer said it is planning to use the report's findings in briefing its technical directors on the benefits and implementation of car clubs on its developments. Robert Macdiarmid, Group sustainability for Redrow Homes, said the report would be a valuable resource for those involved in planning new developments.

 

Redrow Homes has helped to steer new research into how car clubs can benefit new developments.

By providing funding and contributing a case study, the national housebuilder has supported the creation of a new report by Carplus, in collaboration with the University of the West of England’s Centre for Transport and Society.

The first comprehensive review of its kind, the study looked at the last 10 years of experience of using the schemes on new developments.

Car clubs are designed to provide a means of vehicle sharing for residents who perhaps who do not aspire to or can’t afford to own a car.

Drawing on the experiences of developers, local authorities and operators in 10 schemes, the report sets out how car clubs in new developments can work to reduce parking requirements and improve the environment for residents and others in the surrounding area.

Robert Macdiarmid, Group sustainability director for Redrow Homes, said:

“Redrow welcomed the opportunity to contribute to this report, which will be a valuable resource for those involved in planning new developments. “It assists in the sharing of best practice, helps developers to identify where car clubs will be viable and also highlights potential pitfalls to avoid. We’re planning to use the information collated in the report for briefing sessions for our technical directors, to help them better understand the underlying conditions necessary to enable car clubs to thrive on our developments.”

Redrow’s Cheswick Village development, in Bristol, was one of the case studies featured in the report. Designed as a brand new sustainable urban village, built over a number of phases, and with homes constructed to higher environmental standards, the development is a prime example of how partnership work with local authorities can achieve an improved standard of development for residents and surrounding communities.

As well as helping new residents that do not own a car to be more mobile, the report concludes that car clubs can reduce traffic congestion, carbon emissions and improve air quality. They can also free up space within developments for added amenities and communal space, particularly vital in urban areas.

They have also helped operators of the schemes to expand their coverage where new developments are built close to existing car clubs.

For more information visit www.carplus.org.uk