Keele researcher contributes to UK's first Net Zero Neighbourhood

Homeowners in the West Midlands are living more sustainably and saving money on their energy bills thanks to a project co-delivered by a Keele University researcher. 

Over the past three years, Professor Zoe Robinson and a team in Keele's School of Life Sciences has played a crucial role in the Brockmoor Energy & Environment Scheme (Community BEES), which has seen homes retrofitted with a range of different technologies and measures to make them more sustainable. 

The goal of the project was to make Brockmoor, near Dudley, the UK's first "Net Zero Neighbourhood", with homeowners benefitting from things like solar panels, heat pumps, and cavity wall insulation being installed, reducing their bills and improving their homes' energy performance at the same time. 

Funded by West Midlands Combined Authority and led by Equans and Dudley Council, this project also combined this housing retrofit scheme with mobility solutions and green space development.  

The Keele team contributed to the project by leading a community-centric design approach and community engagement for the project, bringing community insights to the project design, and helping to ensure that the local community benefitted from the project as well as helping to support residents to understand the benefits of and how to operate new energy technologies such as heat pumps to maximise their efficiency.  

Professor Robinson said: "It’s been a privilege to work with the Brockmoor community for two years to help make sure their voices are heard in the changes that have been planned and put in place for this area. It has been great to see the real benefits that these changes are making now to the people of Brockmoor, as well as to contribute to developing understanding for policy makers and practitioners about how to deliver place-based approaches to tackling decarbonisation as well as wider community benefits.” 

One of the families that benefitted from the scheme was Dave and Sue Cartwright, who have lived in their house in Brockmoor for 41 years. 

They have been saving up to £205 a month on their energy bills and getting payments for the solar power they produce, after having a new roof with eight rooftop solar panels and a battery installed as part of the Community BEES initiative, plus an upgraded heating system with an air source heat pump and new radiators, and loft and cavity wall insulation. 

Under Phase 1 of Community BEES, the primary school and local pub The Old Star in Brockmoor have also had rooftop solar systems fitted. Around 50 homes like the Cartwrights’ have had “deep retrofit” measures including advanced insulation, low-carbon heating systems, solar and battery storage. 

Residents have been most passionate about developments in their local green space ‘Brockmoor Park.’ The installation of a path around the park has led to increased use by the local community, and work with the local community group, has led to the group building planters with donated materials and running their own events for the community. Community engagement activities about the community’s transport concerns run by Keele University have led to resident-led proposals currently out for consultation for 20mph zones, traffic calming measures and a new crossing point on a key walking route to a local school. 

In Phase 2 over the next 18 months, more than 600 homes in the Brierley Hill area and further afield will benefit from solar installations. 

Helen Langley, Senior Agency Support & Development Officer and the lead for residential decarbonisation at Dudley Council added: "The Community BEES programme has made a real difference to residents by helping them improve the energy efficiency of their homes, reducing energy costs and making homes warmer, healthier and more comfortable. By supporting measures that futureproof properties, the project is helping households cope with rising energy costs while tackling issues such as damp and mould that can have a significant impact on wellbeing. 

“It's a great example of how working in collaboration with local residents improves community wellbeing and creates opportunities for people to get involved in activities that benefit both the local environment and the neighbourhood.”