France (France) in Partnership with Southeast Wales (United Kingdom); Hertfordshire (United Kingdom); Zuid-Holland (The Netherlands)
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ENCOURAGE: sharing experience in environmental management in the business parks of “new towns” in Europe Ile-de-France (France) in partnership with Southeast Wales (United Kingdom); Hertfordshire (United Kingdom); Zuid-Holland (the Netherlands) SYNTHESIS The inter-regional ENCOURAGE1 partnership aims to promote environmental management practices in the business parks of five European new towns by adapting a management method used for green buildings in the French region of Ile-de-France. ENCOURAGE is a six year project (2002-2008) co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the INTERREG IIIB programme initiated by the Syndicat d'Agglomération Nouvelle (SAN) from Sénart (Ile-de-France) in partnership with Southeast Wales (Torfaen, UK), Hertfordshire (Stevenage, UK) and Zuid-Holland (Zoetermeer, the Netherlands). The project partners expect the exchange of environmental management practices and strategies in the business parks of new towns in Europe to: - reduce the ecological footprint of new towns in Europe; - reinforce green infrastructures; - develop transferable approaches to urban planning and sustainable development issues. New towns in France, and in Europe more generally, have developed original approaches to bridge the gap between the environment and economic development. These towns have had to plan and build schools and other public facilities very quickly to keep up with the arrival of new inhabitants. This has been both a problem and an opportunity. They have progressively developed new tools making such growth sustainable, such as environmental charters, but in the same time they are concerned to keep pace with economic development. The aim is therefore to create a tool that promotes both sustainable development and supports the economic growth of new towns. Based on a European partnership, and centred around a range of dissemination of information, training and education activities, ENCOURAGE’s showpiece development projects were: the eco-building at the Polytechnicum in Marne-la-Vallée (south of Paris)2; an alternative transport route in Val Maubuée; an eco-building in Torfaen; a paper recycling and waste minimisation scheme for small businesses in Stevenage; and an environmentally friendly energy system in the Oosterheem business area in Zoetermeer. One of the main results of the project and the benefit of being a trans-national project is the creation of a European Charter with the objective of developing economic activity in a sustainable and long-term manner. A second important result is a publication of the lessons learned for the policy makers. This document is called the European Trans-national Document (ETD) and aims to be a toolbox for policy decisions. A third result is the 1 http://www.encourage-eu.org/ 2 http://www.polytechnicum.org/ established permanent network between partners, universities and experts involved in the project. Sénart, having learnt much from the ENCOURAGE project’s experience and results, will develop a new generation business park, the first of its kind in the Ile-de-France region. Environmental protection will be fully integrated into the park’s conception, implementation and management. It will, first and foremost, be dedicated to eco-activities and activities that are ecologically responsible. This pilot project, called “écopole”, will bring both private and public (research laboratories) activities together in one unique centre on 80 hectares. It will be available from autumn 2007 and it should create 3,200 jobs3. Background information Countries: France, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium Region: Ile-de-France (Paris and surroundings - France), Southeast Wales (Torfaen – UK), Hertfordshire (Stevenage – UK), Zuid-Holland (Zoetermeer, the Netherlands) Project title: Encourage (cross-fertilisation of environmental management practices in the business parks of new towns in Europe) Key words: regional cooperation; energy efficiency, waste disposal and recycling, environmental technologies; transfer of technology; urban areas Duration of project: February 2000 – June 2006 Funding: total budget €9,377,000 ERDF contribution €5,050,000 New towns budget €4,327,000 ERDF Objective: INTERREG IIIB 3 http://www.senart.com/web/29942.htm 2 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ENCOURAGE is a six year project (2002-2008) initiated by the “Syndicat d'Agglomération Nouvelle” (SAN)4 of Sénart, in the suburbs of Paris. The project has received €5.05m in financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under INTERREG IIIB towards a total budget close to €9.4m. The main objectives of this inter-regional project are the transfer of knowledge and expertise in the field of environmental management of business parks. One of the main ideas behind the initiative is that “being cleaner and greener will not only be good for the environmental quality of business parks in new towns, but will also make them a more attractive location for firms”. The trans-national dimension of the project is brought by the international team of experts who determine precise environmental indicators for each New Town, provide their input on the implementation of the various investments but also draw lessons from these later to establish a future European Environmental Charter for Business Parks. The long-term objective is to disseminate the charter and disseminate the Encourage approach through established networks such as the European New Towns Platform (ENTP). The project includes five main pilot actions: 1) Demonstration of “environmentally friendly” practices through eco-buildings; 2) Creation of a joint waste management and recycling system; 3) Use of renewable energies; 4) Development of alternative transport systems and corporate transport plans; 5) Landscape recovery. The construction projects include the following initiatives: - ENCOURAGE’s showpiece development project is the “eco-building” at the Polytechnicum in Marne-la-Vallée (south of Paris). This building integrates a number of environmentally friendly technologies including rainwater harvesting, energy efficiency, modularity, recycled products, natural materials, passive ventilation and natural light. Activities also cover the surroundings of the building: improvement of the signs posted on cycle routes; enhancement of biological corridors running into the town to help promote biodiversity; and making the business park easier to navigate by curbing the erection of unsightly advertising boards. - SAN Val Maubuée (a public consortium of 10 cities in the suburbs of Paris) is also developing an alternative transport route that will link up with the existing network of cycle, pedestrian and roller-skating paths. A corporate transport plan is being developed, promoting car sharing and providing shuttle buses to and from the train station. This work has borrowed heavily from the experience of ENCOURAGES’s Dutch partner in leading an awareness raising campaign to increase cycling and public transport use. 4 The SAN (Syndicat d’Agglomération Nouvelle) is Sénart’s political and administrative body. Its 37 town councillors are elected within the Municipal Councils of the eight communes which constitute the new town. The San plans and builds schools and other facilities made necessary by the arrival of the new inhabitants. It manages the town’s economic development, including the creation of an incubator of businesses. The municipalities chose to transfer to the San areas such as water, transport, the management of business parks, the environment and, recently, actions concerning culture, sport, etc. 3 - Torfaen Council is constructing a timber and straw “eco-building” which can be easily mounted and dismounted on Cwmbran’s Springvale Industrial Estate. The incorporation of features, such as wind and solar power generators, rainwater harvesting systems, passive ventilation and energy efficient lighting are all designed to minimise the building’s environmental impact. - In Stevenage, ENCOURAGE has helped to launch a paper recycling and waste minimisation scheme for small businesses with thirty companies signed up so far. - The objective of the Zoetermeer energy project was to create an environmentally friendly energy system in the Oosterheem business park in Zoetermeer (Netherlands) consisting of: hot springs to pump up groundwater from a depth of about 120 metres; cold springs for regeneration; a network of pipes for the transport of water; heat pumps, which raise the temperature of groundwater by 40°C; heat exchangers which transfer heat or coolness in the buildings. The objective of this project was to obtain a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions in the business park. With the support of the European New Towns Platform (ENTP)5 the project brings together nine partners from France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. The partners are local and regional authorities, research organisations and an European association. The partners include the following organisations: - San de Sénart, Lead Partner, Ile-de-France, France; - San du Val-Maubuée, France; - Torfaen, Borough Council, United Kingdom; - Stevenage, Borough Council, United Kingdom; - Zoetermeer, The Netherlands; - Polytechnicum, Marne-la-Vallée, France; - Belgian CERAA School of architecture, Belgium; - TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), the Netherlands; - European New Towns Platform, Belgium. The main beneficiaries of the project are SMEs and local residents of the concerned regions as well as the new towns in Europe and the business parks given the environmental