Editing London Borough of Sutton (section)

== Environment ==
The London Borough of Sutton is home to a number of notable environmental projects, including the following.
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;BedZED (Beddington Zero Energy Development)
The acclaimed [[BedZED]] (Beddington Zero Energy Development) housing complex is located on London Road, SM6, about 500 yards north of [[Hackbridge]] mainline railway station. It uses a number of innovative technologies to enable it to operate with zero energy use. It was designed by the architect [[Bill Dunster]] to support a more sustainable lifestyle. The project was led by the Peabody Trust in partnership with Bill Dunster Architects, Ellis & Moore Consulting Engineers, BioRegional, Arup and the cost consultants Gardiner and Theobald.

The 99 homes, and 1,405 square metres of work space were built between 2000 and 2002. It is the UK's largest and first carbon-neutral eco-community. The buildings are constructed of materials that store heat during warm conditions and release heat at cooler times, and where possible, they have been built from natural, recycled or reclaimed materials. The first residents moved in (to the Helios Road part of the development) during March 2002.

BedZED receives power from a small-scale combined heat and power plant (CHP). In conventional energy generation, the heat that is produced as a by-product of generating electricity is lost. With CHP technology, this heat can be harnessed and put to use. At BedZED, the heat from the CHP provides hot water, which is distributed around the site via a district heating system of super-insulated pipes. Should residents or workers require a heating boost, each home or office has a domestic hot water tank that doubles as a radiator.

The CHP plant at BedZED is powered by off-cuts from tree surgery waste that would otherwise go to landfill. Wood is a carbon neutral fuel because the CO<sub>2</sub> released when the wood is burned is equal to that absorbed by the tree as it grew.

The development has attracted wide interest and acclaim over the past decade since it was built, and, has won numerous awards. Among other examples of recognition, it was shortlisted for the [[Stirling Prize]] for architecture in October 2003, and won awards from the London Evening Standard and RIBA in 2002.

;Sutton Ecology Centre
[[Sutton Ecology Centre Grounds|The Sutton Ecology Centre]] is located in the Carshalton Village part of Sutton borough.<ref>[https://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1627 London Borough of Sutton – Sutton Ecology Centre] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203101923/https://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1627 |date=3 February 2015 }}. Sutton.gov.uk. Retrieved on 17 July 2013.</ref> The Grounds are a 1.3 hectare [[Local Nature Reserve]] and [[Site of Nature Conservation Interest|Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation]], Grade 1. It is owned by Sutton Council and managed by the Council together with the Friends of Sutton Ecology Centre.<ref name=LNR>{{cite web |url=http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?ID=%20444 |title=Sutton Ecology Centre Grounds |series=Local Nature Reserves |publisher=Natural England |date=7 March 2013 |access-date=29 March 2014 |archive-date=29 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329184530/http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?ID=%20444 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=lnrIndex&query=REF_CODE%3D%271009760%27|title=Map of Sutton Ecology Centre Grounds|series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England| access-date= 29 March 2014}}</ref><ref name=GIGL>{{cite web|url=http://www.gigl.org.uk/online/site-Details.aspx?sID=SuBI03&sType=sinc|title=Sutton Ecology Centre|publisher=Greenspace Information for Greater London|year=2013|access-date=29 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329191920/http://www.gigl.org.uk/online/site-Details.aspx?sID=SuBI03&sType=sinc|archive-date=29 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

It is an area of mainly open space where visitors can find out about wildlife habitats, alternative energy, recycling, composting, and organic gardening. The centre's activities include running educational visits for schools and community groups, as well as events and volunteer days.

The history of the Ecology Centre is that the grounds were until the late eighties known as the "Lodgelands", named after the old gardens of The Lodge in Carshalton. They were used as a tree nursery until the early 1980s, when they became surplus to requirements. After a prolonged public debate, it was agreed in 1987 to preserve the area as an open space for public use.

;Carshalton Environmental Fair
[[File:Carshalton Environmrental Fair IMG 2633.jpg|thumb|Musician performing at the Carshalton Environmental Fair]]
The Environmental Fair is held in Carshalton Park on August Bank Holiday Monday.<ref>{{cite web|title=Carshalton Environmental Fair|url= http://www.ecolocal.org.uk/}}</ref>
It features over 100 stalls and showcases local sustainability initiatives. It also includes music, performing art, poetry, children's activities, campaign groups, local craft, interactive demonstrations, and a farmers' market. Music is performed from three stages and across the genres from rock to folk. The main stage is a natural open-air amphitheatre. There is food and a bar with real ales. The fair attracts on average around 10,000 people. It is organised by EcoLocal with a team of volunteers.

;Sutton Community Farm
Sutton Community Farm, the only one of its kind in London, is located in the [[Wallington, London|Wallington]] part of the borough. A non-profit social enterprise, it occupies a 7.5 acre small-holding of a type originally given to ex-servicemen following the First World War.<ref>[http://suttoncommunityfarm.org.uk/about-us-sutton-community-farm/our-history/ Sutton Community Farm]</ref>

;Growing the [[green economy]]
The London Borough of Sutton has provided funding to grow the green economy by creating a [[Low-carbon economy|low carbon]] [[Business cluster|cluster]] of [[Sustainable business|green businesses]]. The project includes the establishment of a "Green Business Network", the provision of training, and the creation of employment opportunities for assessors, surveyors, designers and installers.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Case study 1: Growing the green economy, Sutton Borough Council : Local Procurement and Supply Chain Toolkit |url=http://procurementtoolkit.instituteforsustainability.org.uk/6-0-case-studies/case-studies/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724131234/http://procurementtoolkit.instituteforsustainability.org.uk/6-0-case-studies/case-studies/ |archive-date=24 July 2014 |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=Institute for Sustainability}}</ref>

;Straw-bale café
The café in [[Manor Park, Sutton]] has a range of environmental features, in particular its [[straw-bale construction]]. It was built in 2010 using UK produced straw-bales and natural sustainable materials, a type of construction which means that the building could last for longer than 200 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10770 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141019182118/https://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10770 |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 October 2014 |title=A new café made of straw! This exciting eco-friendly building is Manor Park Café |publisher=London Borough of Sutton |access-date=19 October 2014 }}</ref> It was London's first energy-efficient building to use this method of construction.<ref>{{cite web |last=Leanne |first=Fender |date=11 February 2010 |title=Three little pigs and a straw house – is Sutton becoming a fairytale? |url=http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news/5001061.Three_little_pigs_and_a_straw_house____is_Sutton_becoming_a_fairytale_/ |access-date=19 October 2014 |publisher=Sutton Guardian}}</ref>