In a deal brokered by SPF Private Clients, the lender has committed £10m to finance the development of six energy-efficient homes boasting ‘green roofs’ planted with meadow flowers and built-in bird and batboxes to support biodiversity.

The development, designed by Craftworks, combines a low-carbon, highly sustainable design with ultra-high energy efficiency, helping it meet the exacting standards of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)’s 2030 Climate Challenge.

The six family homes — which will be built using modern methods of construction — will feature a cross-laminated timber structure, airtight construction technology and triple glazing.

The scheme will use sustainable materials, including Douglas Fir wood and handmade clay tiles, to meet the Carbonlite Challenge green criteria.

Upon successful completion of a post-construction carbon and sustainability assessment, the developer will receive a rebate of over £200,000.

The Carbonlite Challenge was launched in November by Atelier, with support from the RIBA, to encourage property developers to create greener homes.

It offers loans to qualifying residential developments in England, Scotland and Wales and rewards green developers with rebates that bring the net annual cost of their borrowing down as low as 4.99%.

Chris Gardner, co-founder of Atelier, said: “The global net zero targets agreed at COP26 can seem distant and abstract, but building greener, lower carbon homes can make a difference today, and that’s what the Carbonlite Challenge is all about.

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“We’re using the power of global capital to reduce the cost of development finance and change the way Britain builds homes for the better, and forever.

“The Edition Group’s scheme in Dulwich is a stellar example of the type of homes we want to help developers build. 

“They’re beautiful to look at and will blend seamlessly into their environment, and they use clever design and sustainable materials to keep carbon use down, both during construction and when they’re being lived in.”

John Smart, director at The Edition Group, commented: “We’re hugely proud of the homes we’re building in Dulwich. 

“Each will be a warm and welcoming family home, and with a communal woodland garden, they will together make an attractive addition to the local community, perfectly in tune with their leafy surroundings and boosting biodiversity with bird and batboxes.

“The Carbonlite Challenge is enabling us to go the extra mile on sustainability, allowing us to source materials with very low levels of embedded carbon and build future-proof, comfortable homes that will be highly energy- and water-efficient for years to come.”

Daniel O’Neil, director at SPF Private Clients, added: “Atelier’s Carbonlite Challenge is unique — it offers developers substantial and decisive incentives to encourage developers to build more sustainable homes.

“Coupled with Atelier’s ability to execute deals swiftly, such significant rebates aligned with the finance being proposed under the Carbonlite Challenge make this product one of the most competitively priced in the market today.”