Citu launches Catalyst Programme to ignite sustainable living at UK’s first zero-carbon neighbourhood in Leeds
With more than 40 homes already snapped up in the first release of properties at Citu’s Climate Innovation District in Leeds’s South Bank, the developer is going one step further to help residents embrace sustainable living at this pioneering new neighbourhood.
Citu is looking to nurture a behavioural shift in the way in which people live, starting with the Climate Innovation District, and is launching the ‘Catalyst Programme’ which offers three purchasers the opportunity to adopt a truly low-carbon lifestyle and document their first year living in the district. They will play a vital role in setting the tone and shaping the future development of the neighbourhood in a way that reflects real life.
Construction is already underway for the first timber-framed Citu Homes which are being produced under controlled conditions in its onsite factory, Citu Works, and will be ready to move into in autumn 2018. When complete, the District will feature 520 low carbon homes alongside leisure, offices and climate-resilient public realm.
Comments Chris Thompson, Managing Director of Citu:
“Our reasons for launching the Catalyst Programme are two-fold. Firstly, we know that when you purchase a home in the Climate Innovation District, you commit to living in one of the most energy efficient houses in the UK. However, just because we give people the sustainable technology – whether that’s solar panels on their homes or electric car charging ports – it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll change their behaviour. We want people living in the district to reduce their wider carbon footprint by travelling around the city centre in a more sustainable way.
“That’s why we’re offering each of the three selected buyers on the programme a brand new electric car, leased for three years, which can be charged at electric car charging ports available at every parking space in the district. They’ll also receive a new personalised bike so that can opt to leave their car at home.
“Secondly, we realise that we’re doing something that’s never been done before by creating a low-carbon neighbourhood of this scale, and this involves us constantly learning and innovating. The opportunity to find out as much as we can about how our homeowners experience living in their Citu Home, and the wider district, is key for us both to support the claims we make about the energy efficiency of our homes – and to inform future developments. Buyers on the Catalyst Programme will provide us with vital information on the tangible benefits of living in a Citu Home, including energy usage.
“They’ll also provide invaluable feedback and will help us to spread the word on life in Climate Innovation District through blogs and social media. There are so many elements to our eco-friendly homes which can sometimes sound quite techy or complicated, but the real-life experience is so simple and straightforward. There’s no one better than to reflect than those living in district day-to-day.”
The Catalyst Programme is available on three 4-bed riverside homes, priced from £380,000. Each home features a large lightwell which casts natural light down through all three storeys, as well as four bedrooms; a spacious kitchen; stylish living room and two bathrooms. Rooftop solar panels help to power the whole development, whilst green rooves improve local air quality. Home owners can also monitor and control their energy usage at the touch of a button via the Actuate App, which is available on smart phone, desktop and tablet.
Applicants have until Friday 10th August to apply for the Catalyst Programme by contacting 0113 320 2357 or sales@citu.co.uk. Citu will select the final three buyers.
For more information on Citu, go to www.citu.co.uk
