20 Years of ThamesWey
Following the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, Woking Borough Council set itself an ambitious set of targets regarding climate change. In order to accelerate delivery, Woking Borough Council realised that it needed a dedicated vehicle to engage with private partners and ThamesWey was born.
Timeline
ThamesWey completes landmark town centre residential development
ThamesWey completes Harrington Place, ThamesWey’s flagship, sustainable, Woking town centre development.
Poole Road Energy Centre breaks ground
ThamesWey, together with construction partner Galliford Try, broke ground on Woking’s new low-carbon Energy Centre.
ThamesWey changes to 100% renewable electricity
ThamesWey appointed Ørsted, a leader in offshore wind, to provide top-up electricity to our networks in Woking and Milton Keynes. For all ThamesWey supplied sites in Woking and Milton Keynes, the electricity bought from the grid to top-up that generated by our energy centres is now 100% renewable, generated by offshore wind farms.
ThamesWey completes first new homes with swift bricks
ThamesWey has completed its first housing development containing swift bricks. The 12 swifts bricks have been incorporated into two new family sized affordable homes which have been handed over to Woking Borough Council.
ThamesWey breaks ground on Canalside development
After years of planning and consultation, the first diggers have begun work on the multi-million pound regeneration of the Sheerwater estate. Teams broke ground to start building a state-of-the-art leisure complex as part of the Canalside development. This major regeneration project will breathe new life into this area, creating a thriving, sustainable community that meets the changing needs of modern living.
Poole Road energy centre planning application approved
ThamesWey’s planning application for the Poole Road energy centre was approved. The new energy centre will secure the future of low carbon energy supplies in Woking for the next 50 years:
Major renovation of 50 former MoD properties in Pirbright completed
ThamesWey completes major renovation of 50 former Ministry of Defence properties in Pirbright to improve the comfort of the homes and reduce the energy bills for tenants. The energy efficiency “make-over” included installing wall and roof insulation, solar panels and upgrading old, inefficient boilers.
Greener, cleaner power for new town centre office building
The newly-refurbished Victoria Gate office building in Woking town centre is now running on ThamesWey’s district heat and power network, earning it some impressive sustainability credentials. Choosing this local supply for all its power, heating and cooling requirements has helped the prestige redevelopment achieve an ‘Excellent’ status in its BREEAM sustainability assessment.
WWF and The Peacocks Centre get connected
WWF’s Living Planet Centre and The Peacocks Centre were connected to TEL’s electricity network:
ThamesWey Solar installs 5000 solar panels at 35 sites across the borough
ThamesWey Solar’s first solar photovoltaic arrays are installed at 35 sites throughout the borough, including on Council owned housing, community buildings and third party owned buildings. This represents over 1.24 MW of peak solar capacity and all arrays are registered for the Feed-in-Tariff scheme.
Hoe Valley construction work completed
Hoe Valley construction work completed including a country park, flood alleviation, a new state-of-the-art community building and a new centre for Woking Sea Cadets. This represented the first ThamesWey provided community buildings:
Connecting Network Rail National Centre
Network Rail National Centre connects to the ThamesWey Central Milton Keynes District Heating and Private Wire network.
Completion of the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5 eco-houses
Completion of the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5 eco-houses at Brookwood Farm which featured triple glazed windows, improved insulation & air tightness, rainwater harvesting and photovoltaic roof tiles. These represented the first purpose built THL property.
MP Chris Huhne, 2010-2012 Secretary State for Energy & Climate Change, visited Brookwood Farm:
Hoe Valley Scheme flood alleviation scheme begins
Work starts on the Hoe Valley Scheme to provide flood alleviation scheme for approximately 183 existing homes, new community facilities and remediate land for 200 new homes:
“Oak Tree House” opens showcasing energy efficiency
Woking’s low carbon demonstration home “Oak Tree House” opens showcasing energy efficiency, renewable technology and water saving improvements such as solar hot water panels and rainwater harvesting
ThamesWey Central Milton Keynes formed
ThamesWey Central Milton Keynes formed, and appointed by English Partnership, to develop a major new energy plant in Central Milton Keynes.
First hydrogen fuel cell installed
ThamesWey Energy installed the first commercially operational hydrogen fuel cell combined heat and power plant in the UK at Woking Park Leisure Centre.
ThamesWey’s first photovoltaic installation
ThamesWey Energy begin the installation of over 300 solar panels at Brockhill, the first of 12 sites across the borough to receive similar arrays, eventually resulting in over 3000 panels and a peak generation of over 750 kW peak.
Woking Town Centre Energy Station
Woking Town Centre Energy Station became operational with a 1.4 MWe gas fired Combined Heat & Power engine. The energy station provides low carbon heat, cooling and power to a number of buildings within the town centre.