Sherwood Energy Village

A truly sustainable village?

A unique initiative that has transformed a 91-acre former colliery into an environmental enterprise.

The Sherwood Energy Village site

Following the closure of Ollerton coillery, the local community bought the site from British Coal to ensure that its future was not out of its control. It is now owned by a social enterprise, Sherwood Energy Village, who are currently developing the site. When completed, this environmental enterprise will be a mixed use development that combines industry, commerce, housing, education, recreation and leisure.

Sherwood Energy Village (SEV) will be constructing 186 dwellings in early 2005. The Energy Village will be an exemplar for sustainable living. All houses will be designed and built to meet high energy efficient and best practice standards, cutting energy bills for householders. The residential area is adjacent to existing housing in Ollerton, and the town centre and all major facilities are only a few minuites walk away, so reducing car journeys.

Former Ollerton Colliery

Additional low environmental impact initiatives include a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) within the Energy Village which is the largest in the UK. This is a sequence of management practises and control structures that aim to imitate the natural pathway of precipitation, e.g. rainwater, returning to the water cycle, and so to prevent seasonal flooding.

High standard new eco-buildings on the brownfield site include the head office for the architectural practice Jackson Design Associates. Planning permission has been granted for the construction of the new head offices of Sherwood Energy Village. Both include multiple low carbon features.