Work is well underway on a £5 million affordable eco housing scheme to deliver 49 new eco properties for the families of Upton in Pontefract.

Yorkshire Housing working with Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and the Homes and Communities Agency have announced that construction is on schedule and homes will be completed in early October 2011.

34 homes will available for social rent and 15 homes will be available to purchase on shared ownership or for intermediate rent.

The properties have been built on brownfield land in Upton, near Pontefract. The land has previously been used for housing built after the First World War that was demolished in the 1980s.

All of the properties are being constructed to meet Level 4 & 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes which means they will all be 25% more energy efficient than a home built in 2006.

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Mervyn Jones, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Housing, said: "We are delighted that work on the site is well underway. It's great that we can reclaim this land for much needed housing and put it back into use for local families.

"These properties are a wonderful example of how through partnership working, Yorkshire Housing is able to deliver modern and environmentally-friendly homes to the people who need them most."

The layout of the site has been carefully planned to complement the local area, maximise the potential for solar collection and provide clear lines of sight across the scheme to create natural surveillance, an example of crime prevention through design.

All the new homes will benefit from some of the latest eco-technology such as solar roof tiles, high levels of thermal insulation, heat recovery systems, dedicated energy efficient light fittings and recycling facilities so the homes can generate their own power and keep fuel costs low for prospective tenants.

Cllr Denise Jeffery, Wakefield Council's Deputy Leader with responsibility for regeneration and economic growth, said: "This is much needed affordable housing for the district and I am really pleased to see work underway. Not only is the scheme bringing new housing which is eco-friendly, but it is also regenerating an old site that has been abandoned for many years."

(CD)