A heating system that protects vulnerable residents and helps to alleviate fuel poverty has been installed at an 'Eco Village' in Greater Manchester.

Onlookers at City West's Barton Village were left open-mouthed as a giant crane lifted the first EcoPod high above the surrounding roof tops and onto Engels House.

As part of the £14.3 million regeneration of Barton Village, a total of four EcoPod heating systems are being installed on top of high-rise tower blocks at the site in Eccles.

Keith Rimmer, Managing Director of Warrington-based Belfry Group, designed the EcoPod to alleviate fuel poverty in high-rise buildings.

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As well as reducing fuel costs and carbon emissions by more than 40 per cent, the system also features an innovative Building Management System (BMS), which automatically alerts landlords when 'at risk' tenants fail to adequately heat their properties.

Colette McKune, Director of Asset Management at City West Housing Trust, said: "Barton Village is a flagship regeneration project and we have been looking for innovative solutions in a number of different areas, not least on the heating side.

"This solution from Belfry will enable us to heat properties at a cost that tenants can more readily afford so we are addressing any fuel poverty issue head on.

"Crucially, it will also alert us automatically when vulnerable residents are not using heating and hot water, which is a great early warning mechanism, particularly in the winter months when outside temperatures plummet."

(CD)