Minchinhampton homes and Lovell get planning consent and focus on energy efficiency.

A new housing scheme that will see 35 new council homes and 31 properties for sale has received its final planning consent from Stroud District Council and is set to get underway later this year. The 35 new council homes will replace the Woolaway properties in Minchinhampton.

Using this opportunity to dramatically upgrade the housing stock, the council asked its housebuilding partner Lovell to create proposals for all 35 new Council homes to be built to Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. This is a level of energy efficiency that can substantially reduce carbon emissions as well as create homes that have less impact on the environment. A further consequence is that residents receive far lower utility bills as a result of the energy efficiency measures.

-- Advertisement --

This is in stark contrast to the environmental performance of the existing concrete homes which are to be demolished because of structural defects.

In fact, the new homes could still be developed to an even higher level of energy efficiency. The Council is considering a further proposal by Lovell to build the homes to Level 4 of the Code by installing renewable technologies. It is estimated that by doing so, the annual energy cost for a typical 2 bedroom home could be almost halved from around £670 to £340 per year. The Council is currently reviewing this option and plans to carry out a trial to compare three different renewables options.

Councillor Debbie Young, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: "I am very excited by this project. If we can save tenants money on energy, that is also a bonus. I am also keen to evaluate the three types of renewable energy systems so we can use the results to plan for further investment on our homes to reduce fuel poverty."

(CD/GK)