Sovereign Housing Association will provide 61 affordable homes at Hanham Hall, in South Gloucestershire, one of the country's most important new zero-carbon developments.

Sovereign has signed a contract with Barratt Homes to take the affordable homes at the new community. These will consist of 54 general needs rental properties, eight of which will be wheelchair accessible, and seven shared ownership homes.

The first Sovereign properties, a mixture of two- and three-bedroom homes, are expected to be occupied by March 2013.

Hanham Hall, which is owned by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and is being built by Barratt Homes, will be made up of 185 eco-homes. These properties aresuper-insulated timber-frame buildings that have been built to meet the highest energy efficiency standards.

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Features include high levels of insulation, mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR), which expels stale air, and brings in fresh air, water recycling systems and alternative sources of energy such as photovoltaic solar panels.

James Gibson, Sovereign’s Regional Development Director, said: "Sovereign is an organisation that takes its responsibility for the environment very seriously and we do all we can to reduce the environmental impact of our homes and business. For this reason, we are especially proud to be involved in a flagship development like Hanham Hall, and keen to play our part in building a strong and successful community here, including helping our residents adapt to this new way of living."

As well as knowing that they are contributing to reduced carbon emissions,

The first homes at Hanham Hall were completed in the summer of 2012, with the project anticipated to be finished in April 2015.

(CD/GK)