Pictured above: (l-r) Kerry Johnson and her daughter
Dakota with assistant director of Harden Housing Clair Caswell in
one of the region's first zero-carbon affordable homes
Families have moved into the West Midlands' first affordable
zero-carbon homes to be completed with Homes & Communities
Agency (HCA) funding as part of a £17.1million regeneration
project.
Two of the region's most environmentally friendly homes are part
of the final phase of a 172 home development at Groveley Park in
Northfield, Birmingham. The six year project has attracted
£8.5m of funding from the Homes & Communities Agency
(HCA).
The homes, built on the former Nimmings Farm Estate, will be the
first in the West Midlands to achieve the Government's top
environmental rating for new developments using an HCA grant.
The homes reach Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH)
and have been built by WM Housing Group in partnership with Lovell.
The properties will be managed by Harden Housing Association, which
is a part of WM Housing Group.
The zero carbon homes will save energy thanks to features such
as photovoltaic panels which generate electricity, rainwater
recycling for flushing toilets, mechanical ventilation which
recycles waste heat from kitchen and bathroom areas, eco-efficient
boilers which recycle exhaust heat and improved insulation.
One of the first residents to move into the zero-carbon homes is
mother-of-one Kerry Johnson, who has been homeless for seven
years.
Thirty-two-year-old Kerry said: "I can't believe how lucky I
have been to get one of these homes. The standard of the home is
amazing and I never thought I would have a home like this. I am so
excited that my little girl will have her own room.
"The area around Groveley Park is being regenerated so I am
going to be close to lots of facilities on my doorstep.
"The eco measures mean that I will be able to recycle water and
heat, and there are fresh air vents so there is fresh air
circulated in the house which is healthier. All the appliances in
my kitchen are A-grade which is more economical. It's estimated
that my energy bills will be around £90 for electricity and
£180 for gas per year."
It is estimated that the Code Level 6 properties will generate a
saving of £428 per year, according to a National Home Energy
Rating.
The final phase of the regeneration project is being built on a
1.1 hectare site, which was purchased from Birmingham City Council
when it was made available following the demolition of outdated
council homes in the shadow of the former Rover factory at
Longbridge.
The new homes are part of a wider £1billion regeneration
of Longbridge which involves more than 400 acres of land set to be
transformed on the site of the former MG Rover works.
This phase will offer 48 affordable homes, which will be
available for affordable rent and shared ownership on a part-rent,
part-buy basis.
The remaining 46 properties will also have
environmentally-friendly features such as high-performance gas
boilers, which provide heat depending on the weather conditions,
and solar water heating panels. Two of these homes will reach CSH
Level 4 and the remaining 44 will reach CSH Level 3.
Development project manager at WM Housing Group Nick Edge said:
"These first two zero carbon homes in the West Midlands using an
HCA grant are a great example of the future of affordable housing.
Not only are we providing high quality housing for residents but we
have shown that there are many innovative ways that we can help
residents save money and improve their quality of life.
"I am delighted that Kerry is one of the people to benefit from
these new homes."
David Gough, regional director for Lovell Midlands, added: "It
has been a real pleasure to be involved in this project, in which
we have used innovative technologies and bold thinking to make
these two homes the first in the region to reach this level of
sustainability.
"The exciting thing is that they look very much like traditional
homes, which proves that using this kind of technology doesn't have
to mean compromising on how a house looks."