A new eco-friendly housing development is taking shape in a village near Bridgnorth.

The Oaks, a cul-de-sac of four and five bedroom homes at Alveley, qualifies for the new Renewable Heat Incentive programme, which could earn home owners as much as £45,000 in Government paybacks.

The seven detached homes with garages, starting from £299,950, are on the edge of the village with schools, shops, and sports facilities all in walking distance, and under six miles from Bridgnorth.

Not only do they have a high level of insulation, they also have under-floor heating throughout, the latest air source heating, plus filtered rainwater tanks capable of reducing water usage from the mains by up to 50 per cent.

The homes are being built by ADS Developments of Perton, Wolverhampton, which specialises in building high quality energy efficient homes to a superior specification, in prime locations throughout England.

Spokesman David Thompson said: "At Alveley, the architectural style is traditional and our objective has been to take something familiar and make it better.

"But that is not the only advantage. The spiralling cost of utility bills is causing a great deal of concern for homeowners at the moment.

"With this in mind, our homes have been designed with these running costs taken into account making our homes economical to run and actually returning money through the Renewable Heat Incentive programme.

"This is a new Government-backed programme, introduced this year, making it worthwhile for people to produce renewable heat.

"You earn a fixed income for every kilowatt hour of heat you produce, and most of this is likely to be used in your own property."

He added: "Our homes are built to a high standard code for sustainable homes, which makes them 30 per cent more energy efficient than standard dwellings by using best practice, the latest materials and common sense to optimise the thermal shell, and carefully select products to reduce energy consumption."

Caroline Eaton, of Berriman Eaton Estate Agents in Bridgnorth which is marketing the properties, said: "There is nothing else on the market like this in the Bridgnorth area and we have had a lot of interest.

"They are eco-friendly, and very reasonably priced. The heating alone qualifies these homes for the Government's new renewable heating incentive which will be paying owners up to £2,500 a year, for 18 years.

"In addition they benefit from the latest ventilation units that ensures quality fresh air is circulated around the home 24 hours a day - perfect for allergy sufferers, along with odour elimination."

Mr Thompson added: "At ADS Developments, we don't believe in success at any price. We believe we have a responsibility to protect and care for the environment - and we take our responsibilities seriously.

"We comply with all legislation, regulations and standards, taking time to identify the environmental implications of our processes and establishing methods of measuring them. 

"We use a percentage of recycled material in all our homes and ensure we preserve as much of the existing flora and fauna as possible. However, where change is inevitable, we take measures to re-plant mature trees and shrubs."

All homes at The Oaks in Alveley come with a 10-year NHBC guarantee. The first plot has already been reserved, but there are six homes remaining.