News
Efficient new homes boost village community
12 April 2010
The ribbon has been cut on five new homes on the Shropshire and Powys border which are packed with energy efficient and environmentally friendly features.
Ground source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting and storage systems and special 'bat bricks' are key parts of the £700,000 Smithy Gardens development, at Chirbury, between Newtown and Welshpool.
The four bungalows and one house have been built on the Powis Estate, in a partnership between the estate and South Shropshire Housing Association.
Two of the properties will provide homes for estate tenants, with the others being allocated to people with a connection to the area.
Lord Powis cut the ribbon to mark the completion of the new homes, with SSHA executives, project partners and invited guests looking on.
The properties were built by SJ Roberts Construction, based at Marton, near Welshpool, and are designed to minimise their running costs and impact on the environment.
Ground source heat pumps bring warmth from the ground to provide heating and to pre-warm hot water while rainwater is harvested from the gutters and stored in underground tanks for use in toilet flushing and washing machines, significantly cutting mains water bills.
Bat bricks built into suitable parts of the house provide a replacement for the roosting crevices that would have been found on older designs of houses and are positioned at a safe height for the bats and away from windows, which could disturb the creatures with artificial light.
Paul Sutton, Executive Director for Assets and Development at SSHA, said: "These are homes that both we and the tenants can be proud of on a number of levels. They demonstrate what can be achieved with thought and careful planning. They will be an asset to the small community and less of a burden on the environment than many new homes. We hope they will be an example of the way forward in home building."
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