24 April 2010
Final phase for Groveley Park means eco-first for Birmingham
Work is set to start on the region’s first affordable ‘zero-carbon homes’ as part of the final phase of an £17.1m development of the former Nimmings Farm Estate, following the sale of land to West Mercia Homes Limited.
The development of 48 affordable homes, which will be built by West Mercia Housing Group in partnership with Lovell, will pioneer the two most eco-friendly affordable properties in Birmingham. The homes will achieve the Government’s top environmental rating for new developments reaching Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH).
The zero carbon homes will save energy thanks to features such as a special type of solar panel (photovoltaics), which can be used to generate electricity, and rainwater harvesting systems, which will allow rainwater to be recycled for uses such as flushing toilets. The remaining properties will also have environmentally-friendly features such as solar water heating panels. Two of these will reach CSH Level 4 and the remaining 44 will reach CSH Level 3.
Work will start on the properties this month with completion expected in June 2011 – five years ahead of the Government target. The homes will be managed by Harden Housing Association, part of the West Mercia Housing Group, and the association will work closely with tenants to monitor the performance of these new homes and use this knowledge for future properties.
The development, which will be built on the 1.1 hectare site at Thelbridge Road, Northfield, will include 28 homes for affordable rent and 20 homes for shared ownership on a part-rent, part-buy basis.
Nick Edge, development project manager at West Mercia Housing Group, said: “We are delighted to have reached this key stage and are keen to now start on site. This has always been an ambitious project, and it is only due to the patience of residents and our partnership with the council and the Homes and Communities Agency, that it has been possible.
“Since we started on phase one, eco standards have changed significantly and it is fantastic that we’ve been able to incorporate ‘zero carbon’ houses as part of this final phase and build the best affordable eco-homes’ in the city five years ahead of the Government target.”
Over the lifetime of the West Mercia Housing Group project a total of 142 outdated council homes, in the shadow of the former Rover factory at Longbridge, will have been demolished and replaced with 172 new, high quality properties.
Lovell regional director David Gough added: “This development will help answer the need for high-quality, energy-efficient affordable homes, providing properties for rent as well as shared ownership homes which will help local people on to the housing ladder.”
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with West Mercia Housing Group to deliver this scheme.”
The development is part funded by the Homes and Communities Agency.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
West Mercia Housing Group, based in Bromsgrove, manages approximately 23,500 homes across the West Midlands, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
The group is structured to facilitate local accountability and the provision of high quality local services.
Founded in 1998, the group consists of Whitefriars Housing Group, Harden Housing Association, Nexus Housing, Kemble Housing and Herefordshire Supported Housing for Young People Project (SHYPP).
West Mercia Housing Group is a development partner with the Homes and Communities Agency. It is the lead member of the Spectrum Development Partnership that consists of Advance Housing Association, Bromsgrove District Housing Trust, Central Borders Housing Group, Heantun Housing Association, Herefordshire Housing, Nehemiah UCHA, Stafford and Rural Homes, Severnside Housing and Solihull Community Housing.
For further information please contact Val Hunt or Nikki Cheung, at The Bridge Group, on 024 7656 0440, or v.hunt@bridge-group.co.uk