Work starts on environmentally friendly development in Exeter
Work has begun on a housing development which will provide 60 affordable homes in Exeter.
The largest housing association in the South West, LiveWest, has joined forces with partnership house building specialist, Lovell, to kick-start a development project expected to run for 20 months.
There will be 35 homes for social rent and 25 for shared ownership, including a mix of two, three and four-bedroom properties.
It will be the first development to meet LiveWest’s new sustainable homes standards following the launch of its ‘Creating Greener Futures Together’ environmental strategy last month.
All of the homes will be insulated to a higher standard than required by the building regulations and will have a SAP (energy efficiency score) of at least 86. The homes will be fitted with solar photovoltaic panels to generate their own electricity.
The development will include electric car charging ports and public cycle parking, with spaces available for use by a car club.
Adam Preece, New Business Manager for LiveWest, said: “We’re really happy to be working with Lovell on this exciting new development at Ringswell Avenue.
“We’ve worked hard with the City Council to meet our mutual goals of reducing carbon emissions whilst providing spacious, high-quality homes.
“Our new environmental standards are built on a foundation of future-proofing our homes. By insulating homes as much as possible in construction, we can avoid the need to return in years to come and add more.
“Similarly, installing solar panels from day one means that all of the necessary infrastructure is in place so that they can be upgraded in future as technology improves.
“Reducing electricity bills is a vital step in tackling fuel poverty and we look forward to the day when our rooftops can generate enough electricity to meet a family’s entire energy needs.”
Andrew Johnson, Regional Managing Director at Lovell Southern, said: “We are delighted to be working with LiveWest on this ground-breaking development in Exeter.
“Lovell has been at the forefront of building affordable homes all over the country for nearly 50 years and we strongly endorse LiveWest’s sustainability strategy at Ringswell Avenue.”
The development benefited from grant-funding from government housing agency Homes England through a strategic partnership with Sovereign Housing.
Adam Preece added: “With the support of Homes England, we will be able to provide 100% affordable homes on a site with great transport connections to the City Centre, M5 and many of Exeter’s largest employers.
“A key part of making a sustainable city is giving people the opportunity to get out of their cars and find another way to get to work, and this site could hardly be better located to achieve that.
“Exeter is our home and we are delighted to continue to invest here. Combined with our two schemes in Exwick and joint venture at the former Pinhoe Quarry, this scheme will make a major contribution to ensuring there is a home for everyone in the city.”
