Garden Office Blog

Eco show homes get windfall

By Steven Willis on 9th February, 2010

A grant of £60m is to be divided between four communities to build 'eco show homes' as part of the Government's overall eco-towns programme, it was announced today. The developments will be used to showcase green building technologies such as 'super' insulation, smart metering and renewables, as well as electric car charging points and improved public transport links in the wider community.

"This is the start of the country's biggest ever eco-home building programme," said Housing Minister John Healey. "This means people will be able to experience green living for themselves and see how it can change their lives and save money. But green living isn't just about homes. That's why this cash will also help transform local schools and create new transport links and energy sources. By the time eco-towns are finished green living will already be a way of life for these communities."

The homes will be built on developments in Hampshire, Cornwall, Norfolk and Oxfordshire.

While the green technologies that will be employed in the eco-homes are known to work, the true test of the eco-town model will be the performance of the community elements such as the sustainable transport systems. The towns need a working green infrastructure in place from the outset if they are to deliver a tangible environmental benefit that offsets the unavoidable impact of their development.

In addition to this, the Government's target of building 10,000 eco-homes by 2016 will be real-time test of the recent Royal Academy of Engineering's warning that the UK is suffering a skills shortage on environmentally-friendly building.


Category:  Company Updates

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