Solar panels and rainwater recycling for new Worcester homes » Housing » 24dash.com

Solar panels and rainwater recycling are among the energy-saving innovations being planned for a new 103-home development in Worcester.

Last month, councillors gave the green light for the scheme from Nexus Housing, part of the West Mercia Housing Group, on Brickfields Road, Brickfields.

Forty of the homes on a former light industrial site will be sold on the open market, while 38 will be rented through Nexus Housing and 25 offered as shared ownership.

The project, expected to start in the spring, will also feature an office building.

According to recent statistics, the average house price in Worcester is now nearly £175,000. This is forcing some local people to move away to be able to afford a home of their own.

The situation with homes becoming less affordable was highlighted recently when new figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders showed that the proportion of first-time buyers paying prices which make them liable for stamp duty had leapt from 48 per cent to 56 per cent.

By offering 61 per cent of the development as affordable housing, Nexus Housing is tackling the issue head-on.
 
“We are delighted that councillors have backed this scheme, which is going to create more than 100 homes to tackle a housing shortfall in the area,” said Liz Staveley, director of Worcester-based Nexus Housing.

“We carried out a lot of research into the possibilities for the site and it pointed to the fact that, while there were some existing industrial buildings there, it was not feasible to transform them into business starter units. A housing scheme is directly tackling a local need.

“Working with Worcester City Council, we will be adding additional eco features to some of the properties.

“Solar panels are going to be used to help water heating as well as powering internal and external communal lighting in one block. And rainwater is going to be recycled.

“This is on the top of the general measures which will already leave the homes with a “very good” energy efficiency rating, making them cheaper to run for residents.”

A grant from the Housing Corporation has contributed £3 million to the overall costs of the development.