HMR homes praised for urban design » Housing » 24dash.com

New Government guidance on what makes the very best in good urban design has praised Housing Market Renewal-supported homes at Selwyn Street in Coppice, Oldham.

The Urban Design Compendium, published by English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation, sets out strategies for creating quality places.

The Selwyn Street development is included as an example of how environmental principles can be applied to smaller sites.

The terrace is formed to avoid overshadowing rear gardens. Roofs face southeast to make the best use of solar panels, which themselves are connected directly to hot water tanks. The panels are expected to provide 90% of hot water in summer and 60% in winter. Wind turbines have been erected on several homes to provide some of their power needs. Water butts installed in the gardens allow rainwater collection.

Pathfinder Director Alastair Graham said, “High standards of energy efficiency is an increasingly important feature of all new housing, and the pathfinder is proud to be taking a lead in illustrating what can be done.

“We are very pleased that the award-winning Selwyn Street houses have been recognised as being amongst the best in urban design nationally. This is the quality we aim to repeat in neighbourhoods across the Pathfinder.”

The development of larger family homes also addresses the housing needs of local people, and has helped to reverse problems of accessibility, security and a low rate of rentals that the neighbourhood had faced.