Parkway Green Opens Brooklands Gardens

Published by Toby Belshaw for Parkway Green Housing Trust in Housing and also in Communities

Parkway Green’s first new build scheme of 11 bungalows ‘Brooklands Gardens’ welcomed its new residents in November 2011 ahead of schedule.

The 2-bedroom homes are designed for residents over the age of 55, and benefit from enhanced internal space standards and improved accessibility as part of Manchester City Council’s ‘Design for Access 2’ standard.

Customers have had a high degree of input into the project and have been able to select floor finishes, wall tiles, kitchens and doors, the bungalows have been allocated to free up 10 family homes, including one 6 bed room home.

The project will also achieve a ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’ rating of Level 3, by the incorporation of a number of energy and water reduction measures, including high levels of insulation, heat recovery systems, whole house ventilation and energy monitoring devices.

This will contribute to a significant reduction in customers’ energy bills, as well as to Parkway Green’s commitment to the improved environmental performance of their housing stock.

Solar PV panels have also been installed to a number of the bungalows, and the income arising from the electricity they generate will be re-invested into future Parkway Green projects and off set service lighting charges.

Work began back in April on the site of the former Brooklands Trade & Labour Club on Carrswood Road and has been supported with funding from the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) and delivered through JV North. This is Parkway Green’s first completed scheme and helped mark their 5^th Anniversary since transfer.

Chief Executive Nigel Wilson said, “ I’m delighted that the Trust’s first new builds homes are now occupied-  Through this project we’ve been able to address our commitment to sustainable communities and economies in a number of different ways: We had a number of our own apprentice joiners, electricians and heating engineers working on this project and we also asked our contractor Bramall Construction to employ local labour, from the M22 and M23 postcode areas and both initiatives have been a great success.”