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Show homes at Hanham Hall complete |
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16 Aug 2012, 6:26 PM
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The first development resulting from the 'Carbon Challenge', launched several years ago by the Labour government, to produce prototype 'eco-towns' is due to unveil three show homes on Saturday. The furnished dwellings demonstrate a host of green and energy-saving features.
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At the centre of the development is the refurbished grade two listed Hanham Hall, which will be divided into 11 separate spaces and let to businesses, hopefully including a creche, shop and cafe.
It will also include a sustainable living centre housing an exhibition about the scheme and the materials and methods used in construction. To further explain the technology involved, each new householder will receive an explanatory DVD.
The project has suffered various setbacks since Barratt's Bristol based entry to the Carbon Challenge was selected as one of the winners. The recession took its toll and uncertainty over the exact definition of the zero-carbon standard to which the homes aspired also slowed progress. Once this issue was resolved, albeit by watering down the original tight specifications, work could proceed, and the originally envisaged central power plant was no longer necessary.
Hanham Hall and another site in Peterborough are the only ones to survive, but Barratt construction manager Bob Haycock is confident his project has set a new benchmark.
Mr Haycock said: “There is a big interest from Government in what we are doing here and there are Government bodies we are working with to provide a guide for future construction techniques. Barratt is leading the way.”
The 185 new homes range from one to five bedrooms, with prices from £125,000 to £400,000. The are 12 acres of open space including “kick-about” areas, children’s playgrounds, communal greenhouses and gardens, plus allotments.
To demonstrate the technology used in construction at Hanham Hall, one show home has been finished with glass sections revealing layers used to construct the floor and walls, while a glass cylinder in the shower holds the amount of water an average household will save through the use of the rain harvesting system.
A lack of steps at the back and front entrances and wide doorways mean there is easy access for wheelchairs, while each show home has at least one bedroom and a shower room on the ground floor.
By November, the first houses will be ready to move in, with everything on site expected to be completed by March 2015.
“Interest in the new homes ahead of launch has been unprecedented and we are looking forward to taking the first reservations this weekend,’’ Barratt's sales manager commented “I have no doubt Hanham Hall will appeal to a wide range of people and we are delighted to be able to officially launch the development.’’
Hanham Hall, which is owned by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), aims to create a high quality energy efficient and modern development on the site, with a mix of homes for sale and for rent through local housing providers.
The launch event will be held on Saturday August 18 with the doors opening at 12 noon
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