Britain’s first ever ‘carbon negative’ street was unveiled today.
Residents in the 21 timber houses which make up Sinclair Meadows in South Shields can sleep cosily in the knowledge that they live in the most eco-friendly social housing development in the UK.
The grand design has been created by not-for-profit housing provider Four Housing Group and 52 residents, ranging in age from two-weeks-old to pensioners in their 70s, are due to move in this week.
Each of the homes in Sinclair Meadows in South Shields has its own allotment, compost heap and shed to encourage gardening
A zero carbon communal biomass boiler, fed with recycled wood chippings, will provide heating and hot water.
Families living on the street will receive extensive training so they can learn to make the most of their new homes.
The carbon negative homes generate more energy than they need and are made of natural materials like timber, hemp insulation and lime render.
Sinclair Meadows was purpose designed and built to surpass the Government’s definition of zero carbon and to exceed the minimum requirement for Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The properties are currently 20 per cent beyond the current zero carbon
definition, and the landlords say it will be more than 60 per cent beyond the 2013 definition.
Toilets are flushed with rainwater which is collected in underground tanks
after running from the rooftops.
A communal biomass boilers burns wooden pellets to provide heating and hot water for the residents
The homes include switches inside to use harvested rainwater in toilets, and external taps for rainwater
Dawn Keightley, Director of Operations, Four Housing Group, said: 'Sinclair Meadows is unique because it is the first purpose built and designed carbon negative housing scheme on this scale that, within three years of being built, has the ability to remove its own carbon footprint created during construction.'
'Once the development has reached the end of its useful life, the majority of the materials will be reusable, recyclable and biodegradable.
'Residents will be trained in order to make the most of their homes, and they will see greatly reduced energy bills.
'The people who are moving in are currently on the council’s waiting list for
property and we sought to home tenants who expressed a desire to live a green lifestyle.'
The development is made up of 21 properties, with nine three-bedroomed houses and the rest are two-bedroomed properties.
Glass on the building is mainly south facing to trap heat and the solar panels will generate enough ‘clean’ electricity for all of the homes at the development with any surplus energy being exported back to the national grid.
The timber homes include built in bird boxes and even a 'bug hotel'
Each home has its own shed to encourage owners to garden and grow their own fruit and vegetables
The housing complex also has bird boxes, bat boxes, kitchen gardens and a ‘bug hotel’ for the community to look after.
The homes have energy monitoring systems installed which allow the occupiers to see the energy that they are using at any one time, and to make informed decisions about reducing their energy use and saving money.
Dawn Keightley (left), Operations Director of
Four Housing Group pictured with Caryn Innes (right), Development and
Regeneration Manager of Four Housing Group at the development
'These low energy, quality homes offer security and predictability at a time
when fuel costs are volatile, so we also expect our tenants to benefit
financially.'
The houses are also expected to generate significant revenue returns under the Government’s energy efficiency incentives, including the Feed in Tariff and the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive.
Sinclair Meadows in South Shields, South Tyneside is the UK's first carbon negative social housing street
It is hoped the development could become a blueprint for eco homes in the future
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