Unique sustainable housing scheme unveiled in South Staffordshire

Unique sustainable housing scheme unveiled in South Staffordshire

The initiative, The Clay Street Project, led by West Midlands-based housing organisation Housing Plus, was developed to accurately compare the sustainability of three very different properties. One of the properties was built in the 1930s and has been upgraded to reach Decent Homes Standard with a gas boiler and traditional radiators. The second is of a similar age to the first, but it has been retrofitted and the third is a new build home. 

The retrofit and new build homes include a series of eco-friendly features including floor, roof and internal insulation; windows that are 20 per cent better at retaining heat than current building regulations; exhaust air heat recovery supplemented by solar panels and inclusion of extensive glazing to achieve the benefits of solar gain. All this has been achieved while working within confines of planning and conservation, using eco-friendly products that are still cost-effective and can potentially be used in all improvement programmes.

The project that was backed by both South Staffordshire Council and the Homes and Communities Agency will measure the fuel efficiency and emissions from the three homes to establish what environmental results can be achieved at reasonable costs, considering real-world restrictions and what cost savings can be achieved for our customers. These findings can then help inform Housing Plus’ future housing investment plans and those of others. It will also help to raise awareness and reduce energy bills for our customers.

Debbie Griffiths, chief executive of Housing Plus, comments: “We are very proud to be unveiling the Clay Street Project along with South Staffordshire Council and the Homes and Communities Agency, both of whom have been critical to the success of this project.” 

“We take the energy agenda very seriously and this comparison will act as a resource to shape our new developments and inform us about our existing 5000 homes. Most importantly, as our residents and homebuyers are at the heart of everything we do, this project should also have a direct impact on their pockets’ by reducing energy bills.”

As well as using eco-friendly building materials and fittings from local suppliers – such as water-based paint, dual flush toilets and solar panels – the homes are also designed to encourage good practise in their residents, by providing recycling bins, a 200 litre recycled plastic water butt and composting bins.

Michael Ciotkowski, Advantage West Midlands’ building technologies cluster manager, said: “With the Government aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, it’s important to recognise that cutting domestic emissions are crucial to reaching this target. There are initiatives across the Heart of England dedicated to creating low-carbon living, such as the Sustainable Public Buildings Project. What’s more, the region has many strengths in the technologies needed to address this environmental impact, and Clay Street demonstrates the reality of this work. The project is the first of its kind, and sets an example to other housing associations and companies that wish to build and refurbish homes that can be used in an energy-efficient way for years to come.“

David Bellamy commented “An oasis of common sense and community endeavour!”