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Green houses 'mix style and energy savings'
25/11/10
Edited by Tom Bardsley.Residents have started to move into a development of green houses in Runcorn that aims to mix stylish design with energy-saving measures.
The properties have been delivered by a partnership comprising Halton Borough Council, Liverpool Housing Trust, the Plus Dane Group and builders working with the Homes and Communities Agency.
Around 1,400 unpopular deck access units had previously occupied the site at Keepers Walk in Castlefields. Around two-thirds of these have now been demolished.
They have been replaced by 646 properties that meet level four of the Code for Sustainable Homes, which means they meet government-set targets for cutting carbon emissions and their energy efficiency is around 44 per cent higher than a typical dwelling from 2006.
Green measures including rooftop solar panels and super-insulation in the loft and walls.
The development is being complimented by an £11 million "heart" for the neighbourhood featuring a health centre, community centre, shops and new public space, which will open next year.
Builders are also working on an addition 101 homes for the site.
Councillor Tom McInerney said the development partnership is looking forward to "welcoming many more new families to Castlefields".
The area was originally developed between 1968 and 1972 as a new town to alleviate overcrowding in Merseyside.
