WIREDGOV

Work is well underway on a £5 million affordable eco housing scheme to deliver 49 new eco properties for the families of Upton in Pontefract.

Yorkshire Housing working with Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and the Homes and Communities Agency are pleased to announce that construction is on schedule and homes will be completed in early October 2011.

34 homes will available for social rent and 15 homes will be available to purchase on shared ownership or for intermediate rent.

The properties have been built on brownfield land in Upton, near Pontefract. The land has previously been used for housing built after the First World War that was demolished in the 1980s.

All of the properties are being constructed to meet Level 4 & 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes which means they will all be 25% more energy efficient than a home built in 2006.
Mervyn Jones, Chief Executive at Yorkshire Housing, said:

'We are delighted that work on the site is well underway. It's great that we can reclaim this land for much needed housing and put it back into use for local families.

'These properties are a wonderful example of how through partnership working, Yorkshire Housing is able to deliver modern and environmentally-friendly homes to the people who need them most.'

The layout of the site has been carefully planned to complement the local area, maximise the potential for solar collection and provide clear lines of sight across the scheme to create natural surveillance, an example of crime prevention through design.

All the new homes will benefit from some of the latest eco-technology such as solar roof tiles, high levels of thermal insulation, heat recovery systems, dedicated energy efficient light fittings and recycling facilities so the homes can generate their own power and keep fuel costs low for prospective tenants.

Even the construction is environmentally friendly with measures in place to reduce building waste, carbon outputs and use environmentally friendly materials.

Cllr Denise Jeffery, Wakefield Council's Deputy Leader with responsibility for regeneration and economic growth, said:

'This is much needed affordable housing for the district and I am really pleased to see work underway.  Not only is the scheme bringing new housing which is eco-friendly, but it is also regenerating an old site that has been abandoned for many years.'

Chris Kwasniewski, project manager for the HCA said:
'The residents of Upton will benefit from our £2.66 million investment in this scheme that has helped fund these homes. Yorkshire Housing is delivering a mix of house types will ensure that local people will not only have the homes they want and can afford but also where they want to live.'

For further information please contact Rachael Wheatstone, Press Officer on 01904 754485 or email Rachael.Wheatstone@yorkshirehousing.co.uk or Tom Hustler, communications manager at the Homes and Communities Agency 0113 394 9355 / tom.hustler@hca.gsx.gov.uk

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Notes to editors:

• Properties available for shared ownership and intermediate rent will be provided by My4walls a subsidiary of Yorkshire Housing.
• Intermediate rent and shared ownership properties are available to tenants who earn less than £60,000 but do not qualify for social rent. Properties are rented at below market rental levels whilst the tenant saves money with a view to purchasing the property.
• Additionally tenants have the assurance that the home is built, managed and let by a Registered Social Landlord.
• The Code for Sustainable Homes is a standard for key elements of design and construction which affect the sustainability of a new home.  The code is intended as a single national standard to guide industry in the design and construction of sustainable homes. It is means of driving continuous improvement, greater innovation and exemplary achievement in sustainable home building. The code rates homes from one to six. 30 homes at Shinwell will be built to level four and 19 homes will be built to level five.
• Breakdown of homes being constructed:
  For social rent
• 9 x two bed homes
• 22 x three bed homes
• 3 x four bed homes
  For shared ownership and/or intermediate rent
• 7 x two bed homes
• 8 x three bed homes

Yorkshire Housing is one of the largest social housing providers dedicated to Yorkshire, managing over 15,000 affordable homes and providing a wide range of care and support services across the region.

For more information visit Yorkshire Housing website

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England.

Our vision is to create opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live, by enabling local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas.
 
We achieve this by:

• Understanding the needs and aspirations of people and communities through close working with local authorities on local investment planning
• Enabling local delivery through the channelling of our expertise and investment 
• Working effectively with the market, housebuilders, investors and other stakeholders