A housing association work has started work on the building of almost 100 affordable homes on the outskirts of Thirsk, all of which will be heated using innovative renewable energy technology.
Working with its development partner ENGIE, Broadacres is providing 97 new homes at Sowerby Gateway, following completion of a new access road earlier this year.
The road has paved the way for the final phase of the development at Sowerby Gateway, with 61 being made for affordable rent and 38 for shared ownership. All the homes will be allocated to people with a local connection to the area.
There will also be mixture of homes to benefit a cross section of people, including one-bedroom flats, two-bedroom bungalows, four-bedroom family homes and adapted bungalows for people with disabilities.
The total cost of the scheme is £13.6 million, which includes a grant of £3.9 million from Homes England.
All the properties will be heated using Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) technology.
They extract heat energy from the air in order to warm homes and provide hot water. As well as being environmentally friendly, they are significantly more efficient than traditional heating systems.
Broadacres’ Development and Investment Director Joy Whinnerah said: “We are delighted to have been able to start work on the building of 97 much-needed affordable homes in this part of North Yorkshire.
“The homes will help young people looking to rent or buy their first home, families seeking more space and older people wishing to downsize or because their mobility needs have changed.
“And because we are going to be using the latest state-of-the-art renewable energy technology to heat the properties, it also means the homes will be highly efficient and generally have a lower carbon footprint.”
Councillor Mark Robson, Leader of Hambleton District Council and the representative of the Sowerby and Topcliffe Ward, said: “It’s great to see the final phase of the Sowerby Gateway beginning and for it to be providing a large proportion of much needed affordable homes to help young people get on the housing ladder.”
Louise Buckton, New Build Director at ENGIE, said: “We are very pleased to be working closely with Broadacres as work begins on an innovative project for North Yorkshire.
“In addition to providing a variety of modern, high-quality, homes for prospective residents, Sowerby Gateway will allow tenants to greatly reduce their carbon footprint through the use of Air Source Heat Pumps.
“This modern method of heating is better for the environment, and better for resident’s finances too. ENGIE is delighted to be leading the way in using environmentally-friendly technology to benefit the wider community.”
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