WDH’s newly completed Park Dale project, the UK’s largest “Zero Carbon” housing development, was officially opened on Wednesday 2 November 2011 at Airedale in Castleford. The ribbon to open the 91-home project was cut by local TV weatherman and passionate green technology advocate Paul Hudson.
Part funded by the Homes and Community Agency (HCA), designed by NPS Group Property Design and Management Services and built in partnership with Keepmoat, each one of the 91 homes will use a ground-breaking combination of energy-saving and carbon-reducing features that will make the new estate the biggest-ever “Zero Carbon” social housing scheme in the country.
Every one of the two, three and four-bedroom homes have mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems, solar photovoltaic panels that enable the landlord to sell power back to the National Grid, superior levels of internal air tightness and grey water recycling as well as many more energy-saving features.
Homes in the new neighbourhood will draw heat from its own “Eco Centre” – a district biomass heating system that will be powered by renewable wood pellets produced in Yorkshire.
Energy savings are expected to be equally impressive. Tenants will save significant amounts of money each year on household energy bills, with water bills reduced by using recycled water to flush toilets. Residents of the scheme and in the local area will be invited to learn how to make these savings through sessions held at the specially designed “Eco Centre”.
WDH Chief Executive Kevin Dodd commented: “WDH is very proud to have created the UK’s largest Zero Carbon social housing development. In addition to the creative look of the homes, they offer fantastic savings on energy bills. The entire project has had some outstanding benefits for the local community, including the WDH apprentices who learned many skills while working on the site.”
Click here to find out more about Wakefield and District Housing and the Park Dale project
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