HOUSEBUILDER TO BUILD ZERO CARBON HOMES ONLY FROM NEXT YEAR

Gloucester-based Newland Homes has launched a new strategy to build zero carbon homes from the end of this year.

The company, which turns over more than £60 million annually, revealed its plans alongside an announcement that it is to build 22 low carbon and zero carbon properties on the former plant nursery site at Kidnappers Lane in Cheltenham.

This latest development follows its first zero carbon homes development in Tickenham, North Somerset, where the company is currently building 32 detached homes fitted with technology such as air source heat pumps and high-performance solar panels. It’s also building 43 zero carbon homes at Chapmanslade near Frome. Properties have been orientated to maximise solar gain and will be constructed with high levels of insulation.

Newland Homes’ Development Director, Jeremy Drew, said: “More people are realising that low or zero carbon homes are not just nice to have, but increasingly important.”

But building a zero-carbon home is a significant extra cost that can add up to 10 per cent to the build cost of each house, according to Jeremy. This might be one of the reasons that the bigger housebuilders have yet to commit to building low or zero carbon homes in quantities.

“As an independent housebuilder, we don’t have a more senior central board analysing our margins,” said Jeremy. “We have secure funding streams through our banks and if we decide we want to spend more on building zero carbon homes we don’t have to ask anyone.”

However, what Newland Homes or any of the other housebuilders don’t know yet is how much customers will value zero carbon homes.

“We believe there is a genuine desire and appetite for eco housing,” said Jeremy. “But few housebuilders are offering them, and customers often find themselves the victims of “greenwashing” when they view a new property.

“A sales centre on a large site may have solar panels, aerating taps, bat boxes and water butts but if they ask, customers discover these are not always standard on the other houses.”

Newland Homes began adapting to zerocarbon homes two years ago, said Jeremy. “I asked our technical department if we put in high spec solar panels and air source heat pumps, what more did we have to do to build a carbon zero home. Obviously, we have to provide quite a lot of solar panels, but together with some further insulation improvements, zero carbon can be achieved.”

Most Newland Homes are not yet built using timber frames, Jeremy admits, because they are more expensive and the labour force which understands how to build them is smaller. But the developer continues to assess all the components of the house and wants to partner with others who are also moving towards zero carbon.

“As we get our zero-carbon product in place, and we understand better how the customer values it, we will adopt further carbon neutral policies. We are following the United Nations’ initiative Carbon Neutral Now, where people commit to making their carbon footprint less and report yearly on their progress,” he said. “We were inspired to do so by Stride Treglown, a leading architectural practice we work with.”

Jeremy hopes that the standards set by smaller, traditional housebuilders such as Newland Homes, will in time be followed by the bigger housebuilders. “It’s the nudge theory,” he said. “Once we start it, others are likely to adopt the same policies once they can see the financial and social benefit.”