Zero carbon homes planned for Hempsted, Gloucester

By Nicky Godding

12 August 2020

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A Gloucester house builder has submitted a planning application to build three carbon zero homes in the village of Hempsted, next to its successful developments of the architect-designed homes of Newark Barns and the popular Newark Meadows.

The homes, to be built by Newland Homes which will be off Hempsted Lane, will be amongst the first in the county to hold such a rating and the site has been planned so that the homes are positioned in a way which, together with high levels of insulation, makes the best use of solar energy and photovoltaic panels. Green roofs, highly efficient non fossil fuel heating systems and ventilation all contribute to these homes achieving a zero carbon standard.

Residents will benefit from electric car charging points and vegetable gardens to help reduce carbon emissions as part of daily life.

Along with most local authorities, Gloucestershire County Council and Gloucester City Council both last year declared a ‘Climate Emergency’. With the goal to achieve the status of being carbon neutral by 2050, combined with nearly one third of Gloucestershire’s carbon emissions coming from homes, Newland Homes’ application supports local ambitions.

Jeremy Drew, Design Director for Newland Homes, said: “The UK is legally committed to 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050, so by reducing – and even eliminating – carbon waste from homes we can each make a positive impact to achieve this.

“Producing homes that are as sustainable as possible is a key concern for us. Government Construction Regulation changes are slow to emerge, and when they do usually leave a lot of wriggle room that enable developers to meet the changes without really changing their ways. Nevertheless, at Newland Homes we have already decided that many of our sites will not have carbon generating gas boilers. We fit highly efficient Air Source Heat Pumps, and a generous array of high efficiency solar panels.

“We believe that if we are to achieve being carbon neutral by 2050 we must demonstrate that housing developers can rise to the challenge of Zero Carbon. Our three architect-designed homes at Hempsted, which are taking the next steps in efficiency and sustainability, will not only help to give us the knowledge and experience of developing the homes of the future, but it enables Planning Authorities to use us as an example to say ‘yes it can be done by speculative developers, and not just one-off plots’.

“We hope that these homes will open the way to more, and better, developer-built new homes that minimise harmful greenhouse gas emissions.”

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.