Passivhaus social housing scheme in Wimbish gets go ahead
The first rural social housing scheme to be assessed for
Passivhaus certification has been given the go ahead following
agreement to grant funding from the Homes & Communities Agency
this month. Inbuilt is providing Passivhaus
services on the project.
The scheme by Hastoe Housing Association in Wimbish, Essex, was
given detailed planning approval, subject to S106, in January by
Uttlesford District Council. Comprising 14 properties, the scheme
will include 10 homes for rent and four shared ownership
properties.
Hastoe carried out the housing needs survey which identified a
strong local need and contacted the landowner following initial
meetings with Wimbish Parish Council. Chairman of the Parish
Council, Mike Young, said: "There is a desperate need for
affordable housing in our village so we are delighted that the
scheme is going ahead. We had asked that the homes be as
environmentally friendly as possible and Hastoe have exceeded our
expectations with plans to build to Passivhaus standards".
Sue Chalkley, Chief Executive of Hastoe said: "This Passivhaus
scheme is a perfect reflection of Hastoe's commitment to innovation
and to the rural and climate protection agendas. It is a very
exciting scheme and we will all learn a lot from it."
Hastoe is working in partnership with two expert organisations
on the project. Chris Parsons from the architects Parsons &
Whittley, said: "This is an extremely exciting project to be
involved in and we are very pleased with the way that the Parish
Council and the local community has responded to our design ideas.
It is important that this scheme integrates into the landscape and
sits comfortably within its surroundings. "
Technical and consultancy advice comes from Inbuilt, one of just
20 organisations worldwide accredited by the Passivhaus Institut in
Germany to certify Passivhaus buildings. Paul Smyth, Passivhaus
Manager at Inbuilt, added: "Passivhaus is the common-sense approach
to delivering low energy, healthy and comfortable buildings. It
integrates with the Code for Sustainable Homes and achieves
excellent results for organisations like Hastoe who are committed
to sustainable development."
As the land to be developed is on a greenfield site, the scheme
is being built under the exception site policy to address local
housing need. It will provide affordable housing for local people
in perpetuity as people will need strong local connections to be
housed and no-one will be able to buy more than 80% of their
home.