Ebbw Vale is set to become a hotbed of heat-saving homes after housing the first development of energy efficient accommodation in the UK.
The unique development is part of the Welsh Future Homes project and includes four affordable and highly sustainable houses on the site of the old steel works at Ebbw Vale, now known as The Works.
Wales’ Housing Minister Huw Lewis marked the completion of the project by opening The Lime House, the last of the four homes to be built in the current phase.
The Lime House was built using predominantly Welsh skills, suppliers and products, and both manmade and natural considerations have ensured its status as one of the UK’s most energy-efficient houses. Features include solar panels, south facing glazing to trap the sun’s heat, triple glazed windows, insulation, cladding and a state of the art ventilation heat recovery system
The Lime House will act as an educational resource to showcase the very best in energy-efficient construction and to help the industry develop sustainable housing for the future. The two-bedroom house will then be let to full-time tenants who can take advantage of low running costs through reduced energy bills.
Huw Lewis said:
“The completion of this phase of the Future Homes Project has established Ebbw Vale as the centre of a new sustainable construction industry in Wales and puts the town on the map as housing the only such development in the UK.
“The houses are one-offs and inspire a generation of housing that sets new standards in energy efficiency while being affordable and very cheap to run. They are a fantastic showcase of how far we have come in reaching the dual goal of reducing our energy footprint whilst cutting fuel bills for hard-pressed households.
“This development really sets the bar for future construction projects and I am delighted that Welsh Government funds have been used to ensure its completion.”
Nick Tune, Director of BRE Wales said:
“This project has lead the way in the delivery of low energy housing in Britain, as it is providing a template that developers can use to role out low energy housing at scale. The success of the project is due to the dedicated team of local craftsmen working collaboratively with the client and the design team from the very first day.”
The opening of the Lime House marks the completion of this phase of the Welsh Future Homes project, a partnership between the Welsh Government, United Welsh Housing Association, BRE Wales, Wood Knowledge Wales, Dragonboard and The Works. Others involved in the build include bere:archictects, Pendragon Design and Build Ltd and Holbrook Timber Frame Ltd.
Leader of Blaenau Gwent Council, Councillor Des Hillman says:
“The Welsh Future Homes are one-offs in energy efficient living and I am delighted that the way forward in green living is based here as part of the multi-million pound regeneration of the former steelworks industrial site.
“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, The Works is fast becoming known as a project truly committed to sustainability, green living and changing the way people think about energy efficiency both at work and in the home.
“Of course none of this would be possible without partnership working so I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners in the future homes development including the Welsh Government, BRE and United Welsh Housing Association.”
