Developers lead through green example

South West Eco-Homes hopes that its example will spur on more green developments and is urging the government to do more to encourage green building.

The company is aiming to prove that environmentally-sustainable housing is feasible and is to build its first development in Langport, Somerset.

With an estimated 400,000 homes needing to be built in the south-west, it is hoped that the project will set a benchmark for future construction in the region and similar developments have been planned for Devon and Dorset, reports the Western Morning News.

“All of the techniques we have used have been around for some time, but no one is using them as a total package,” Charles Couzens, director of South West Eco-Homes, said.

Viridis is working closely with developers to establish renewable energy but Peter Moore said at recent at an industry presentation that “Part of the reason for slow progress is that the building industry is very slow to accept change, and also partly down to the government not doing enough to encourage environmentally-friendly building techniques,”.

The homes will incorporate design features such as toilets that flush with rainwater, solar-powered water heating and windows that are specially placed to absorb the heat of the sun.

The building project has won the support of the World Wildlife Fund, which argued that if all housing developments were built along the same principles then carbon emissions could be cut by 30 per cent.

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