Ed Vaizey, MP for Wantage, joined Greencore Construction to celebrate the opening of one of Britain’s most sustainable communities, in Longcot, Oxfordshire
Kings Farm Close in Oxfordshire is a new development of 15 eco-homes, including six affordable homes built to the same high-performance standards in one of the most expensive areas of the UK.
Thanks to an innovative offsite construction system that uses natural materials, all of the homes have near-zero carbon footprints and will benefit from very low energy bills. The One Planet Living framework used to develop Kings Farm Close also means that residents will be encouraged to manage their community to high environmental standards.
The affordable homes will include three two-bedroom homes and one three-bedroom home, let to tenants at below-market rates by Sovereign Housing Association, and two shared ownership homes reserved for local people who want to get onto the property ladder for the first time. Nine further homes adapted through offsite construction will also be coming up for sale in summer 2019.
Local MP, Ed Vaizey, said: “The vast majority of new-build homes in the UK are of bland design, poor build quality and lack basic sustainability credentials. Much of this is to do with national housebuilders refusing to embrace new technologies and construction methods.
“The Kings Farm Close development, however, is a shining example of forward-thinking, modern housebuilding from a team of people who are clearly very committed to bringing sustainable living to everyone – whether you own, part-own or rent your home.”
Each property at Kings Farm Close was prefabricated by Oxfordshire housebuilder Greencore Construction, before being transported to site and assembled by the firm’s build team.
Ian Pritchett, managing director at Greencore Construction, commented: “Greencore has been promoting the use of offsite construction for some time, and we build all our homes in our local factory using natural materials with low embodied carbon. Working in this way means our homes can be completed very quickly and to exceptionally high standards of quality control, all the while having a much lower impact on the environment.”
A fifth of the site’s total area will be shared green space, planted and managed with native trees to support wildlife under a biodiversity plan.
Martin Pike, director of Oxford Advanced Living, added: “This project has allowed us to put into practice all our ideas and determination to create a genuinely sustainable community in Oxfordshire, where the same high performance standards are available to everyone, regardless of whether you’re renting or buying a home.
“We believe that all the residents will be able to enjoy greener and healthier lifestyles at Kings Farm Close, and we look forward to their feedback to help us with future projects.”
