Livv Homes, part of Livv Housing Group, is developing 15 new affordable homes in Westvale, Kirkby, which will become a pilot to explore the short- to mid-term impact of moving to a net zero development programme.
As the country works towards meeting government legislation to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Livv’s new Copthorne Walk site in Kirkby — which will comprise a mixture of semi-detached houses and one-bedroom apartments — will adopt a ‘fabric first approach’ whilst using a variety of energy-efficient systems.
The site will be developed with three different energy efficiency specifications. This includes delivering to the assumptions to be set for the new Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations, delivered with and without gas heating systems, as well as delivering to the assumptions attached to the proposed Future Homes Standards using Air Source Heat Pump heating systems.
The project aims to explore the implications of the expected changes in legislation on the road to net zero and the pilot will provide a live analysis of the impact and solutions required to deliver improvements to carbon reduction in the future.
To support its research, the housing association will be working in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, who will present a series of learned experiences at the end of the pilot.
Yvonne Westhead-Fyles, Director of Development at Livv Housing Group, said: “Housing contributes to about one fifth of all UK emissions therefore we can expect significant changes to building regulations and the services provided, such as the efficiency of heating and hot water technologies, if government targets are to be met.
“By being proactive, the pilot will allow us to understand the likely impact of emerging changes to legislation and what this means to the type of design and technologies that will need to be adopted for future new-build developments, in the short- to medium-term. We will also be able to gain insight into the maintenance regimes and costs to service new technologies.
“We will be working very closely with our customers once they’re living in the homes to review their perceptions of comfort, ease of use and control and importantly, the impact of carbon improvements to their fuel bills. As we at Livv begin our drive to become a net zero business, this trial is fundamental for us, and the learned experiences can be used to inform a full net zero pilot in the future.”
Jay Quadrio, Director at SEP Construction Services, commented: “SEP Construction Services understands the importance of creating homes that are sustainable for the future and one of the important factors within the sustainability agenda is the use of new technologies and construction materials and methods to produce homes that are efficient to heat and maintain. Therefore, we are both excited and privileged to be involved within this important project with Livv and LJMU, which will provide real data on how best to develop efficient homes for the future.”
Delivered by SEP Construction Services Ltd, the construction of Copthorne Walk is now underway, and the development is due to be completed in Spring 2023. The pilot will then run for 12 months.
Header image shows Yvonne Westhead-Fyles (Director of Development at Livv), Jay Quadrio (Director at SEP Construction), Carole Dowd (Senior Project Officer at Livv) and Jak Corrie (Site Manager at SEP Construction) on site as work at Copthorne Walk gets underway.
