Delivery of 52 new Passivhaus homes for local people has taken a step forward as part of North Somerset Council’s ambitions to tackle the climate emergency and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
A build lease agreement was exchanged on Friday 18th August 2023 by the council and its chosen developer Stonewood Homes to deliver the scheme on council-owned land to the south of The Uplands in Nailsea.
Construction on the scheme, which will be marketed as ‘Elm Grove’, will start soon and is expected to be fully complete by the end of 2025. A show home is planned for launch in spring 2024 and the first homes are due to be available for occupation by the end of 2024.
The development, which secured planning approval in February 2021, will be a flagship for high quality, sustainable housing and include:
- 20 homes (40%) to meet local demand for affordable housing, including rented and shared ownership, to be managed by Alliance Homes.
- 17 adaptable or accessible homes, which will provide for people with mobility difficulties, or for those who develop them during their lifetimes.
- All 52 homes will be Passivhaus certified, the highest standard of energy efficiency meaning lower carbon and lower energy bills for residents.
- A higher than usual proportion of two-bedroom homes, as well as eight bungalows and features designed to enable home-working and/or downsizing — all intended to help meet local needs.
- All homes are at least 10% bigger than required by National Space Standards.
- Solar panels and electric vehicle charging points in all homes.
The project has been supported by a £557k grant from the Government’s Local Authority Accelerated Construction fund, administered by Homes England, a £147k grant from the One Public Estate Land Release Fund and around £128k in Homes England capacity funding.
Councillor Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council’s Executive Member for Spatial Planning, placemaking and Economy, said: “It’s important for local authorities to lead by example. This scheme demonstrates that it is possible to deliver much-needed affordable housing for local people, while at the same time securing innovative design, quality and improved sustainability. By delivering on the council’s land, at an allocated site, we are helping to reduce pressure for speculative development at unplanned and less sustainable locations.”
Stonewood Homes will be delivering commitments to social value, including creating local employment, apprenticeships, work placements, local contract awards, promotion of local businesses and funding to local schools.
James Petherick, Land and Planning Director at Stonewood Homes Ltd, commented: “We’re delighted to be starting development of Elm Grove. Stonewood Homes is committed to the highest standards of build quality and sustainability. Elm Grove will be an exemplar scheme with what we believe is the largest mixed tenure Passivhaus new housing scheme in the south west of England. Sustainability extends beyond the fabric of these low energy homes; we are also creating open spaces that will encourage community interaction within Elm Grove and the wider community.
“We’ve already received lots of enquiries from potential buyers who are particularly attracted by the environmental credentials of the homes and the overall design of the scheme. We’d like to thank our brilliant consultant team, as well as our partners at North Somerset Council and Alliance Homes.”
Header image: A computer generated image (CGI) to show the plan of the new Elm Grove Passivhaus housing development in Nailsea.
