Good progress is being made on the development of a new energy-efficient retirement living scheme in the Northumberland village of Ponteland.
Karbon Homes’ £5.5m ‘Athol House’ scheme on Callerton Lane will provide 34, much-needed affordable apartments for over 55s, with one- and two-bed homes available for a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership.
The scheme will benefit from a communal green heating system, powered by commercial air source heat pumps, which will supply the communal areas of the scheme and each apartment with underfloor heating and hot water.
Zoey Hawthorne, Assistant Director of Development Delivery at Karbon Homes, said: “We’re delighted to bring these much-needed apartments to Ponteland and have worked hard to create a scheme which meets the needs of the local community.
“We’re particularly excited about the inclusion of a low carbon heating system, which will not only help residents save money on their energy bills but will also significantly reduce carbon emissions produced by the scheme. This is the first time we’ve incorporated a heating system of this kind into a new scheme, and is part of our aim to provide greener, more sustainable and efficient housing.”
The scheme is being constructed by EQUANS, a leader in providing construction, energy and zero carbon solutions, with the Athol House scheme an ideal combination of the company’s skills in building energy-efficient apartments heated by environmentally-friendly technology.
Louise Buckton, New Build Director at Equans, said: “We’re delighted that our relationship with Karbon Homes can extend not just to constructing Athol House — which will provide stylish, high-quality apartments in Ponteland — but also supporting them in introducing green technologies as part of the project.
“Not only will the air source heat pumps reduce the carbon footprint of the development, the cleaner source of heating will also help residents save money on their fuel bills. With the current cost of living crisis, any small part we can play in supporting residents is one we’ll take.”
Karbon Homes has received funding from Homes England to bring the new Athol House scheme to fruition.
Header image: Sara Armstrong, Project Manager at Karbon Homes, on site at the new Athol House development with (right to left) Louise Buckton, New Build Director at EQUANS, Gary Hall, Project Manager at EQUANS and Shaun Sinclair, Project Manager at Hall and Partners.
