Beechfield, Torquay

Awarded Gold in the 'Best Starter Home' category at the What House? Awards 2013 Click link for full story.

Through means of sustainable construction, the project will achieve a low carbon footprint for the community as a whole and will minimise residents' home running costs.  The new homes are designed to meet levels 3, 4 and 5 of the governments 'Code for Sustainable Homes'.  This will be the highest level of housing to date and will meet certain criteria's in seven key areas - energy, water, surface water management, site waste management, household waste management, use of materials and lifetime homes.

See for yourself how the project progressed:

The site comprises of 140 homes and affordable homes represent two thirds and include homes for older people, wheelchair adapted flats and houses, shared ownership homes, flats targeted towards key workers and family homes for rent.  The remaining properties are available on the open housing market.

All Code 5 homes have photovoltaic cells, smart meters, solar panels, rainwater recycling and permeable paving, high U values, excellent air tightness significant levels of insulation and triple glazing.  Photovoltaic cells generate electricity for the residents and the solar energy generated provides them with hot water, these combined with very high levels of insulation will result in significantly reduced running costs.

Read more about how the new community is taking shape at Beechfield