Accord Housing Association has secured planning permission for a development of virtually plastic-free affordable homes on the site of a former factory carpark in Redditch.
The development on Edwards Street forms part of a £25m regeneration scheme of affordable housing from Accord within the town centre.
The 12 one-bedroom apartments are being built using modern methods of construction from Accord’s LoCaL Homes factory in Walsall, which provides traditional and closed panel, timber-frame systems.
Carl Taylor, assistant director new business at Accord said: “We have been investing in low -arbon housing solutions for many years. Our aim for these homes is to develop a low-carbon, low-plastic model for providing affordable homes on a large scale.”
The new homes will have a high-end finish with plastic free alternatives installed such as wooden kitchen units and window frames, wiring using a mineral-based insulation rather than the usual plastic and solar thermal heating systems which will provide low running costs.
Taylor added: “By reducing the use of materials that are not good for the environment both during manufacture and construction, we can change how we manufacture our homes, providing a more sustainable solution for future housing.”
The project, which is the first of its kind in the UK, is the result of partnership working with Redditch Borough Council, and is part of the CHARM (Circular Housing Asset Renovation & Management) partnership, made up of representatives from four European countries the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The project has received £1.2m EU funding from the INTERREG North West Europe funding partnership, allowing Accord to research the reduction and removal of plastic in a real-world, large-scale project; paving the way for a future of plastic free construction.
Work is due to start on site in September 2020 and is expected to be completed by March 2022.
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https://housingdigital.co.uk/accord-announces-changes-to-executive-team/