26 March 2010
Hastoe Housing Association is delighted to announce that the first rural social housing scheme to be assessed for Passivhaus certification has been given the go ahead following agreement to grant funding from the Homes & Communities Agency this week.
The scheme, in Wimbish, Essex, was given detailed planning approval – subject to S106 – in mid January of this year by Uttlesford District Council. Comprising fourteen properties, the scheme will include ten homes for rent and four shared ownership properties. 
Hastoe carried out the housing needs survey which identified a strong local need and contacted the landowner following initial meetings with Wimbish Parish Council. Chairman of the Parish Council, Mike Young, said: "There is a desperate need for affordable housing in our village so we are delighted that the scheme is going ahead. We had asked that the homes be as environmentally friendly as possible and Hastoe have exceeded our expectations with plans to build to Passivhaus standards".
Sue Chalkley, Chief Executive of Hastoe said: “This Passivhaus scheme is a perfect reflection of Hastoe’s commitment to innovation and to the rural and climate protection agendas. It is a very exciting scheme and we will all learn a lot from it.”
Hastoe is working in partnership with two expert organisations on the project. Chris Parsons from the architects Parsons & Whittley, said: “This is an extremely exciting project to be involved in and we are very pleased with the way that the Parish Council and the local community has responded to our design ideas. It is important that this scheme integrates into the landscape and sits comfortably within its surroundings. ”
Technical and consultancy advice comes from sustainability in the built environment specialists Inbuilt, one of just twenty organisations worldwide accredited by the Passivhaus Institut in Germany to certify Passivhaus buildings. Paul Smyth, Passivhaus Manager at Inbuilt, added: “Passivhaus is the common-sense approach to delivering low energy, healthy and comfortable buildings. It integrates with the Code for Sustainable Homes and achieves excellent results for organisations like Hastoe who are committed to sustainable development.”
As the land to be developed is on a greenfield site, the scheme is being built under the exception site policy to address local housing need. It will provide affordable housing for local people in perpetuity as people will need strong local connections to be housed and no-one will be able to buy more than 80% of their home.
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For more information please contact: Rebecca Beaumont on 020 8973 0437 or rbeaumont@hastoe.com
- Passivhaus is a design methodology for ultra low-energy buildings, promoted by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt, Germany. There are about 12,500 Passivhaus buildings worldwide, the vast majority of them in Germany and Austria, and the approach is rapidly growing in popularity in the UK as developers and designers consider their options to meet the Government's zero carbon targets.
- Hastoe Housing Association Limited is a not-for-profit organisation that owns and manages over 4,000 homes in southern England for affordable housing through letting and shared ownership. Half of these homes are in rural areas. Hastoe works closely with its residents to ensure it provides sustainable homes in sustainable communities.
- Inbuilt is the UK's leading consultancy specialising purely in the research, design and delivery of sustainable built environments. It focuses on three core areas of expertise: strategic sustainability consultancy, low and zero carbon buildings and renewable energy consultancy. Closely linked to these activities, it also provides training, Passivhaus certification, design and technical services and research into all areas of sustainability. Further information can be found at:
www.inbuilt.co.uk
- Parsons & Whittley is an award winning architectural practice based in Swaffham, Norfolk. Currently with a team of 7 the practice is experienced in all types of buildings, with a project list ranging from private residences through housing and property development, to commercial projects such as office developments and car showrooms. Being rurally based, it has also undertaken an extensive range of agricultural building conversion work. Further information can be found at
www.parsonswhittley.co.uk