You may have seen that Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust are building new homes on Cumberland Street opposite Sainsburys. The block of eight new two bedroomed apartments is on track to be completed in June 2010. The flats will provide high quality, affordable rented housing, but did you know that they will also be some of the most eco-friendly homes in the North West?

The apartments will feature a range of environmentally friendly features, including ventilation systems designed to cut down traffic noise, solar panels to generate electricity, improved insulation in the walls, floor and roof, energy efficient boilers and water saving features.

We are aiming to reduce carbon emissions from the new homes by up to 44% and this will in turn help new residents to reduce their annual household bills. In fact, the new homes will be so efficient that they will be the first development in the North West to meet Level 4 of the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes, which measures the environmental impact of new homes.

So not only will the new development help to meet housing need, we’re also hoping it’ll do its bit to help the planet!