Plans for Eco Village Unveiled

Plans have been unveiled for a carbon neutral eco-village near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire by architects HSSP.

This extraordinary project includes some stunning house designs, built into the landscape. They will all be designed to the highest level of energy efficiency (Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes) and will be powered and heated by an anerobic digester, which will turn green waste including grass cuttings and animal waste into electricity. Making almost no noise, it will also produce fertilizer for local farms.

The huge amount of heat and energy that it is expected to produce will be fed back into the national grid and used to generate income for the project. Surface water will be collected and used to flush toilets and water gardens. Any waste water will be directed to the digester.

This ambitious scheme hopes to blaze a trail for future eco projects, setting a national precedent for sustainable living, with a visitor centre to show how it’s done. Nearly half the 49 homes will be available for rent at affordable levels.

The initial house designs are exceptional and in my view show that the best way to design eco-friendly houses is to start from scratch, rather than the alternative approach taken by some volume housing developers, who struggle to adapt traditional designs to the 21st century’s new ways of living. I hope that the financiers and planners who have to back the scheme will not be tempted to water them down.

More details can be found at www.hssparchitects.co.uk