While Futures is on a strategic path to upgrade all its existing homes to at least energy performance certificate (EPC) level C by 2023, we’re also pushing the making sure that new developments and other major projects deliver much more sustainable, and cheaper to live in homes.
Two projects that demonstrate this during the year include our major refurbishment of the former Mountbatten House in Daventry and a brand new development of new homes in West Bridgford in Nottingham.
Mountbatten House, on the Southbrook Estate, was originally built as small one-bedroom and studio flats. Lack of demand for this type of accommodation together with ongoing antisocial behaviour from some of the residents led us to decide to refurbish and remodel the building to create larger homes better suited to couples and young families in a view to create a more stable and lasting community. We also found some major issues in the building that needed addressing and so took to the strategic decision to invest heavily in the long-term sustainability of the building, while also making the homes cheaper to heat.
As a result of installing solar electricity panels, improved insulation and high retention storage heaters, the 21 new one- and two-bedroom flats in the renamed Ocean House now meet the top EPC rating A. This means the building is highly efficient and that residents will have more comfortable and significantly cheaper to heat homes. The first customers are due to move in during summer 2024.
Meanwhile, over in West Bridgford, Futures has acquired 21 new homes at Abbey Road in a £3m deal with Peveril Homes Ltd. Sixteen of the properties will be let at affordable rent rates and the other five made available for shared ownership. These beautiful new homes all reach ECP A or B through incorporating photovoltaic solar panels, heat pumps, underfloor heating and mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems.
And our plans for more sustainable homes don’t stop there. Plans have now been submitted to redevelop our Station Court scheme in Woodford Halse into a low-carbon, highly energy efficient family housing scheme. In fact all our new homes meet at least ECP level B and will comply with the new Future Homes Standard once finalised.
