Leigh’s Sustainable Home

AN “unassuming” Leigh home, transformed into “one of the UK’s most sustainable properties” has officially been unveiled by Southend council.

Work started on the home, in Juniper Road, in March, and will now be offered to a family from the council’s housing waiting list, as the first of 110 homes which the council is “retrofitting” with energy saving kits that will make the homes more comfortable for residents, slash energy bills, and protect the environment.

31 per cent of the home’s electrical energy will be generated on site due to the various measures, to be stored in a battery, which will be fitted before residents move in.

With 10 newly fitted solar panels, heating demand is expected to half, which led to the replacement of the existing gas boiler with an electric Air Source Heat Pump.

The house, built in the 1950s, has solid and uninsulated walls, but new insulation added to the loft and external walls, in addition to new draught-free doors and triple-glazed windows complements the fitting of a hot water cylinder, new radiators and heating controls.

It is not only the home that is benefitting from environmental improvements.

In the garden, water is being reused thanks to new HydraLoop equipment which reuses “greywater” from the shower, washing machine and sinks to repurpose it for toilet flushing and garden irrigation.

In addition, hydrorocks have been placed under paved areas around the house to improve flood resilience, whilst surface water is being redirected away from surface water drains.

Most plants in the garden have also been chosen to encourage the health and population of “fundamentally important” pollinator insects.

Meg Davidson, councillor responsible for the environment, said: “While there may be retrofit projects taking place across the country, very few are tackling both house and garden at the same time.

“According to figures from the Energy Performance Certificate, this house should be one of the most sustainable in the UK.

“It’s a fantastic project to be a part of and I’m proud of the council teams involved in developing it. It really proves Southend’s commitment to future-proofing homes and improving water resilience against flood and drought.”

The house will be open for people to view in the coming months, before a family from the council’s housing waiting list moves in.

David Garston, councillor responsible for housing and planning, added: “Visiting the house for the launch, it’s very impressive to see all these features.

“I’m pleased the next phase of the project is to retrofit 110 of the most in-need council owned homes in Southend, working with South Essex Homes and tenants to make sure their homes are energy and water efficient.”

Picture: Launch of the sustainable house.

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