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The South Yorkshire town of Rotherham is pioneering the art of green home development with the construction of 23 timber-framed homes in Henley Rise, Thorn Hill.

Though modest in number, the dwellings are attracting a great deal of attention, being held up as model examples of how private developers can reverse the negative impact UK dwellings have on the environment.

Rotherham council's senior home energy advisor, Paul Maplethorpe, said: "The government has set a series of standards for house-building which will mean that all new-build homes will have to be zero-carbon by the year 2016. The Henley Rise project already hits this standard."

Key features of the green home include building-integrated solar panels that will provide 70 per cent of the electricity and two-thirds of the hot water required by each home.

When combined with other green features such as wind turbines, extra-thick 16in loft insulation, double glazing and timber frames - actually considered carbon negative because of the amount of CO2 they release during harvesting - the Rotherham homes rank as some of the most advanced eco properties in the UK.

According to government statistics, private dwellings are responsible for about 27 per cent of the UK's CO2 emissions.

© Adfero Ltd

Author:  Joanne McCabe

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