We aim to build homes to the highest environmental standards - they have been designed to the internationally respected PassivHaus standard. This mean they will be so well insulated that they will only need one radiator each, and energy bills will be minimal. The radiators will be heated by a wood-fired district heating system.

We will have solar water heating and photovoltaics and a wood stove in the common house. Most of our electricity will come direct from a proposed hydro scheme on the nearby weir. The homes will have plenty of natural light and gain heat from the sun.

We will be using natural or recycled building materials with an emphasis on aesthetics and durability and avoiding PVC, formaldehyde etc. The common house will have a green roof. We will have our own small food garden overlooking the river.

We will think beyond the buildings in terms of environmental impacts. We will have a car share scheme and organic vegetable deliveries for example. Shared facilities will mean that some things, from washing machines to lawnmowers do not need to be owned by every household.

In all, we want to design a neighbourhood where it is very easy to live a sustainable lifestyle.

A community built on ecological values - What does this mean in practice? (14Kb)