A grand, green design for rural England
Builders - 13/07/2006 12:18:32
The hills of Somerset are to be the focal point of a proposed new building project designed to suit a major social and environmental experiment.
Channel 4 presenter Kevin McCloud, who fronts the architectural series Grand Design, told local reporters that he is looking to the green acres of the Mendips to establish a new community, based around energy-efficient housing.
Kevin has been in contact with the district council about his plans, which he insists are planned on a budget but will nonetheless produce houses of notable beauty.
And he informed This is Somerset that there are two compelling reasons why such a high-stakes project has to work out.
"First, I'm borrowing plenty of money so if it doesn't work there will be financial problems and second, it must make a profit to prove the case to developers that it is worth building better homes," Kevin claimed.
At the moment, the presenter plans to enlist builders for the construction of 50 new homes over the coming few years, with some of the properties falling within the social housing sector, but others offered at affordable prices on the commercial market.
As buildings designed to fit the green agenda, they will be heavily insulated, with rainwater harvesting and links to a district heating system fuelled with wood pellets.
Residents wanting to begin their own construction projects could compare deals and prices from a range of local builders'
firms.