16.07.08 - 20 new homes for Wiveliscombe

Mayor of Taunton Deane, Councillor, Tim Slattery, kindly undertook the honours and officially opened Magna West Somerset Housing Association’s (MWS) 20 new homes at Allenslade in Wiveliscombe this Friday, 11th July.

Many guests took the opportunity to view this attractive development which consists of 13 homes for rent and 7 under shared ownership scheme. The latter providing an all important opportunity for local people to get on the home ownership ladder.

MWS worked closely with the Local Parish and District Councillors throughout the project which has since been assessed under the Eco Homes scheme and achieved an Excellent rating. Timberframed construction along with additional insulation, hardwood windows, a solar powered hot water system and low energy lighting all went towards achieving this accreditation.

Councillor Slattery said, “This project clearly demonstrates another excellent example of partnership working between Magna West Somerset and Taunton Deane Borough Council, working together to make a real difference to people’s lives.

“This is an excellent way in which to celebrate Magna West Somerset’s 10th anniversary and bodes well for the next 10 years.”

NOTES:

EcoHomes is an accreditation system that was brought in by the Housing Corporation and the Building Research Establishment in April 2000. Its aim is to drive forward ‘green’ issues with the Housing Association sector by making it a requirement to obtain EcoHomes status in order to obtain grant funding. EcoHomes assesses a development by considering seven areas; energy, transport, pollution, materials, water, ecology and land use, health and well-being and management of the site and security issues. There are four levels of accreditation; pass, good, very good and excellent.

The Housing Corporation is the government agency that funds new affordable homes and regulates housing associations in England.

Building Research Establishment is owned by the BRE Trust, a registered charity with a mission to champion excellence and innovation in the built environment.