Wrapping up our Rural Housing Week coverage, we unveiled a Passivhaus plaque that celebrates the energy-efficiency of our innovative affordable housing development in Much Wenlock, Shropshire.
Callaughtons Ash residents were joined today by Richard Wooley, Chief Executive of Connexus, David Turner, Shropshire Councillor for Much Wenlock, and other local figures in unveiling a plaque celebrating the Passivhaus energy efficiency standard.The Passivhaus Standard encourages developers to design and build eco-conscious properties with high levels of fuel efficiency and air quality.Local residents cheered as Richard Wooley, Chief Executive of Connexus, of which South Shropshire Housing Association (SSHA) is a part, and Shropshire Councillor for Much Wenlock, David Turner, marked the occasion.
The event also reunited members of the Callaughtons Ash community project steering board: important local figures from all walks of life who were consulted throughout the planning of the development. Amongst the invited guests were representatives from architects Architype, contractor S J Roberts and celebrity marathon runner Jimmy Moore, who planted a tree to mark the first residents moving into their new homes back in 2018.
The innovative properties at Callaughtons Ash are amongst the first affordable homes in the UK to achieve the coveted Passivhaus Standard. A combination of triple glazing, insulation that effectively seals the house and thermally modified external cladding to help residents keep their fuel bills low. Heat recovery systems use warm air extracted from the house to heat filtered air drawn from outside, further reducing heating costs. A recent report from Marches Energy Agency boasted that residents “hardly needed to use” their heating systems at all, even in the colder months.
