Swansea Waterfront is going green and affordable
Construction on a £10million green housing scheme for Swansea which commences later this month has been described as a sign of confidence by the Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones.
The eco-homes development by Coastal Housing on land acquired from the Welsh Assembly Government will create 69 affordable apartments overlooking the Prince of Wales Dock on SA1 Swansea Waterfront.
The Minister said:
“It’s good news to see a major construction project like this going ahead in these challenging market conditions and is a mark of confidence in the SA1 development.
“This investment is a boost for the city and will not only help sustain jobs in the construction industry and provide local businesses with supply opportunities but will also create a range of affordable homes on one of Swansea’s most prestigious development sites.”
Deputy Minister for Housing Jocelyn Davies AM said:
“I am pleased that these new affordable homes are being built to the highest environmental standards. These homes build on our success so far in reaching over the half way mark in our target to create 6,500 new affordable homes by April 2011.
“ I announced in March this year that we had created 3,252 homes since making the One Wales commitment in 2007. As one of the pilot projects aimed at informing higher environmental standards the scheme will provide important information and experience to inform future policy.
“This development in Swansea also shows that we can support the construction of residential property through releasing Assembly Government land while setting high standards for sustainability. Homes need to be affordable to buy and by being more efficient to run households will also save money on energy and water bills.”
Geoff Pettifor, Director of Development with Coastal Housing, said the key emphasis throughout the development would be on sustainability.
“The building has been designed by Holder Mathias architects to achieve a high 4* rating under the national Code for Sustainable Homes which aims to minimise the use of energy and water, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and waste.”
More than a quarter of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions come from energy used to heat, light and run homes and Coastal Housing’s new apartment block has been designed to cut CO² emissions through a 44% reduction in energy use.
Mr Pettifor said the investment in a range of energy saving features would not only reduce carbon emission but would also help reduce fuel bills and tackle fuel poverty.
“We decided to take a significant step forward and aim for much higher environmental standards and have been able to do this at minimal additional cost because the design was linked to the Code for Sustainable Homes from the outset rather than bolting on these features after the design stage.”
The two-bedroom apartments will be built over five floors, eight of which will be designed for people with disabilities. All apartments will be for rent under Coastal Housing’s City living brand
It will have a ‘brown’ roof which will be naturally seeded with local flora, a small scale biomass boiler and a central hot water distribution system. This means that residents draw hot water from a central tank that will feed the entire building – rather than individual storage tanks in each apartment.
Low water using appliances, such as low flow taps and showers, will also be installed to reduce water usage but which will not affect performance. The timber framing will also all be sourced from sustainable sources.
Coastal Housing also hopes to reduce the use of cars by locating City Wheels Car Clubs vehicles on site so that residents can use a car by the hour when they need one. A bike storage facility will also be on site to encourage a healthy life style.
The contract has been awarded to Jehu of Bridgend and a local supply chain has been set up to maximise benefits for Welsh companies.
Topics: affordable living, eco-homes, energy, environmental standards, Geovernment, green housing, jobs, residential property, SA1 development
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