Leading Eco-Friendly Development In Yeovil Opens Its Doors

One of the UK's most eco-friendly developments has shown off its green credentials at a special event in Yeovil.

The cutting-edge green features have been incorporate into the ongoing build at the site of Yeovil's iconic Glove Factory opposite Stars Lane, which has been at the centre of an historic redevelopment project headed by sustainable developers Zero C, South Somerset District Council and Yeovil Vision.

The project is one of just a handful nationwide to receive £470,000 Government funding secured by the district council and Zero C who jointly bid for funding for the site to become a showpiece for sustainable development.

When complete, it is hoped that architects and developers from around the world will visit Yeovil to get inspiration.

On Friday 13 May around fifty special guests, including members of the Ewens family who were partners of the former Glove Factory, were first to see an exhibition showing the biomass heating plant, solar thermal roof panels for hot water, 'super insulation', photovoltaic electricity panels and greywater recycling.

The first phase of Code 5 homes are now on the market and planning permission is in place for one of the first ever Code 6 entirely self-sufficient home to be built on a commercial development. A show home is now open onsite.

Craig Bates, Project Manager for Zero C explains: "We have created an exhibition so people can see how the technology works. The amount of energy produced onsite and carbon being saved every day will be displayed there permanently, too.

"It was excellent to see people's first reactions to the construction so far which is truly pioneering."

Martin Woods, the district council's Assistant Director for Economy added: "South Somerset District Council set a strict design brief as we wanted to create a real asset for this area of town, and this was shaped by community consultation where local people said they wanted greater links between the town and the country park.

"With the additional funding we have been able to work with Zero C to plan something even better – something that will allow some of the best examples of green construction to be built somewhere where so many visitors and residents of Yeovil can see them and learn from them."

The development will completely refurbish the former factory building into a ground floor cafe restaurant with outdoor seating on an attractive new promenade along Yeovil Country Park and two levels of office space above. Alongside this there will be 27 new houses, 10 new apartments and 3 retail units on the rest of the site.

 

Photo: Pink Dispatcher, flickr