Borough's First Zero Carbon Homes Could Be Built in Brentford

Tenants will be given training to use green technology

What the Orchard Road development could look like. Picture: BPTW

Tenants of the first 100 per cent zero carbon homes in the borough will be trained up by the council on how to use the buildings’ green technology.

Five family-sized homes have been approved for Orchard Road in Brentford as part of the local authority’s council housing building programme and now need approval from the borough planning committee.

The four three-bedroom homes and one four-bedroom house will have triple glazed windows, a waste water heat recovery system, an air source heat pump to provide hot water and heating and solar panels on the roof to generate electricity to name a few sustainability features.

In a report presented to the Affordable Housing Committee in a meeting on 5 January, it was explained that the social-rented homes will be available for residents waiting on the council’s housing register.

It said, “It should be noted that the council will also focus on providing training to tenants of these new homes, to ensure that they understand how to use the new sustainable technologies integrated into the proposals.”

Hounslow’s assistant director of housing, development and supply, Andrew Smith, also told councillors at the meeting, “With Orchard, it will be vital that we do actually pick five tenants who will use the equipment in the house to their fullest ability, we don’t want people who are going to open the windows all day long and put the heating on relentlessly, so we need people who are willing to engage with that equipment and be trained in using that equipment.”

Deputy leader Lily Bath praised the milestone and said training will be “very important” for households taking up residence at the sites.

Mr Smith explained that currently the council’s house-building had reached 94 per cent zero carbon, and that it is hoped further technology will be available in future to hit a higher level of sustainability.

Councillors also approved a further three schemes for 149 homes in the meeting, to go ahead under the council’s pledge to build 1,000 council homes by 2022.

This included the demolition and re-development of Everglades – currently a temporary accommodation near Hounslow railway station – into 33 affordable homes.

The report said the developments were to be funded from the £401 million budget in the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan, which was approved by Hounslow Council’s cabinet in March last year.

There have been a large number of objections to the scheme including two petitions signed over 100 times. The grounds for objection include loss of light, privacy and parking space and the design of the scheme as well as the lack of proper consultation by the council. The application will be decided at a forthcoming meeting of the borough planning committee.

Anahita Hossein-Pour- Local Democracy Reporter

January 8, 2021