Herefordshire Council has agreed to purchase land in the Widemarsh ward with a view to developing the first new residential scheme under the Herefordshire Future Homes standard.
In the County plan 2020 – 2024 the council has expressed an ambition to deliver 1000 new homes and protect and improve the lives of vulnerable people and to reduce the number of people in Herefordshire identified as homeless, and to develop its own housing stock.
This development will enable the council to deliver on this ambition in a highly sustainable way, through:
- Seeking high levels of sustainability and energy efficiency in the construction and operating costs of new homes.
- Working with partners to minimise our carbon footprint in terms of methods of construction and in seeking the use of local materials and labour wherever possible.
- Reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable modes of transport – The central location of the land would allow individuals the opportunity to either walk or use public transport to move around.
The purchase of site and the delivery of properties will add to the county’s housing stock and it is intended that they will be affordable in perpetuity allowing future households who share protected characteristics to have access to appropriate accommodation.
The Herefordshire Future Homes Report was adopted by the council in November 2021, and sets out the environmental building design standards that will govern future housing developments on council-owned land and council retrofit schemes across the county.
Herefordshire is amongst the first nationally to set such high environmental standards for housing on council-owned land, which reflects the council’s commitment to tackling climate change.
Cllr Ange Tyler, Cabinet member for Housing, regulatory services, and community safety, said: “We are all aware that Herefordshire Council has set an ambitious target on developing new homes, so it is wonderful to see this purchase agreed, with a view to constructing some much-needed new housing in the city of Hereford.
“Under the Herefordshire Future Homes standard, these new homes will generate as much renewable energy as they use, through a combination of energy efficiency measures and forms of renewable energy generation and storage. Not only is this good for the environment, it also increases the value of a house, meaning a greater return on investment for the council, for developers, and for homeowners.”
To find out more please see the Herefordshire Future Homes report on the council website.
