March 22, 2021 2.52 pm This story is over 35 months old

Work begins on new eco council homes in Lincoln village

Construction will take around 10 months

Work has started to build eight new super energy-efficient council houses in a village near Lincoln, joining only two other Passivhaus certified abodes in Lincolnshire.

Construction company Lindum was appointed by North Kesteven District Council and started work on the site off Moor Lane in Potterhanworth on Monday, March 22.

Contractors began fencing off the site and preparing the ground. Construction will take around 44 weeks, which is nearly twice as long as a traditional build.

The homes will all be built to the internationally-recognised Passivhaus standard, which makes them cheaper and more environmentally friendly to live in. They will have enhanced insulation, heat retention and draught proofing.

The only requirement for conventional heating in these properties is a heated towel rail in the bathroom.

The houses will be fitted with Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery Systems, which extract air from ‘wet’ areas such as kitchens and bathrooms and take the warmth from it to heat fresh air that gets delivered into the living areas.

Construction will take around 44 weeks.

Phil Roberts, Deputy Chief Executive at North Kesteven District Council, said: “It’s exciting to see Lindum start work on these eight houses designed and to be built to the environmentally conscious Passivhaus standard, adding to our existing two Passivhaus houses in the district [in Heckington].

“They will not only be high quality and comfortable homes for their future occupants to live in and enjoy, but also demonstrate how building to such a detailed energy-saving standard has a wider, positive effect.”

Richard Charles, Lindum site manager, said: “I’m really excited about this contract. It will be great to be involved in something that is so intricate and specialised.

“To prepare for the work, I’ve been on a training course to make sure my knowledge on Passivhaus standards is completely up to date.

“To help guarantee the quality of construction, we will be using plenty of directly-employed Lindum people on the job, although we will also work with specialist subcontractors and suppliers where needed.

“The project team at Lindum has completely bought into the Passivhaus concept and is enthusiastic about delivering these unique homes to a high standard.”