Excellent ecohomes get planning permission
The buildings will be based on timber frames, with walls made of 'hemcrete', a hemp-and-lime matrix which is sprayed onto a wooden framework. The hemp, as well as the sheep's wool which will be used for insulation, can be sourced locally.
"These measures, together with the biomass boiler-fired community heating system, will help the development reduce carbon emissions by around 60 per cent, compared to a standard regulations-compliant building," Alasdair Young, sustainability engineer and project leader from Buro Happold told the East Anglian Daily Times.
The Ecohomes standard, which applied when the homes were designed, was replaced in April 2007 by the Code for Sustainable Homes, which awards a top rating of six stars for sustainability.