‘Net zero’ homes lifted into Godalming to help the homeless
Two people who were sleeping rough in Waverley have had ‘net zero’ eco homes made especially for them.
The modular homes were lifted into place by crane in a former garage site in Godalming at the end of October and are now occupied.
Built in the space of just six weeks to help address street homelessness, they were designed to have net zero carbon emissions.
One of the new tenants wrote to the council to say: “This place is absolutely amazing. Please thank everyone for their hard work, I can’t explain how much this means to me.
“I promise I will take care of everything.”
Reading out the note at last night’s executive meeting (November 2), Cllr Anne-Marie Rosoman, portfolio holder for housing and community safety, said: “It makes it all worthwhile. I was very impressed when I was shown round.”
The Godalming Central and Ockford councillor (LD) said the homes would “provide vital accommodation at an affordable cost” and were “an important step forward toward our commitment and ambitions for making all our council homes carbon neutral by 2030”.
The homes in Badgers Close, Farncombe, will be used to support people to transition from the street into longer term supported living.
The borough council’s last annual rough sleeper estimate identifies three rough sleepers in the Waverley borough.
Council leader Paul Follows said: “Those properties are far superior to the vast majority of houses that I looked at when I was initially looking to rent in Godalming and I would gladly live in one, they are fantastic.”
The 39m two one-bedroom homes are being hailed by the builders Beattie Passive as “an exemplar housing solution in the UK” because they say there is no need for a conventional heating system.
Eight solar panels provide 3.2kW power and aside from this ample heat is said to come from “a solitary heated towel rail, electrical appliances, body heat, and other passive sources of heat”, while insulation is helped by triple glazed windows and “no joints or leaks”.
The project, a partnership between Waverley Borough Council and Homes England, was supported with funding from the Government’s Next Steps Accommodation Programme which aims to eliminate rough sleeping in England by 2024.