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Renewable House wins National Award

Linford C-Zero is celebrating the Construction Excellence Award for Innovation given to the Renewable House.  The hemp-based Eco-house formed the blueprint for the company's development at Long Meadow, Diss - one of the most exciting developments of affordable, sustainable housing in the UK to date.

C-Zero’s extensive expertise of delivering sustainable housing has enabled the pioneering development to be delivered for the same cost as traditionally constructed properties. A combination of clever thinking, cost-effective materials and tight control over design and cost will ensure eligible residents are able to stay in their local communities and get a foot on the property ladder.

C-Zero is now looking for further development sites closer to home so it can help provide sustainable housing at the right price for rural regions in the West Midlands.

Demand for affordable housing in rural communities is at an all-time high as C-Zero Director, Simon Linford, explains, ‘Affordable housing for local people has been high on local agendas for some time now and the demand for homes on Long Meadow is proof of how this can be effectively achieved. Success at Long Meadow supports the new Coalition Government’s belief in ‘Localism’ – that local communities want to have housing that their community can afford.  C-Zero is delivering quality, sustainable housing which looks great, is highly energy efficient and is within the reach of local people. This model can be repeated anywhere in the UK by working in partnership with local councils and landowners to identify potential sites at realistic prices. The cost-savings can then be directly passed on to consumers resulting in a win, win situation for all concerned.’ 

The Long Meadow development received a grant of £3m from the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s Low Carbon Investment Fund, an initiative aimed at stimulating the building of low-carbon, affordable homes using innovative, highly insulating, renewable materials. The construction materials used in the development mean homeowners stand to benefit from substantially reduced energy costs, resulting in purchasers doing their bit for the planet as well as their wallets!

Long Meadow, Diss is situated on a Rural Exception Site which had been approved as a prime location for affordable housing for local people. C-Zero is keen to hear from local landowners or local councils who may have Rural Exception Sites suitable to provide affordable, sustainable housing for local people.