Weston Homes sets aside £50m to make London flats more eco friendly
One of the UK’s largest housebuilders, Weston Homes, has set aside £50m to make all its houses in London and the South East more eco-friendly – in a bid to take advantage of “green premiums”.
This will involve the fitting of heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points, in and around 7,500 homes, which makes up some £2.1bn of Weston’s portfolio, the company said in a statement today.
Around 20 sites are currently undergoing works, but the rest are in the pipeline to be completed over the next five years.
“There is now a strong “green premium” from homebuyers, who are increasingly aware of the importance of environmental sustainability and also want energy efficient homes which are designed to help minimise their fuel bills and running costs,” chairman and managing director Bob Weston explained.
“This is why Weston Homes is committed to combining traditional building skills with the very latest technologies in an on-going desire to support sustainable living.”
Natural gas has already been removed as an energy source in all future Weston homes.
The upgrades target some of Weston’s largest developments, including the £350m riverside site Abbey Quay which hosts 1,000 apartments, the £85m The Laundry Works unit in Watford and the £50m Town Quay Wharf in Barking.
Other eco-fits underway include green and brown roofs, to support local biodiversity and temperature-controlled taps to help slash hot water bills.
“Scientists have warned that we must act now to avoid huge climate change and that everyone including governments, companies and individuals must help in this initiative,” added Suzanna Aplin, group sales and marketing director at the housebuilder.