That’s how Jane, a resident of Soha Housing’s first ever ‘net zero carbon in use’ development describes her delight in her new home.
Soha invited Councillors and the affordable housing executives from South Oxfordshire District Council to meet Jane and fellow residents of Cullum House, Wheatley on 29 January. The Council’s Affordable Housing Programme, providing energy-efficient general needs social housing, had significantly funded the development.
Cullum House is built on the footprint of a sheltered living scheme of 12 bedsits. It was demolished and newly built by R J Leighfield & Sons, creating 12 high quality, spacious homes. The eco-features mean that they will not emit any more carbon into the atmosphere than is taken out by standard domestic use – hence ‘net zero carbon in use’.
Solar panels conduct electricity to the communal indoor areas as well as to the twilight-activated lighting in the car park, which also has electric vehicle charging points linked to the individual supply to each flat. Each home has underfloor heating programmable separately for each room provided by an air source heat pump while mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in each home mitigates the airtight build quality. The flats are fitted with low energy lighting to reduce electricity usage. Jane says she’s relieved that “you don’t have to be a technical person to reap the benefit of the eco aspects. I’m anticipating savings on my energy bills.”
Pictures clockwise from top left: Jane performs the official ribbon-cutting; bats can feel at home at Cullum House, too!; the sliding-door oven in the disability-adapted apartment’s kitchen; the disability-adapted apartment is spacious with wheelchair turning space at every junction; residents, staff and guess gather; guests from the District Council, Parish Council and the developers against the backdrop of the bicycle sheds; one of the EV charging points in the car park (each bay has one); the shower of the disability-adapted apartment; an array of air source heat pumps.
Two of the apartments in Cullum House are fully wheelchair accessible with adjustable height work kitchen surfaces with knee space below, a low-level oven with sliding door, wheelchair wet room and thermostats and plug sockets reachable from seated.
Councillor Maggie Filipova-Rivers, Cabinet Member for Housing at South Oxfordshire District Council said: “It’s fantastic to see these affordable new apartments finished and welcoming people. Their many smart eco-features will help keep energy bills as low as possible. Partnering on projects like this with housing providers such as Soha is one of the ways we’re meeting the housing needs of our residents now and in the future.”
Councillor Alexandrine Kantor, the local South Oxfordshire District Council ward member for Wheatley, said: “It’s so heartening to see these well-designed homes with fantastic energy-efficient features now a reality. The finished apartments are really impressive and will provide comfortable, stable homes in Wheatley for many years to come.”
Soha staff working in the Wheatley community – known as the Locality team – also welcomed guests including Councillor Tim Bearder, County Ward Councillor for Wheatley, Councillor Alison Sercombe, Chair of Wheatley Parish Council and Parish Council colleagues as well as Paul Fielding, Head of Housing and Environment, and officers from South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils’ Affordable Housing programme team.