As part of ongoing work to protect the environment and generate housing solutions for the future, Dover District Council is set to invest in key changes, including cutting edge solar panel systems, at DDC housing developments at Kimberley Close and Stockdale Gardens.
Work is currently underway on ground-breaking developments at Kimberley Close in Dover (16 homes) and Stockdale Gardens in Deal (8 homes) as part of the biggest programme of new council housing built in the district in a generation.
DDC Cabinet agreed this week to additional expenditure of £160K, which will allow electric heating to be installed in all 24 flats, avoiding the use of gas fired boilers, and will provide enhanced photovoltaic (PV) installations to all the buildings. Additional insulation is also being installed to further improve the thermal efficiency of the buildings, all of which will help reduce the energy required to heat the units.
These measures will significantly reduce the environmental impact of the developments, and help reduce the long-term heating costs for the tenants.
The Kimberley Close and Stockdale Gardens developments are brownfield sites. The developments will be for social rent, and will provide interim accommodation for people who find themselves homeless, before they move into permanent homes.
This is part of DDC plans to build up to 500 new affordable homes across the district.
Helen Lamb, DDC Head of Finance and Investment, said: “We are delighted to continue to invest in housing solutions for the future and to develop sustainable ways forward for the district. The increased use of green technology will provide benefits of reducing both the tenants heating costs and the carbon footprints of the developments. We are very pleased to be taking this forward thinking approach, and to be contributing to the Council’s net zero carbon target.”
Posted on 22 July 2021