Rochdale wins silver at House of Commons

The Halifax Road Development

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The Regenda Group’s regeneration housing development on Halifax Road, Hamer in Rochdale, beat off stiff competition to win a “Silver International Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice and Sustainable Development”, at a ceremony held at the House of Commons in November.

The Regenda Group, one of the leading Housing Associations in the North West and one of the key partners in this project with Rochdale Borough Council, identified the derelict site as an opportunity for a new build housing project. The scheme of 7 three storey homes were designed to incorporate many eco-friendly technologies with the development already achieving ‘Very Good EcoHomes” rating, Secured by Design Accreditation and the Lifetime for Homes Standard.

The new homes, designed by Denovo Design, include energy saving measures such as high levels of insulation in the walls, floors and roof, high-efficiency gas-fired boilers together with double glazed windows – all to cut fuel bills. Plus water bills will also be reduced as all the bathrooms have low level flush toilets, spray taps and showers and rainwater will be collected in butts for watering plants.

The accommodation is set over three floors including separate lounges and bathrooms. However, each house has easy-to-alter spaces which allow residents to change the house to meet their changing needs as they get older.

Bill Taylor, Executive Director at The Regenda Group said. “We are delighted that this innovative scheme in Rochdale won the Silver International Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice and Sustainable Development. It is an achievement to be recognised for the use of environmentally friendly design elements. Modern methods of construction were used in the development of the site, and the homes benefit from a range of energy and water saving measures.

The development has set a standard for regeneration in the area and we hope it will become a benchmark for future developments in Rochdale.”

Alastair Graham, Director of Oldham Rochdale HMR Pathfinder said, “We are delighted that Halifax Road homes are receiving this continued recognition. The Pathfinder advised on their design, which illustrates the high standards of quality and sustainability that will be a feature of all the new build we are creating across Rochdale and Oldham.”

Frank Olchoski, Director at Denovo Design Architects, said, “Halifax Road is the fourth housing development designed by Denovo Design that has achieved a Green Apple Award in the last three years celebrating the Practice’s commitment to environmentally conscious design, which began in 1998 with the first ‘green’ housing development on Merseyside, and which continues currently with an eco-regeneration project in Ashton-under-Lyne, incorporating the same technologies and products.”

The Green Apple Awards are now in their fifteenth year and attracted more than 500 nominations this year, and represent a feeder scheme into the European Business Awards for the Environment.