More than ever, we all need to act to tackle climate change. Being able to make sustainable choices is really important when buying something as significant as a home. We’ve created eco-friendly homes at Oakfield that will help you feel confident you’re doing something good for the planet. So, what makes your new home green?
You won’t find any gas boilers at Oakfield. We’re ditching fossil fuels and all our homes come fitted with air source heat pumps to reduce carbon emissions. Air source heat pumps are a high efficiency system that sources heat from the ambient environment to heat your home and hot water on demand.
All of our homes are fitted with solar panels which capture sunlight and generate renewable electricity on site. This means homes will be less reliant on electricity coming from the grid. We’re setting the homes up with renewable energy partners so right from the start you know your energy is coming from good places. And through creating your own energy your bills should be lower too!
Attention has been given to fittings and fixtures inside Oakfield’s homes. We’ll be using VELFAC windows that are made from timber and aluminium opposed to UPVC, and 93% of their components are recyclable. We’ll be installing low energy light fittings and some homes will include sustainable bamboo flooring. Even the paint we’re using is low VOC (volatile organic compounds), which reduces allergy causing toxins and helps reduce the concentration of contaminants in the ozone layer.
In your garden, we'll provide you with a water butt. We all know water is a valuable resource and one we need to be mindful of. Having a water butt is a really simple way to save rainwater that you can then reuse rather than using a mains tap. And plants love rainwater!
At Oakfield we want to encourage you to walk and cycle where you can. We’ve improved the connections through the neighbourhood so you can easily get to where you want without needing a car. Bike sheds are connected to power so it’s easy to charge your electric bike and you can access your garden without going through your house, making it easy to get your bike in and out. Many of the homes come prewired if you’d like to install an electric car charger and you’ll find several super-fast chargers in parking bays around Oakfield. We’re also looking at getting a car-club car on site, so you can always borrow a car if you need one.
Central to Oakfield is a landscaped park, designed with nature in mind. It includes a wildflower meadow, swales and plants recommended by the RHS, to encourage insects and birds. The smaller pocket parks and gardens on site will all be planted with the same ethos. The site will feature bat and swift boxes, as well as hornbeam hedges, creating highways for hedgehogs and other small animals. More than 300 trees of different varieties will be planted too.
The development was recently awarded the industry leading Building with Nature accreditation.
Building with Nature champions best practice in the housing industry, raising the bar when it comes to building new homes in a way that’s good for people, wildlife and nature. It uses a set of standards co-developed with local authorities, private sector developers and communities, based on evidence and good practice to provide guidance on delivering high-quality, green infrastructure in new communities. Oakfield has received a Building with Nature accrediation.