caroline smith

A £2 million development of carbon-cutting Council homes in South Tyneside has welcomed its first residents.

New tenants have been given the keys to their ultra energy-efficient properties at Hindmarch Drive, Boldon.

The 10 homes, all for affordable rent, are a mix of two-bedroomed houses, apartments and bungalows.

All the properties will be A-rated for carbon savings and will use energy efficiency measures including air source heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage. They will all have electric vehicle charging points.

Lilian Hamilton, 80, who has moved into a bungalow, said: "It's even nicer than I thought. I was living in a three-bedroomed house before, but I needed a bungalow for health reasons.

"It's near to my daughter and has a nice garden. I'm looking forward to getting my furniture in and being settled, and to getting to know my neighbours."

The apartments and houses are fitted with Wondrwall Smart technology, which provides a low carbon alternative to traditional convection hearing.

Amy Teasdale and partner Christopher Lennon and their two children will be moving into one of the two-bedroomed apartments.

The 27-year-old said: "We've had training and a lot of information about how to use the technology, everyone has been really helpful.

"All the heating is powered from the electric and solar power so we don't get a gas bill."

The system uses motion sensors to detect room occupancy and automatically heats the rooms in use.

The homes also have intelligent ceiling mounted infrared heating panels which allow residents to schedule and heat individual zones.

Energy generated from the solar panels, as well as cheaper off-peak energy drawn from the grid, will be stored, further cutting consumption.

Amy added: "I wanted somewhere safe for the kids to grow up, with nice neighbours.

"It's smart and modern and really spacious. We love the open plan kitchen which will be great for family time. We've got a small outdoor space which we've not had before so the kids are really excited.

"I really wanted a Council home as we've rented privately before and found it hard to keep on top of any repairs or anything, and I find the Council is quick and responsive."

Councillor Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council, said: "We're proactive about providing high quality, futureproofed homes, in line with our ambition of creating strong communities where people live in safe, sustainable neighbourhoods.

"These homes are highly energy efficient, allowing residents to reduce energy consumption and benefit from cheaper bills.

"We've set ourselves some ambitious targets in our drive towards net zero and properties like these, fitted with low carbon technology, will boost our efforts to cut emissions."

Homes England contributed £575,000 to the £2.024m development.

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