10:46am Wednesday 31st May 2006
By Gordon McCully
A unique new eco-village powered by the latest energy-efficient technologies has been welcomed by green' supporters in the borough.
The EcoSmart show village, unveiled this week at Buckshaw, is the first of its kind in the country.
It comprises seven family homes powered by wind, solar and geothermal power, which will be monitored for the next 18 months by a team from Manchester University.
The scheme has been pioneered by the Barratt Group , part of a consortium of developers at Buckshaw, which is being created on reclaimed land at the former Royal Ordnance site.
Barratt chief executive David Pretty said: "Everyone is attracted to green features but there's very little information available about the actual costs and benefits involved in buying and installing them in conventional housing.
"The show village will enable us to accurately assess those costs and benefits and also find out what potential homebuyers really think."
During the trial period, no one will live in the homes which will be open to schools and other interested parties.
After that they are expected to go on the market.
Experts already predict that harmful carbon emissions from the seven homes could be reduced by more than 16 tonnes per year and annual fuel bills cut by up to a third, compared to traditionally-powered homes.
The properties will have facilities for harvesting rainwater, and wind turbines, photovoltaics, solar thermal collectors, and geo-thermal ground sources.
Gardens include cycle storage and recycling bins, and measures to encourage biodiversity such as nesting boxes and wildlife habitats.
Mr Pretty added: "The challenge for us is to find out which environmental features we can incorporate in future and continue to keep our homes affordable for our buyers."
James Trebilcock, chairman of Chorley Environmental Forum, said: "This is to be welcomed and is an encouragement that other areas and houses in Chorley can also use renewable energy."
Peter Goldsworthy, leader of Chorley Borough Council, said: "I'm delighted that they are doing it and I'm delighted that they have chosen Chorley for the pilot.
"Clearly anything that improves the environment is to be welcomed and it puts us on the map."
He added that it was "a good thing for the town" and that he fully supported schools and others being invited along to see it.
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