UK’s first zero carbon social homes completed in Manchester

The UK’s first net zero carbon social homes have been completed in East Manchester, with the two properties passed over to residents as part of a wider low carbon housing development.

Developed by housing provider One Manchester in partnership with Manchester City Council, the new homes support the Council’s target for Manchester to become a zero-carbon city by 2038.

The housing development has delivered a total of 22 two and three-bed homes for social rent in Beswick, East Manchester, all of which have been built to low carbon standards.

The two fully net zero houses have been built as a pilot to test the potential for zero carbon social housing in the future.

They were built with additional insulation, triple glazed windows, an air source heat pump to provide hot water and a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system installed, making the homes very energy efficient.

Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and employment, said: ‘This is nothing short of landmark for the social housing sector. We know there are major challenges in making 100% social housing developments viable, but this is doubled when developing zero carbon – or even low carbon – social housing. 

‘However, this is a challenge that we must meet head on if we are serious about meeting our target of becoming a zero-carbon city by 2038. Manchester has a very large social housing stock – nearing 70,000 homes – and the retrofit project to bring the properties to modern sustainability standards is huge, but absolutely essential. 

‘Thank you to One Manchester – and all of the city’s housing providers – who are stepping up to this challenge to help us develop the homes we desperately need, while keeping costs down for residents.’

Judy Noah, Director of Development at One Manchester, added: ‘We are so pleased to have built the first whole life net zero carbon social rented homes in the UK. At One Manchester, sustainability is at the heart of what we do, and we have already built a number of low carbon developments, but testing the next step has really given us the chance to see what is possible.

‘We are looking forward to taking the learnings that we have made on this development and taking it to future One Manchester developments, helping to make a difference to the sustainability of homes in Manchester, and reducing energy costs for residents.’

In related news, Manchester City Council’s executive committee has approved a transformation masterplan for the regeneration of the Grey Mare Lane Estate in East Manchester, delivering low carbon social housing. 

Photo supplied by Manchester City Council