A wind turbine, ground source heating and solar powered security lights were among some of the 'green' improvements unveiled by Coastline Housing at the official opening of its newly refurbished, carbon-neutral, temporary housing scheme in Redruth.
The scheme (on Green Lane), formerly known as "Penwith House", previously consisted of sixteen single, bedsit rooms, some as small as 14m2 and shared by whole families, with communal kitchen, bathroom and storage facilities. Many rooms suffered from damp and mould, and required constant maintenance.
However, thanks to clever design, the same building now boasts six one-bedroom and five two-bedroom apartments, each with its own self-contained kitchen and bathroom, with enough space for a new laundry and children's play room, as well as a resource centre where residents can meet with a support worker.
The newly refurbished building - named after suggestions from Coastline staff - was completed at a cost of £500,000 and will now serve as key temporary accommodation for the surrounding area; an important transitional step between the emergency bed and breakfast provision and long-term social housing through the Council's waiting list.
Bjorn Howard, Coastline Housing CEO, explained: "Tarn West is an anagram for 'New Start' which we thought was appropriate on a number of levels. Not only has this building been given a new, environmentally friendly start in life, but it will hopefully give many of its future residents a new start in life as we continue to help those in housing need."
The renewable technology will not only make the premises more environmentally friendly than traditional methods of providing heating and power, but will also give residents the benefit of some free electricity.
Graham May, Building Surveyor at Coastline, said: "Sustainability is becoming a more and more crucial issue. Global warming is one of the biggest challenges that the planet faces and it will affect the most vulnerable people first. The more we can look to renewable energy sources, the more it will help everyone in our community. Global warming is happening right now and people can't say 'it won't affect' me - the reality is it will affect everyone."
At the opening, Coastline Housing expressed its thanks to several organisations who co-funded the conversion of the Penwith House into Tarn West.
Cornwall County Council provided an LPSA (Local Public Service Agreement) reward grant totalling £93K to Community Energy Plus, which was split between Coastline and Kerrier District Council for involvement in the Home Health Project. This money was allocated to the efficiency works at Tarn West. The £46,600 was used for the insulation of the properties.
Will Wason, Renewable Technical Officer for Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership (CSEP) also brought in EDF Energy funding of £26,500 for half the cost of the Ground Source Heat Pump.
