Designs revealed for Pontardawe’s zero carbon estate

The developer of zero carbon housing development in south Wales has released first images of how it hopes the neighbourhood will look.Parc Hadau is an £8m build-to-rent eco estate in Pontardawe that is set to be the first development by Sero Homes.Preparation works for the 35 new homes began on site in March 2020 and the aim is to start construction in the summer, subject to Covid-19 constraints.The homes have been designed by architect Loyn & Co with a mix of renewable energy technologies, including thermal and electrical storage, on-site photovoltaic panels and ground source heat pumps. There are also electric vehicle charging points, and ventilation systems and smart energy management systems.Landscape architect Farrer Huxley has designed a central communal garden incorporating wetland and meadow.Sero Homes claims that Parc Hadau will be the first scheme to go to the full extent of the UK Green Building Council’s definition of net zero carbon, by tracking real-time ‘in-use’ carbon emissions when the homes are running.Sero Homes plans to offer the homes on index-linked tenures rather than open market sale. The scheme is backed by £2m from the Welsh government’s innovative housing programme.