Almost 400 All-electric Homes To Be Welcomed In The Midlands
St. Modwen plans to deliver up to 350 new all-electric homes on the site which was once home to the MINI in Birmingham. Housing Industry Leaders looks at how this development will contribute to making the Midlands more sustainable.
The electric innovation is believed to be the first by a major developer, and it will see the development being powered by a dedicated smart grid. The smart grid design is being developed alongside SNRG, specialists in next-generation energy infrastructure.
Electricity is said to be supplied and tracked across a network of homes to ensure this first phase of homes will be 100 per cent gas free.
Homes Must Meet The Demand Of Customers And Be Good For The Environment
Outline planning was secured for the Longbridge site in 2021 for the 350 new all-electric homes, with detailed planning for the first phase currently with the local authority. The new homes are expected to be built by the developer from Autumn 2022.
CEO of St. Modwen, Sarwjit Sambhi, said: “Every organisation needs to be taking steps to deliver more sustainable products and services, but at St. Modwen, we have taken leaps by introducing carbon-negative homes and smart-grid powered developments.”
We’re proving that greener homes can be delivered at commercial scale, something which is not just the right thing for the environment but also allows us to meet the demand of our customers.
Total Energy Bills Could Be Reduced By 76 Per Cent
It follows the launch earlier in the year of St. Modwen’s first carbon-negative homes, a landmark trial that makes homes so airtight that they can return power to the UK grid.
By using the latest construction techniques, solar panels and heat pumps, the carbon-negative homes are designed to produce more energy than they consume.
St. Modwen has said that these carbon-negative homes could reduce a family’s total energy bills by 76 per cent when compared with a St. Modwen three-bedroom standard specification home.
Aspects of this trial will be deployed in the new all-electric homes and in turn across all the new developments by St. Modwen as carbon-reducing technology becomes the standard.
The Site Is Expecting To See 7,500 New Jobs
Adjacent to the new all-electric homes, work has started on creating a large veterinary hospital, creating over 100 new full-time jobs.
In addition to this, the vast site in South Birmingham is expecting to see 7,500 new jobs over the coming years in Longbridge and further new employers are anticipated to move to the area.
As Longbridge becomes more established as a leading hub for science and technology, medicine, advanced manufacturing, and R&D, one of the new employers includes a global science business.
Mayor of West Midlands Combined Authority, Andy Street, said: “I congratulate St. Modwen on building the innovative green homes of the future right here in our region. These new homes will be wonderful places to live, boost energy efficiency and affordability and help us to tackle the climate emergency.
“Longbridge is a brilliant example that points the way to a more sustainable future for the West Midlands – fast becoming a fantastic hub from which to live, work and play as well as creating high-quality job opportunities for our local residents along the way.
I’m pleased the West Midlands Combined Authority has been able to play its part – investing over £6m at Longbridge. I wish the scheme continued success.
Following £20 million of infrastructure investment in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the site has been made possible. It has seen Longbridge regenerated with homes, retail, education, and green spaces delivered to date.
On completion of the regeneration, St Modwen plans to create a total of 3,000 new homes, 2 million sq ft of commercial floorspace and up to 10,000 jobs at Longbridge.
