HUNTINGDON S MP Jonathan Djanogly has had a sneak preview of cutting-edge eco-friendly housing to be built in Mayfield Road, Hartford. Huntingdonshire District Council is providing the land in Mayfield Road for social landlord Circle Anglia to build 20 ec

HUNTINGDON'S MP Jonathan Djanogly has had a sneak preview of cutting-edge eco-friendly housing to be built in Mayfield Road, Hartford.

Huntingdonshire District Council is providing the land in Mayfield Road for social landlord Circle Anglia to build 20 eco-friendly houses and nine flats in a �4.4million project supported by a grant of �1.3million from the Housing Growth Fund, channelled through Cambridgeshire Horizons, the not-for-profit company set up to deliver �4billion of infrastructure to support around 50,000 extra homes in the Cambridge sub-region by 2021.

Almost one-third of the site, south of Mayfield Road, near its junction with Desborough Road, will be retained as informal open space.

Mr Djanogly was at Kingspan Off-Site Limited in Great Gransden to see the manufacturing process for the kits for the new development, described by the company as "truly ground-breaking".

The new homes will meet Level Five of the Government's Code for Sustainable Homes, which sets strict eco-standards for construction. It is the first development of such size and scale to meet this level of the code anywhere in the country, Kingspan said.

"These new homes will be delivered for rent by the Circle Anglia group of housing associations, which manages 46,000 homes across London and East Anglia."

Photovoltaic panels will generate electricity directly from the sun and solar panels will generate hot water. There will also be mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, circulating warm air utilising low energy levels, doing away with the need for conventional radiators.

To cut back on water usage, rainwater will be harvested, and grey water (from showers, washing machines etc) recycled, and there will also be green roofs on some houses, using wild flowers to increase the biodiversity.

Mr Djanogly, left, is pictured with Kingspan Off-Site managing director Gilbert McCarthy.