Work completed on energy-efficient retirement bungalows

A £1.8m scheme featuring eight energy-efficient retirement bungalows has been officially opened.

Fairhaven worked in partnership with the Barnfield Group to build the properties on its existing Crownlee location in Penwortham, which is already home to 40 properties.

Preston-based town planners and architects Cassidy + Ashton, which worked on the original homes, returned to design the new properties, too. Nelson-based RWL completed the mechanical and engineering works for the project/

The new two-bedroomed high-specification properties include air source heat pumps, underfloor heating and solar panels to maximise energy efficiency.

Andrew Atkinson, managing director of Fairhaven, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved here at Crownlee, and we’re aiming to repeat the model elsewhere in Lancashire. Demand has been strong for the new properties at Crownlee, which is down to a  wider independent-living service offering that’s not  just about bricks and mortar.”

Tim Webber, managing director of Barnfield, added: "We are delighted to once again deliver high-specification homes for Fairhaven. Using the latest technologies in building decarbonisation, the low-carbon homes will reduce energy costs whilst providing a quality home for each resident to enjoy."

The development was officially opened by South Ribble MP Katherine Fletcher. She said: “It was an honour to officially open these amazing bungalows that allow older people independent living in energy-efficient homes.

“Fairhaven is leading the way in this approach, and I am delighted it wishes to do more in Lancashire. It is meeting the growing demand for these types of homes and communities as the population ages. A bonus is the not-for-profit structure it operates under."