Cheltenham Borough Council and Cheltenham Borough Homes have partnered with Newland Homes to develop nine net zero-carbon homes powered by renewable technologies in Leckhampton.

Secured through a Section 106 agreement, these properties help to deliver the council's £180m investment in affordable homes.

Located at Pear Trees in Leckhampton, the homes are a mix of 1-, 2- and 3-bed properties available for affordable rent (seven) and shared ownership (two).

The shared ownership scheme, also known as 'part buy and part rent', could ultimately see the home owned entirely by the shared owner. This is a direct outcome of Cheltenham Borough Council's key priority to increase the supply of housing and invest to build resilient communities.

Cllr Victoria Atherstone, cabinet member for housing at Cheltenham Borough Council, said: "We're delighted to have worked with local developer Newland Homes to provide these fantastic affordable, and net zero homes for Cheltenham residents.

"This is a brilliant step forward that all nine affordable properties available for affordable rent and shared ownership, are net zero carbon with a fantastic insulation, air source heat pumps, solar PV panels and ready-to-charge electric vehicles.

"Not only are we continuing our investment to provide more affordable housing for Cheltenham's residents through our £180m housing investment plan, we're also proactively tackling the climate emergency through new homes development too."

"These new energy efficient homes help to reduce energy bills for residents and improve overall comfort and wellbeing. I hope we can agree even more Section 106 agreements with developers across the town to build such quality and affordable new homes for the benefit of Cheltenham's residents."

Cllr Alisha Lewis, cabinet member for climate emergency, added: "Affordable housing and tackling the climate emergency are two key aims in our council's ambitious plans for Cheltenham. This project showcases how we can combine those ambitions. I'm excited that these properties are now completed.

"We'll take our learnings from this development on to inspire future projects that will improve the sustainability of our homes and reduce energy costs for our residents."

Paul Jones, executive director of finance, assets and regeneration for Cheltenham Borough Council and Cheltenham Borough Homes, said: "We believe everyone deserves a place they can call home. This is just one of the many ways we are supporting the council to provide a variety of opportunities and tenures to help people find a home where they can feel safe and secure.

"To have secured these homes via a section 106 agreement with Newland Homes is fantastic and the net zero carbon element is the icing on the cake."

Craig Cobham, project manager at Newland Homes, said: "We're proud to deliver Pear Trees on Kidnappers Lane, the first commercial residential net zero carbon homes in Cheltenham, in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council and Cheltenham Borough Homes.

"We are grateful for the combined efforts of all parties involved in helping achieve this milestone and look forward to continuing these relationships on future projects."

The Section 106 agreement is in place between the local authority and the applicant as part of the granting of planning permission; it ensures that the housing is of high quality and with the latest zero carbon technology, with homes going to local people most in need of affordable housing.