34 PROJECT REPORT
leaching into the water table. Boreholes made in the sandy soil identified the extent of the contamination, and part of the soil was excavated and removed, and the remaining groundwater was chemically treated to “neutralise” it, while the oil sitting on it was skimmed off using special equipment. The Environment Agency had to sign this off prior to construction starting, but not before Cameron Homes had inserted piles to protect part of the site following the disturbance caused to the soil. Cameron Homes weren’t fazed by this task, having done extensive decontamination on several sites previous to this one. They use external consultants due to the specialist nature of the work, but “tend to use local contractors who have good knowledge of the local environment officers, says Morrissey.
HOMES’ SPECIFICATIONS
The 20 private sale units comprise three, four and five-bedroom homes, ranging from 1,156 ft2
to 2,083 ft2 , with prices
DESPITE THE SITE BEING LONG AND THIN, “BECAUSE THEY’RE QUITE WIDE PLOTS, THEY DON’T FEEL THAT TIGHT”
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ranging between £425,000 to £635,000. Cameron Homes used its ‘Home Sell’ scheme, whereby it helps owners sell their existing homes in order to raise capital for the new purchase, to assist several buyers here. ork started in ovember and locals were happy to see the cement works removed. The 20 plots went on sale in July 2021, shortly followed by a show home in August 2021, and the development is now at 100% occupancy with the last completion in April 2022. The homes all offer spacious, light and airy living accommodation with energy efficient heating including programmable thermostats that allow customers to set heating schedules based on their daily routine, and what Cameron Homes calls “proper insulation and sealing” to
ensure that heat is retained. There is also a zoning system that divides the home into different heating zones, allowing customers to control and use heating in spaces as required. The show home had a trial PV array on the roof, “just to get a handle on our own running costs and compare with other sites,” Paul comments, adding that “obviously it works really well when homes have a high daytime use.” Although PV was an option for buyers, in the event none chose to take it up at Chaucer Mews when the homes were released for sale. Morrissey says: “For a housebuilder, it’s difficult to upsell as you need to have them really early in the process; they need to be committed to the house financially and be mortgageable. t doesn’t really work to sell it as an extra.” Cameron Homes is however now selling a range of sustainable homes driven by the 2021 tightening of Part L, with PV and battery storage, plus various upgrades to the fabric of the building.
ome of the specifications did, for pragmatic reasons, see Chaucer Mews go beyond the Regs requirements. Due to noise from the railway, trickle vents were not an option, so an MVHR system was used to provide fresh air internally, plus acoustic glazing. In addition, waste water heat recovery was also installed, making the homes compliant with new Part L. The homes have open plan kitchen/ diner/living spaces situated to the rear of the ground floor, and the rear gardens are accessed by French doors in the main, and some of the five-bed homes have bifolds. The latter also has two bedrooms with ensuites plus a family bathroom. The landscaped front gardens sit alongside paved driveways, and powered garage doors were offered as an extra. he standard of internal finish is very high, befitting the customer demographic
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