Cassius clay tile chosen for the UK's largest 'eco' housing estate

25.05.2011

The Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) development in Airedale, West Yorkshire, "Park Dale", is the largest of its kind in the UK and being built by community regeneration specialist Keepmoat. Traditional construction methods and renewable energy sources are being used to achieve Level Six of the Government's Code for Sustainable Homes.

Manufactured using 100 per cent renewable electricity, Sandtoft's Cassius clay tile in Antique Slate will appear on the roofs of all 91 homes on WDH's £12 million estate, which is due to be completed in October 2011.

"The Cassius will be used with photovoltaic panels, ensuring the roofs are as environmentally friendly as possible," said Bret Gibbons, Contracts Manager for Keepmoat. "The fact the tile is manufactured locally and using green electricity is a real bonus for us as this helps to further reduce carbon emissions. In addition, using a clay tile will ensure that the roofs don't fade, adding to the excellent quality of these unique homes." 

Part-funded by the Homes and Community Agency (HCA), the WDH two, three and four-bedroom homes will use a combination of energy saving and carbon-reducing features, such as mechanical ventilation, heat recovery systems, and photovoltaic panels that enable the landlord to sell power back to the national grid.

In addition, homes in the new neighbourhood will draw heat from its own "Eco Centre" - a district biomass heating system that will be powered by renewable wood pellets produced in Yorkshire.

As the Cassius is made from clay, the tile offers similar aesthetic properties to natural slate. Its large-format, interlocking design provides significant cost and labour savings compared to traditional double lap slate.