BLACKADDER and Time Team star Tony Robinson was in town last week.

He was visiting Thamesmead to launch the ambitious Gallions Ecopark project.

The innovative scheme will create 39 new homes incorporating the latest in environmental technology, together with a visitors' centre and a "naked house" showing how all the technology works behind the scenes.

The houses will all be family homes for rent, including 13 two-bedroom houses (six adapted for disabled people), 17 three-bedroom houses and eight with four bedrooms.

Among their environmentally friendly features will be.-

solar collectors to pre-heat their water;

low temperature underfloor heating;

water recycling;

low flush toilets;

high insulation;

super insulating windows.

Gallions Housing Association, which is behind the development, is also talking with Greenwich Council about new ways of separating out household rub-bish from the homes, to recycle.

There are five different house types and they will be monitored to find out what they are like for the people who live in them and how much they cost to run.

The visitors' centre, will cater for everyone with an interest in the environment, from children and students to environmental and building professionals, as well as ordinary members of the public.

It will have lots of information and advice on how to reduce energy consumption by designing sustainable homes and by changing everyday habits, as well as de-tails about the features contained in the Ecopark homes and developments along similar lines in other countries.

There will also be talks and demonstrations for organised visits.

In the "naked house" visitors can find out exactly how each element of the energy-saving houses operates.

Work has already started on the development and the Eco-park should be up and running by next summer.

Gallions has got a number of partners in the project, including Tilfen and the Housing Corporation

You can find out more about the project from the website www.gallionsecopark.co.uk

November 23, 2001 11:27