WORK has just started on a green housing experiment which aims to discover the most environmentally-friendly property style.

The £5.3m SmartLIFE project will see 106 eco homes being built in Fenland, Cambridgeshire available to both private buyers and housing association tenants when they are completed next year.

As part of the project, four different building methods will be used to construct the homes and a team of scientists will work out which are the most environmentally friendly during and after construction.

One group will use traditional bricks and mortar while the others will use steel, timber and concrete.

Each home is designed to optimise sunlight and daylight to minimise energy consumption.

The results of the study will be used to help other developers reduce the impact their work has on the environment while still meeting the demand for affordable new homes.

For more information, visit cambridgeshire.gov.uk