Farm buildings turned into eco-friendly housing

12:05:20 10th May 2010

Farm buildings are going to be developed into eco-friendly homes by a Teeside firm.

A £3 million project will be carried out by Preston Farm Group (PFG) to turn redundant farm buildings into seven rural cottages at Preston farm, in Eaglescliffe.

Several unused farm buildings including a dilapidated corrugated-iron barn will be turned into The Courtyard, a development of one, two and three bedroom cottages accessed through an archway.

The cottages will be eco-friendly with energy-efficient under floor heating, solar-heated water, wood burning stoves and rainwater harvesting.

PFG partner Chris Richardson said: "In two years, every new home will have to be built to a minimum of level three of the Code For Sustainable Homes, dictating build quality and energy efficiency standards."

He added that the Courtyard would achieve these standards.

The company also plans to build nesting and roosting sites for bats and birds, including owls, which may be displaced by the development.

Previously, PFG renovated a 17th century barn, The Stone Barn, which won two regional sustainable design awards, on the original Preston farm.

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