Bishop's Castle eco-homes to be finished next year

A long-awaited £4.5 million eco-homes development in Bishop's Castle is expected to be finished within the next year, it has been revealed.

Work has restarted at the Wintles and planning permission has been submitted by developers Fairmist Homes to build four homes as part of the 40-home development.

Officials have claimed the work on the timber framed homes, which generate heat and power using solar panels and back boilers, should be complete by next summer.

Three sales are on the verge of being completed and open days are due to be held on July 9 and 10.

It is a major boost for supporters of the scheme, which had lain half-finished for about two-and-a-half years after initial developers Living Villages went into liquidation.

About 20 of the homes were already complete, and Fairmist Homes is investing millions of pounds to complete the final 16 houses.

Four of the homes will be built and managed by social housing landlord Bromford Housing Group.

A planning application was submitted last week by Fairmist Homes for consent to build homes on plot numbers 28 to 31.

Julian Larkin, of Cavendish and Gloucester, of which Fairmist Homes is a subsidiary, said: "We have started work on the site and we are due to complete by this time next year.

"Across the site the investment is somewhere approaching £4.5 million to £5 million."

David Bryan-Jones, branch manager of Halls in Bishop's Castle, said three sales had been agreed and added it was hoped work would be finished on part of the site to allow members of the public to have a look at some of the homes on the open days next month.