How pit-village houses were revamped

Now the former Bathurst Terrace in the north Derbyshire village of Whaley Thorns is a thriving new development and is leading the way in energy efficient design.

It is part of eight former pit villages being redeveloped in a partnership scheme led by Meden Valley Making Places (MVMP).

And now the project has been awarded the National House-Building Confederation EcoHomes 'Very Good' Standard.

The 4 million scheme includes 35 new homes at Poulter View, the former Bathurst Terrace site where 50 run-down terraced properties were acquired and cleared by Bolsover District Council.

MVMP is working with English Partnerships, East Midlands Development Agency and Bolsover and Mansfield District Councils.

Already, the first resident, Cathy Bentley, has been given the keys to her new flat, while becoming the first person to occupy a new home built through the MVMP project.

Cathy, who has watched her new flat being built over the last 10 months, cannot wait to settle in.

She said: “I have lived in the village for years but this development has brought new life to the area. It will create a vibrant community - something the area has been crying out for. The quality and design of the new homes is amazing and I am honoured to be the first resident to receive my keys.”

The new homes, which have been developed by Bellway, are a mixture of one, three and four bedroomed semi-detached and detached properties. All have been built to the Ecohomes ‘Very Good’ Standard.

Gary Kirk, Chief Executive of MVMP said: “Whaley Thorns has experienced some very hard times in recent years and so this is a major boost to the community.

“I am confident this will remain a popular housing development, attracting local people and those from outside the area, for many years to come.”

He added: “Minimising the impact on the environment has been key to our work in all of the eight settlements where we are working, and our choice of developer has taken this factor very much into account.

"Bellway have succeeded in delivering homes which are not only attractive and comfortable, but have been independently judged as being highly energy efficient, meaning lower fuel bills and peace of mind for the new occupants that they are minimising their own environmental 'footprint'."

Nicola Marshall, a senior regeneration manager for English Partnerships East Midlands, added: "The energy rating of homes is high on the government's agenda and is something which will soon become fundamental to the way we live.

“Through our partnership projects we are looking to achieve high-quality, well-designed, sustainable places for people to live, work and enjoy - and that includes the construction of new homes which will have a minimal impact on the local environment.

"We are delighted that Bellway is working with us to deliver this at Whaley Thorns and hope the residents will appreciate the energy-saving benefits of the properties they will live in."

EcoHomes is an independently verified environmental assessment method for new, energy efficient housing. It rewards developers who improve environmental performance through good design of energy efficient homes, rather than high capital cost solutions.

It considers the broad environmental concerns of climate change, resource use and impact on wildlife and balances these against the need for a high quality of life and a safe and healthy internal environment.

Whaley Thorns is typical of many of the region’s pit villages which were badly affected by pit closures.

In Whaley Thorns, the local colliery closed in 1978 and the village suffered a particular decline - with increasing numbers of vacant properties - after 1996 which resulted in it being identified as a Renewal Area in 1998.

Since that time, some 140 properties have been demolished and replaced with owner occupied dwellings and housing rented through a Registered Social Landlord. Further development is planned on the cleared sites.