A PRICKWILLOW family have been given the go-ahead to create two of the region’s most energy efficient homes, combining cutting edge technology with everyday materials.

Planners at East Cambridgeshire District Council have granted Tim Hill permission to build two “innovative” new homes in the village, using materials ranging from straw to wool and featuring a host of energy-efficient devices.

According to the plans, the homes will be built along the path of the sun to maximise natural light and heat and will be made using timber frames insulated with sheep’s wool and hemp. The walls will be part made using straw with a lime render.

Triple glazing, to minimise heat loss during winter, will be combined with innovative fanlights to allow cooling during the summer, all removing the need to employ carbon-consuming heating and cooling systems.

Solar water heating will provide 60 per cent of the hot water for the properties while rainwater harvesting will provide free water for toilets and drainage.

Microclimates will also be created around the house to control temperature which, architects claim, could reduce the family’s energy use by up to 90 per cent.

Architects told the council: “Mr and Mrs Hill’s passion for the low carbon environmentally responsible architecture will ensure the proposals energy use

and carbon emissions are minimised, if not neutralised.

“The proposal is both functional and enjoyable and in the process creates a pair of environmentally responsible dwellings that strive for carbon neutrality, alleviating the Hill family of the threat of fuel poverty and securing their sustainable future.”

The proposals drew praise from council planners and the Ely Society welcomed the development calling it “imaginative.”

Sue Finlayson, from the district council, said: “The development…provides an innovative scheme to produce a low carbon environmentally-friendly scheme, which will add variety to the street scene.”