THE first residents are set to move in to nine brand-new council homes in Charminster, with a mix of family and one-bedroom properties offered.

The housing for residents who have been waiting on the council’s register, consists of three three-bedroom houses, two two-bedroom flats and four one-bedroom flats.

The accompanying 13 car park spaces will help to alleviate parking pressures in the area.

The modern buildings in Luckham Road have been built by the council’s construction team to the ‘Passivhaus’ standard and use about 90 per cent less energy than standard UK buildings.

Also, the new homes make use of ground source heat pumps and pipes buried in the garden to extract heat from the earth. This energy is then used to warm radiators and generate hot water in the properties.

This development replaces older council housing on the same site which was no longer fit for purpose and required significant ongoing maintenance.

Councillor Karen Rampton, portfolio holder for people and homes, said:“This is a fantastic development that reiterates the council’s commitment to build more energy efficient and sustainable homes for our residents.

“It will also help us reach our twin targets of reducing the council's own carbon footprint to net zero by 2030 and the footprint for the whole BCP area by 2050. We are delighted to see people collect keys to these exciting properties and start enjoying their beautiful and modern new homes.”