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Housebuilder
Larkfleet SW Ltd (Larkfleet) is part of the Larkfleet Group, an award-winning
housebuilding and development company based in Bourne, Lincolnshire that
places particular emphasis on sustainability.
Like most
housebuilders, the company uses mains gas for the majority of its sites.
However, this was not an option for its secluded rural development in the
village of Churchinford, nine miles south of Taunton, Somerset.
Determined to
give its homebuyers the comfort and familiarity of gas, Larkfleet opted for
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Calor.
Set within the
heart of the Blackdown Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty,
aesthetics were a prime consideration for Larkfleet when designing its
exclusive Churchinford Hills development.
While interiors
are sleek and contemporary, the houses are constructed of loose lay flint
stone and a quarter are topped with traditional, hand laid thatched roofs.
Larkfleet commissioned a local specialist approved by the Guild of Master
Craftsmen to fashion the roofs from wheat reed that had been grown and
harvested locally.
To maintain the
tranquil countryside feel of the development, Calor installed two 4000-litre
underground LPG tanks, buried out of sight of the 20 three and four-bedroom
homes.
Gas is
distributed through a network of hidden pipes directly to each home, which
each have individual meters that are read annually by Calor. This allows
homeowners to be invoiced for their individual consumption, which means on
completion of the development, Larkfleet will not need to be involved with
its energy supply on an ongoing basis.
In terms of SAP
ratings, LPG scores better than electric heating solutions, meaning that
typically fewer energy-saving measures need to be installed. In fact, by
adopting a ‘Fabric First’ approach and specifying only high-quality
materials, Larkfleet found no modifications were needed to its standard house
designs to achieve Part L compliance with government Building Regulations.
Buyers have been
delighted that their dream homes have the gas central heating they are
accustomed to as Shaune Hicks, Construction Director, Larkfleet added: “In my
experience, homeowners much prefer gas to electric, and they are reassured
that LPG is an equally good alternative to mains gas. I must confess to
having initial reservations about installing tanks as the ambience of the
development is vital to the finished product, but it has been tastefully done
and the tanks are very discreet. The sales rate has been great, and we are
already 90 per cent sold.”
Churchinford
Hills’ quality was recently recognised when it was judged Best New Housing
Development in the 2018 Somerset Building Excellence Awards.
Shaune Hicks
comments, “We have given great consideration to modern living within this
rural location by introducing large open interior space, modern bathrooms and
kitchens with LPG heating, but with exteriors that retain village charm. We
are giving our buyers the best of both worlds and it is gratifying to receive
external endorsement of our approach.”
Larkfleet did
consider alternative suppliers but chose to work with Calor because Shane had
used them in the past and was familiar with the company’s high level of
service. In fact, Larkfleet was so pleased with its experience that it is
already working with Calor again on another rural development, in the village
of Ilton in Somerset.
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