TRAINING to build eco homes - four of which will be built on a brownfield site in Chard - has begun.

Stonewater, a social housing provider, is working with Beattie Passive to deliver the homes through the Flying Factory partnership.

The four homes will be built at the rear of the Chard Working Men's Club building, which was turned into five affordable apartments by Stonewater in 2015.

Stonewater’s managing contractor Ashcot Construction is currently undertaking training to deliver the homes to meet Passivhaus standards.

Passivhaus is an advanced low-energy construction standard for buildings that offers significantly reduced heating costs, superior air quality and high-performance homes.

Charlotte Brace, special projects manager at Stonewater, said: “There are many benefits to delivering a project like this, including reduced transport costs and being able to work closely with the local labour force to deliver social and economic benefits to the community. But there are also cost-saving benefits for our customers.

“The majority of heating required to heat the home comes from ‘passive’ sources such as sunlight and emitted heat from electrical appliances, meaning almost no traditional heating system is required.”

The homes are being supported with funding from Homes England and South Somerset District Council (SSDC).

Councillor Val Keitch, leader at SSDC, said: “We want to enable housing and communities to meet the existing and future needs of residents and by working with affordable housing suppliers such as Stonewater, we are pleased to enable the delivery of local eco-friendly housing which of course comes with additional benefits for the environment.”

The four two-bedroom homes are expected to be complete by the end of the year.