Work begins on 25 innovative affordable homes in rural community

Construction has begun on a rural development of 25 homes affordable homes in Hathern, Loughborough, fitted with innovative energy-efficient technology.

Leading provider Stonewater is working in partnership with family-owned developers, Cadeby Homes, a leading property developer covering Leicestershire and Warwickshire, to deliver the scheme, with funding support from Homes England.

Properties will feature a variety of energy-saving measures, such as air source heat pumps, PV panels and Wondrwall, an intelligent home automation and energy management system. 

Wondrwall uses AI-driven technology and smart sensors that can adapt a home’s lighting, heating, hot water and security based on routines and living habits.

The system minimises the need for traditional controls such as thermostats and switches and instead uses infrared heating panels which heat the objects in the room rather than the air. 

Stonewater has installed previously installed Wondrwall in its developments to help customers better manage their energy use and keep bills down. Households with the system installed have seen running costs more than halved, with some homes generating almost 80% of the energy it consumed.

The homes are being built on a former greenfield site and will be made up of 8 one-bedroom maisonettes, 3 two-bedroom bungalows, 6 two-bedroom houses, 6 three-bedroom houses and 2 four-bedroom houses.

The new scheme at Loughborough Road will meet the demand for housing in the area, helping to support the rural community – a cornerstone of Stonewater’s development programme.

A piece of public art for the site is also being planned for installation at the scheme, to foster a sense of pride and community in line with Stonewater’s public art initiative and its national Blunden Prize art competition.

Chris Montague, Director of Development (East and North) at Stonewater, said: “We’re really pleased to be continuing to lead the development of affordable housing in rural communities, providing a variety of homes to meet local need. Many villages are experiencing a severe housing crisis, where development is minimal or met with resistance, which can lead to the decline of thriving communities like Hathern.

“This new development will provide essential homes for young people, families and older people looking to remain in the area that they live and work in, and we look forward to working with the local community and our construction partners to bring this scheme to life.”

Louis Massarella, Manging Director at Cadeby Homes, said: “We have built a reputation over a number of years within Leicestershire as a high quality developer. Hathern was an opportunity for us, as a smaller company, to work alongside Stonewater in delivering quality homes in the affordable sector.

“I am positive that the incoming customers will be very impressed in what we will be providing in high quality, sustainable homes for modern living.” 

These homes will be offered exclusively to people with an existing connection to the local area, with the development expected to be completed in May 2027.