The most environmentally-friendly council homes in Norwich are to be constructed in Mile Cross, after a £1.5m scheme was given the go-ahead.
City councillors today unanimously granted planning permission for City Hall's own application to build the homes in Hansard Close.
The development will see Norwich City Council's former neighbourhood area housing office knocked down and replaced with 10 flats.
Those flats – eight one-bedroom flats and two two-bedroom flats – will be the first council-owned homes built in Norwich to what is known as Passivhaus standard.
Passivhaus homes are built to the highest standards of energy efficiency and designed to use very little energy for heating and cooling.
Examples of Passivhaus features include extra thick insulation, triple glazed windows and doors, and heat provided through a mechanical vent heat recovery system.
At today's meeting of the council's planning committee, the scheme, designed by Barron and Smith Architects, was granted permission.
Planning committee member Paul Neale, Green city councillor for Town Close, said: 'I welcome this development, especially with the homes being of Passivhaus standard.'
The new homes, which will have car parking spaces and bike stores, will all be for social rent, let through the Norwich Home Options scheme.
The neighbourhood office at Mile Cross closed more than two years ago as part of a city council shake-up.
That led to claims that the boarded up building had become an eyesore.
•Do you have a story about a local council? Call reporter Dan Grimmer on 01603 772375 or email dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk
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