Heating and Ventilating

The first little pig may have come a cropper when he chose straw as a building material, but planning permission has been granted to construct the first council houses in the UK with straw.
North Kesteven district council is building two semi-detached properties out of strawbale, arguing that the insulation is three times better than building regulations require.

Both three bedroom Lincolnshire properties will be built using straw bales as the structural element. Walls will be plastered with lime and have conventional windows and roofs.

The council says the buildings will not need heating systems but, just in case, wood burning stoves are being installed for very cold weather.

The leader of the council, councillor Marion Brighton said: 'The district council not only hopes to share its expertise and knowledge with other organisations, but also with residents by inviting them to come and watch the whole process of the houses being built'.

She added: 'The straw houses are the first of their kind to be used as social housing in the country and are one of the ways the district council is providing much needed affordable housing'.