Oakland Care's Sustainable Care Home in Hertfordshire Gets Green Light

Oakland Care secures approval for highly sustainable care home in Hertfordshire, By Oakland Care

Milestone plans which will see the delivery of a 75-bedroom, highly sustainable, care home in Harpenden, Hertfordshire have been approved by councillors.

Oakland Care is bringing the state-of-the-art development forward. It becomes the 11th addition to our business’ growing portfolio of care homes across the South East and London. This reflects our leading reputation for caregiving, exemplified by our recent rating as one of the UK’s Top 20 care home groups for 2024.

We are a carbon neutral care home group recognised as the ‘greener choice’ of care homes in the UK for their pioneering approach to sustainability. The new care home is our most innovative and sustainable to date and will be powered by 100% electricity.

125 solar panels will be installed to generate power for the care home, whilst air source heat pumps will help heat the building via an under-floor heating system. The Harpenden care home will be Oakland Care’s first home to be powered by renewable energy that does not connect to the gas infrastructure grid.

As part of the transformative plans 12 EV charging points will be delivered, supporting the ongoing electrification of the transport network. Meanwhile, a wildlife garden area is also included in the plans to promote and support biodiversity.

Through these efforts Oakland Care are aiming to deliver a carbon neutral, net zero home which is certified ‘Excellent’ by BREEAM, the world's leading sustainability assessment method for buildings and organisations.

Alongside these industry-leading green features, the new care home will offer residents fully equipped accommodation and amenities such as café bistro, hair salon, activity room, library, quiet lounges, and a multi-function central courtyard.

Construction is set to commence in June 2024.

Joanne Balmer BEM, Chief Executive Officer of Oakland Care, said:

“This is a major milestone for Oakland Care and one I am incredibly proud of. This achievement is testament to the outstanding efforts of all those we have worked alongside to get the project to this point, and I am delighted that we have now received planning permission for this scheme.

“The new care home in Harpenden will be our most innovative, adventurous, and sustainable yet, and will act as a blueprint for our future homes. It demonstrates a big step forward against our environmental strategy and is further evidence our industry-leading approach to combatting the climate crisis.

“To be able to expand our portfolio of care homes is also a sign of our continued progress as a care provider. We have become well-recognised for the outstanding care we deliver to our residents and look forward to supporting more people in Harpenden and Hertfordshire over the coming years.”

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