THEY might look nothing out of the ordinary from the outside, but six new homes in Weeke are at the forefront of green living.

Winchester City Council officially unveiled the half-dozen ecohomes' today (December 17),at Gardeners Close, so called because they have been granted Ecohomes Excellence status by the Building Research Establishment, an organisation that tests sustainability in building.

The land was a disused allotment site between Greatfield Road and Trussell Close and the homes, all low-cost social housing, have been built in partnership with Atlantic Housing, owned by First Wessex.

One of the first people to move in during the autumn was Evelina Dee-Shapland, with her husband, Ben and children, Catherine and Sofia.

They previously rented rooms in a shared house and Mrs Dee-Shapland said they were happy with their first family home.

She said: "It's great that it's an ecohome, it feels very happy and light and I couldn't think of anything better, it's better than we hoped for.

"We're always trying to recycle as much as possible, so living in a green home is important to us. I used to live in an old fashioned house and it was very difficult to keep warm."

The development has been recognised for meeting a host of green credentials.

They include low carbon dioxide emissions, high insulation, using timber from sustainable sources and water-saving techniques.

It also covers being close to amenities and public transport, provision for wildlife and storage for cycles.

Cllr Tony Coates, city council portfolio holder for housing and communities, said: "These homes have been built with a very high energy efficiency rating and there's a number of other features which meet the Government's sustainable homes agenda.

"I do hope that the new residents here will be very happy and have a long and enjoyable time in these properties in Winchester."

Peter Walters, chief executive of First Wessex, added: "This is a small but significant development for us and indeed any contribution to relieving the housing need in Winchester is welcome."