Holly Lynch: Halifax's MP gets her overalls on and paintbrush out to highlight green-living

Holly Lynch donned overalls and got painting for the project aimed at letting more people in Halifax know about low-carbon living.

Newground Together’s Greener Together idea is to transforming a two-bedroom home into the hub for three months so that people can visit and find out more about living more sustainably.

Greener Together is a partnership led by Newground Together – part of the Together Hosing Group – working with Women Centre and Halifax Opportunities Trust and has been made possible by a £306k Gainshare grant from West Yorkshire Combined Authority and a £116k investment from the housing group.

The house has been fitted with better insulation, photovoltaic solar panels with a battery storage system and an air source heat pump.

The garden has also been regenerated to allow residents to plant and grow vegetables and wildflowers.

Newground Together’s team will be on hand to guide people through the new technology – much of which will be introduced into Together Housing homes over the next few years as it invests £120m in green energy projects in its communities and moves fully away from fossil fuels by 2035.

Energy advisors will be on hand to explain the tech, giving people tips to live in a more sustainable way and save money.

The hub will also double up a pop-up community learning space.

When the project is over, the home will be let out at an affordable rent.

Anna Dawson-Jones, Greener Together’s Community Programmes Coordinator, said: “It’s going to be a great use of a building which has previously been empty.

"We’ve had so much interest already, we know it’ll be a success.

“It gives people the opportunity to see the new technology and ask questions about how it works. I really think it makes life easier and we are helping the planet at the same time.“

Holly Lynch said: “We, in Calderdale, are the forefront of the battle against climate change when you see how flooding affects the area, so initiatives like this to tackle the problem and create warmer homes that are cheaper to run – especially during a cost-of-living crisis – can only be a good thing."