Residents of 725 new apartments in Hackbridge will be able to heat their homes and water through sustainable low-carbon energy in the near future.

The apartments are based in New Mill Quarter on Hackbridge Road, Wallington.

This has been ensured due to an agreement between Sutton Council and housebuilders Barratt Developments Plc.

Energy will be generated by The Sutton Decentralised Energy Network (SDEN) who will gather heat from the Energy Recovery Facility in Beddington that will travel through insulated pipes to provide low-carbon heat and hot water to homes and businesses.

Cllr Jayne McCoy, Chair of the Housing, Economy and Business committee, said: “Here in Sutton we are determined to champion a sustainable future.

“Not only have we ensured delivery of a decentralised energy network through our own investment, we are capturing an energy source that would otherwise be wasted, when other UK decentralised energy schemes still rely on fossil fuels to generate the initial heat.”

New Mill Quarter homes could use SDEN from this summer with backup gas boilers being employed until next summer.

The Beddington development will add shops, a doctor’s surgery, a supermarket and an assisted-living care home as well as the new homes.

Hackbridge & Beddington Corner Neighbourhood Development Group wrote on social media that the site was “over-developed to the detriment of existing residents”.

Mark Bailey, Regional Director of Barratt David Wilson Homes Southern, said: “We are delighted to announce this innovative agreement between Sutton Council and Barratt Developments. It will be a landmark project for the UK and the first decentralised heating network of its kind to combine so many different end users into a single sustainable heat supply network.

“We are confident it will be a great success for both organisations and we look forward to continuing to work with the council to deliver the scheme, providing real benefits for future residents and helping to reduce our overall impact on the planet.”

This is the latest move as part of One Planet Sutton as the council aims to decrease carbon emissions along with their dependency on fossil fuels.