The Sherwoods, six eco-friendly family homes close to the Olympic Park could show the way for sustainable social housing in the capital.

The project led by Newham Council, with partners including global infrastructure firm General Electric, has resulted in a scheme that could become a blueprint for sustainable housing. The family homes, designed by Bell Phillips Architects, meet Level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, and include green roofs and solar panels.

The six new properties were built on the site of a derelict public house which was compulsorily purchased by the council in November 2007.  The total build cost was £1 million financed partly by the GLA innovations fund.

Newham Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, said: “We’re focused on delivering a social legacy from the Olympics by regenerating a key part of East London. We want to close the gap with the rest of the capital so that our residents have the same economic and social opportunities as the average Londoner.

“Housing will be critical to achieving that goal and we are ambitious about how we do it. This exciting development shows what is possible when the public sector works in partnership with a global innovator.”

Tony Gale, GE’s Director of Commercial Operations, said: “Across London, GE has been involved in projects that are helping to improve the capital’s infrastructure or energy supply. This is the first domestic redevelopment that GE has been involved in, and we hope that our innovative technological solutions in the home – just like those in the Olympic Park – will provide lasting legacy benefits to the new residents.”