Articles
The
park development has caused quite a lot of interest in the local press and also
in national magazines.
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The
following article was from the
The houses made from plastic cups and tin cans
By Fiona Thompson
The world's first eco-village was unveiled today at a Wearside caravan
park.
The homes at
Extrudawood made from recycled polystyrene cups and packaging and drinks and
food cans has been used to make the homes. And they can withstand the foulest weather
and meet required safety standards.
While councils, restaurants and supermarkets have already used it in fixtures
and outdoor furniture, what will be now known as Finchale Village is the only
place where the material has been used to build houses – the recycled
plastic and metal mix has been moulded and coloured to look like wood.
The homes are styled to look like log lodges and designed to the owners'
specification, and range in price from £110,000 up to £180,000.
Almost half the existing plots in the park have been taken up by people from
Sunderland and the Chester-le-Street area, with many selling their homes as
they downsize and look for somewhere to lead a quieter life or buy a second
home.
The site, which stands in the shadow of Finchale Abbey and on the banks of the
Wear, has marketed the eco-village for the retired and semi-retired over the
age of 45. No children are allowed to live on site.
Directors of the caravan park, Eric Welsh, 61, and sister Ann Watson, 55, took
over the business in 1994 when their parents Eric, now 86, and his late wife
Charlotte, retired. The family has owned the caravan park since 1951 and the
company continues to be a family affair.
Eric's sons Peter, 35, and Michael, 30, Ann's daughters Charlotte, 17, Suzie, 24
and Zoe McDonald, 28, and their cousin Irene Black, 49, her daughter Sarah, 16,
are all involved in running the company.
In 2003 Eric and Ann were told 90 static caravans on the site were no longer
suitable, giving them the opportunity to make changes.
The first phase of 17 plots was started two years ago, with a further 17
already sold in the second section. More will come with the third phase as
another part of the site used for static caravans is revamped, with up to 70
homes to be built in total.
Ann, who was born on the park, said: "Retired and semi-retired people want
to get out of the rat race and be in an idyllic place. They can just sit
peacefully and listen to the birds." Ann believes the village, which was
officially opened by environmentalist David Bellamy today, is popular with
Wearsiders.
Sales consultant Bill Stephenson said: "In factory fortnight, years ago,
in the shipping community, this was a holiday place for them.
"People know
Finchale and have spent many happy times here. Coming here brings those
memories back."
Among the 60 residents in the lodges is Nora Sowerby, who lived in
Nora, 69, said:
"My husband died and I was looking for some peace and quiet and a serene
lifestyle. From the moment I came in through the barrier for the first time I
didn't need to look any further. It couldn't be better. It suits me and there
is such a circle of support and friends, it's such a friendly community."
Neighbours Eileen and
Geoff Hodgkiss, both 63, who sold their home in
Geoff, a retired
butcher, said: "It's a nice place to live and relax. We thought that in
the next 10 years we wouldn't want a big garden and things like that. We have
that here."
Eileen added:
"It's the best thing we've ever done at this time in our lives."
Eco-home scores with former SAFC player Norman
Former
The wing half, who
played for the club during the 1954-55 season after he was taken on from
Silksworth Colliery, has lived in Finchale Abbey's eco-village with wife
Gillian for the last 18 months.
The couple moved back
to the North East to be closer to daughter Erica, 39and her three sons, and
their son Graeme, 46, after living near
They were able to design their own home to suit their needs, which was
especially important for
His footballing career came to an end when he damaged a cruciate ligament and
he now uses a wheelchair after knee replacements and a series of infections.
The couple, originally
from Barnes,
Norman, who got a £10
signing on fee when he moved to Sunderland AFC and appears in the Roll of
Honour in the Stadium of Light, said: "We're self contained, but close to
the infrastructure.
"Our family was
all for it."
Gillian, whose sister
Olwyn Kennedy moved next door after she saw their home, said: "We wanted a
smaller home and to be nearer our daughter and my husband goes to hospital in
"We had a lot of
choice here. We made friends straight away and my sister was an added
bonus.”
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From
the BBC News website 7th June 2007
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Eco-village gets
Bellamy blessing |
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An
eco-village constructed from recycled packaging in The
Finchale Abbey development near The
homes are constructed from plastic waste converted into a product that looks
and feels like wood. Professor
Bellamy said it is the greenest holiday park he knows of. The
material used to build the homes acts and feels like wood but does not rot. A
spokesman for the manufacturer Extrudawood said: "It has the potential
of using vast quantities of waste packaging materials." The
final phase of the development is now complete and a spokeswoman for the
Finchale Abbey development the community was growing all the time. ********************************************************************************* The following
article was from the Eco-homes win praise from Mr green Environmentalist
David Bellamy has given his approval to the world's first eco-village.
Extrudawood is made out of recycled
polystyrene from packaging and containers, but can withstand the toughest of
conditions. The park, which has been owned by the
same family since 1951, has used the thermoplastic to build log cabin-style
homes to create a village for the over 45s. Mr Bellamy, who lives in County Durham,
spoke to the group about the benefits of using Extrudawood and also presented
children from St Godric's Primary School with birdboxes made from it for
their grounds. Ann Watson, 55, who is a director of
the caravan park alongside her brother Eric Welsh, 61, said: "The launch
went very well. The councils have all gone away knowing the different aspects
of this material and we will see how they use it in their own areas. "We are very happy to be the
first village in the world to use this."
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The
following article was from the October 2006 edition of Park Home & Holiday
Caravan Magazine and two of our residents Mr. and Mrs. Sibley even made the
front cover!
Bright
summer sunshine welcomed a large crowd of visitors to Finchale Abbey Farm Park
recently, for a special open day highlighting the latest developments which
have occurred at this fascinating eco village, located beside the River Wear in
Durham.
The
event, supported by Extrudawood Ltd, and presided over by popular
conservationist Professor David Bellamy, gave guests a unique opportunity to
learn more about the park which has evolved from a traditional caravan site
into one of the country’s most environmentally aware residential estates.
David Bellamy with park owners, Eric Welsh and Ann
Watson
Currently,
owners Eric Welsh and Ann Watson, are currently working hard to complete the
final phase of the project, which will eventually see 52 lodge style properties
installed in this gloriously rural setting adjacent to a ruined Benedictine
Abbey.
It’s
planned that all new homes will be manufactured from Extrudawood, a
revolutionary thermoplastic composite material that strongly resembles
traditional timber, without any of the inherent maintenance requirements.
During
the open day visitors toured the site which covers just over six acres and
heard Professor Bellamy extol the virtues of this new material, which is sure
to become increasingly important in a whole range of applications. It does not shrink or warp and is highly
resistant to ultra violet rays, fungi, termites and insects, making it perfect
for use in countries where these problems exist.
Historically,
the park has been in the same family for 55 years, yet it was only in recent
times that the two owners embarked on an extensive upgrading programme, designed to breathe new life into this popular location.
All
the original caravans were gradually removed and bases for more modern park
homes put in place. Utility services
have been installed and a considerable amount of landscaping has transformed
the appearance of the park beyond all recognition.
The
new homes are creating a good deal of interest and residents can select any
interior design provided the exterior is made of Extrudawood.
“A
glorious rural setting adjacent to a ruined Benedictine abbey.”
Facilities
on the park are exceptional, with well surfaced roads linking all communal
thoroughfares. Each home has parking
space for one or two cars and open plan gardens surround each property for
those who love the outdoor life.
Decking, also made from Extrudawood, is installed, giving even greater
convenience and additional space for family parties and other social
gatherings.
LOCAL CELEBRITIES
At
the moment there are 10 fully serviced homes on the park, with a small
community of residents relishing the delights which they have discovered at
Finchale, all of whom attended the open day and took great pride in being
involved in the event, which featured on local television, with a crew from
Tyne Tees interviewing Mr and Mrs Storey who became the first residents of St
Godric’s Walk back in March 2005.
Mr
and Mrs Wood were also enjoying the new way of life, with a move to Finchale
Abbey and are now delighted to be living in this location. They moved to their bespoke lodge in November
after many years in a small village near Richmond in North Yorkshire. The
couple, were looking to down size somewhat, finding that their three bed
bungalow was simply too large for the two of them. It was also surrounded by a huge garden and
although Gillian Wood thoroughly enjoys gardening it was rather time consuming
and too large for her to manage.
Curiously,
the couple knew nothing about park home living and it was only by chance that
they read a feature highlighting the redevelopment of Finchale Abbey in the
local paper that they visited the site.
Ultimately, after scrutinising the park for
themselves they realised that this type of
lifestyle suited them both and within a matter of weeks their former home was
on the market, selling to the first person who viewed the property hastening a
move to Finchale.
Gillian
and Norman Wood helped design their home.
Norman
Wood explained “We couldn’t believe how quickly things happened in
the run up to our move to Finchale. Our
previous home sold very quickly and unfortunately our new property was not
complete on the due date, with the result that we had to spend a few days with
our daughter, but this was not a major problem for us.”
Before
retiring Mr Wood worked as a primary school teacher and Gillian was a hospital
administrator, employed in the local A&E Unit.
A TAILOR MADE HOME
Like
many residents Mr and Mrs Wood visited the Lodge construction factory to assist
with the overall design of their home.
They found the staff very helpful, even down to making some major
structural changes to the property. The
couple also elected to have one of the bedrooms converted into a utility room,
which gave them some additional space and the opportunity to have wider
doorways accommodating the wheelchair which Mr Wood has to use.
Naturally
living on one level has also proved beneficial from this point of view and
using the wheelchair around the property has not presented any major
obstacles. However, he does feel
slightly uncomfortable about using his wheelchair on some of the roads around
the park, which results in travelling rather faster than he
would like!
Mr
and Mrs Wood are both enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the park and find
the location on the outskirts of Durham very convenient for all local
facilities. The nearby Arnison Centre, a
large shopping complex, has all the leading high street names and the excellent
road network makes travelling around the country a real pleasure.
Historic Durham is a thriving, vibrant city.
Since
moving to Finchale Mrs Wood has enjoyed two Sunday services in the abbey
grounds which were very memorable events and unlike more traditional services. The open air, birds singing and the
rush of the nearby river just adding to the overall atmosphere.
She
has also witnessed two full immersion baptisms taking place in the River Wear
which skirts around the perimeter of the park.
She would like to attend further such events at the abbey, indeed it has
been suggested that an open air carol service at Christmas might be staged in
December, which would make a wonderful spectacle if the grounds of the abbey
were covered with a light dusting of snow.
Mr
and Mrs Wood are now both converted to the park home living and would recommend
Finchale Abbey to those considering a change of address, so much so that Mrs
Wood is trying to persuade her sister to consider moving to the park.
Speaking
at the open day Professor Bellamy, who first came to Finchale Abbey as a young
student back in 1959, explained how he was initially introduced to the
Extrudawood process which basically utilises waste polystyrene to
produce a timber like material that requires very little maintenance. Yet has far reaching implications for the
conservation of natural resources such as water, oil and fossil fuels.
He
was keen to stress the reusable properties of Extrudawood which can be reground
and used to produce new products. Hence,
a park home owner who is dissatisfied with the design of his home can have it
reengineered and made into a new property.
Professor
Bellamy described the use of Extrudawood for the building of park homes and
other properties as the beginning of the future, sustainability and
conservation being the watchwords of this new industry.
Guests
took to see for themselves the standard
of workmanship which is such a characteristic of the development. All the bases are now in place awaiting the
arrival of new homes which will be installed in the ensuing months. Each home
has the full range of utility services, with piped gas being supplied from
large on-site storage tanks, there is therefore no necessity for residents to
be constantly changing gas bottles during the coldest days of winter when
consumption is at a peak.
“To
give the park its own unique identity three separate residential districts have
been created.”
In
an attempt to give the park its own unique identity three separate residential
districts have been created, St Godric’s Walk, St Cuthbert’s View
and St Bede’s Close all of which have links with the local abbey and
religious order that occupied this marvellous place, now regarded
as one of the districts best kept secrets.
Interestingly,
the priory was once used as a holiday retreat by monks from the city of Durham
who came here to recover from the stresses and strains of their normal
existence in the nearby city. They were
normally accommodated in very comfortable surroundings, enjoying a more relaxed
existence while staying in this tranquil oasis.
Durham Cathedral attracts the crowds all year round.
Alan
and Elizabeth Sibley who arrived at Finchale Abbey in March this year were also
enjoying the new way of life and settling in to their new Stirling lodge sited
in a quiet corner of the park with dramatic views down the valley towards the
abbey.
Mr
and Mrs Sibley were originally looking to buy a bungalow after their children
had all left home, unfortunately they couldn’t find anything that they
liked the look of, despite scrutinising a vast number of properties. However, they eventually discovered Finchale
Abbey and realised immediately that this was the place for them.
The
couple, who come from nearby Pity Me, a matter of 2 miles up the road from
Finchale, had visited the abbey many years ago but were surprised to see the
redevelopment of the park where they now live.
A DIFFERENT WAY OF
LIFE
Mr
Sibley said, “It’s a totally different way of life and absolutely
wonderful. I’m retired and my wife
works fulltime to keep me in the style to which I’ve become accustomed,”
he jokes. “We are in the ideal spot to obtain the maximum amount of
sunshine which gradually moves around our home during the course of the
day.”
Alan and Elizabeth Sibley owned a caravan before they
moved to Finchale
The
couple already had a static caravan and were therefore familiar with park
homes. Additionally, a friend of theirs
also owns such a property so it was not so strange that they would eventually
end up living at Finchale.
Both
Mr and Mrs Sibley are highly satisfied with their new home and found it large
enough for all their possessions. They
were keen to bring some of their own furniture with them, and were concerned
about the possible lack of space. They need
not have worried though as the home is as large as a traditional bungalow.
Mr
Sibley explained, “There are some people who would never consider moving
from bricks and mortar, but we absolutely love it. And our friends who live in a park home have
similar views. We are in the heart of
the beautiful countryside and we’ve got a lifestyle that we would never
be able to afford. A conventional
bungalow in this setting would probably cost upwards of a £1m.”
“It’s
a totally different way of life and absolutely wonderful.”
Technically,
their move to Finchale Abbey went without a hitch and Mr Sibley in particular
was convinced that something must surely go wrong. Fortunately, his predictions never came true
and moving from Pity Me worked like clock work. They didn’t even have to
change their telephone number which must say something about the level of organisation that they had put in before hand.
Before
retiring Alan worked as a driver/courier for the coach company Northern Voyager
which he greatly enjoyed, while Elizabeth is still employed and works with
young disadvantaged adults. In any spare moments the couple have a number of
hobbies to keep them busy. They also
like to go travelling whenever
possible. They have relatives in Canada
and are planning a trip across the water within the near future, safe in the
knowledge that their home at Finchale will be perfectly secure, with resident
security staff keeping a watchful eye on the property.
Since
moving to the park they have really settled into the social scene which is
developing on the park, with cheese and wine parties and a whole host of other
social gathering regularly taking place among the resident population.
At
the moment pitch fees for a luxury home at Finchale Abbey Farm Park are charged
at £174 per month, which is inclusive of water rates and sewerage charges. All homes fall into Band A for council tax
purposes and pets are allowed to live on the development. The park is designed to appeal to the over 50
age group, with no resident children.
However, grandchildren and other young relatives are perfectly at
liberty to stay for holidays and so on.
SETTING HIGH STANDARDS
As
the open day concluded it cannot be denied that Ann Watson and Eric Welsh are
setting very high standards for the redevelopment of the park. They have, where possible, used the most
environmentally advanced techniques protecting the local flora and fauna. Much remains to do with bases now in place
for the immediate installation of new park homes. Premium positions overlooking the abbey are
also available and these offer stunning views of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Looking
at the park today it’s incredible to think that a major transformation
has occurred in such a short space of time.
New Lodges constructed from
Extrudawood blend sympathetically with the natural environment. The landscaping which has occurred further
enhancing this wonderfully tranquil setting.
Potential residents should visit the park and see it for themselves.
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From
Durham City News August/September 2006
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The
following article was from the Northern Echo Wednesday June 14th
2006
RECYCLED
HOMES
Green
Breakthrough: From Left, Professor David Bellamy, site owner Ann Watson, Chester-le-street
council leader Ralph Harrison and Durham Mayor Jeff Lodge.
A CARAVAN park is being transformed into a village of homes made from
recycled polystyrene.
Finchale Abbey Park, next to the River
Wear on the outskirts of Durham City, has replaced ageing static caravans with
51 single story lodges clad with a weatherproof material called Extrudawood.
Extrudawood area sales manager Bill
Stephenson said: “It is the first time in the world that there has been a
development like this. It looks like wood but it’s polystyrene.
People are selling their properties and
buying these recycled homes and retiring there.
It is totally maintenance free and the only downside is that it is
slightly dearer than wood. The government is looking at it as a material for
low cost housing.”
Yesterday, an open day was held at the
site, owned by Ann Watson and her brother, Eric Welsh, and was visited by
Professor David Bellamy.
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The
following article was from the January 2006 edition of Park Home & Holiday
Caravan Magazine.
Steve
Gray finds out more about Extrudawood, a new environmentally friendly material
used by NJS Lodges to clad their leisure homes.
Readers
of Park Home & Holiday Caravan will no doubt be familiar with the face of
David Bellamy, which regularly graces our pages. As one of the country’s
best-known environmentalists, he campaigns relentlessly on a whole host of
green issues, traveling the world to encourage greater awareness of
environmental protection. He also set up the David Bellamy Conservation Award
Scheme for park home estates and caravan parks over 10 years ago.
Professor
Bellamy stresses that the real potential for encouraging youngsters to get
involved must not be overlooked. Several companies are trying hard to bring
this about, offering guidance and training to staff who will eventually
encourage youngsters to take a real interest in their environment.
Professor David
Bellamy and Geoff House of Extrudawood
In
addition to being involved with the David Bellamy Conservation Award Scheme, he
has recently taken an interest in a new company which looks set to SAVE THE PLANET
ENVIRONMENTAL Innovations Steve Gray finds out more about Extrudawood, a new
environmentally friendly material used by NJS Lodges to clad their leisure
homes revolutionise
the way some park homes are constructed. It uses a new product called
Extrudawood, which is made from granulated polystyrene, the type of material in
which McDonalds originally served their burgers.
Based
on the Isle of Wight, the Extrudawood company is saving valuable natural
resources, but has the added benefit that a resident can actually recycle his
home at sometime in the future if the design is no longer to his or her liking.
Apparently it is perfectly feasible to re-grind existing Extrudawood and reuse
the granules to produce something more desirable.
Professor Bellamy,
like many other experts, can see great potential in the adaptability of
Extrudawood, which actually saw the light of day about 30 years ago.
Ultimately, in the interim, the product has been refined and developed to such
a level that it is now possible to use it for various applications, including
the protection of windows and doors. However, residential park homes and
leisure properties are just one of the big future possibilities.
INSPIRED DEVELOPMENT
The
manufacture of Extrudawood has gone through several incarnations. It has been
developed to such a level that it can be produced in almost any colour, is totally UV stable, has a high tensile and compression strength and,
very importantly for some, it is almost maintenance free.
Initially,
the consortium producing Extrudawood had visions of using it for decking, hot
tub cladding and various other applications. However, after examining various
uses for Extrudawood, it was inspired by park owner Ann Watson, who is
currently redeveloping Finchale Abbey Park in Durham.
Mrs
Watson is a keen environmentalist and was eager to use only green products on
her park. Subsequently, it was Ann who first suggested the manufacture of park
homes from this most adaptable material, which is actually a by-product of the
petrochemical industry.
Ann Watson,
owner of Finchale Abbey Park
Ultimately,
after several months of prolonged negotiations, the first park home
manufactured from Extrudawood rolled off the production line, creating a good
deal of interest in the process.
Since
that first experiment into using Extrudawood for the production of park homes,
further designs have been added in double and single-unit specifications. NJS
has become one of the first companies in the country to use Extrudawood for the
building of residential and leisure units.
The
actual production of Extrudawood is quite a simple procedure, which has taken
many years to perfect and stabilise. Granules of waste material are coloured, heated and extruded through a
tool. It is then chopped into the required length and packed ready for despatch.
Professor
Bellamy became involved with the Extrudawood company several years ago and was
immediately excited by the product it was producing. He commented at the time,
This is just what the caravan industry has been waiting for.
Clearly
there is potential for using Extrudawood in a multitude of different ways and,
in fact, it is quite difficult to distinguish Extrudawood from forested timber.
However, the environmental implications are significant when you consider that
it reduces the number of trees felled.
A
relatively small firm employing just a handful of staff, Extrudawood is headed
by Geoff House, who initially recognised the great potential of this unique material. He was so confident about
its future uses that he formed a consortium to promote it. Accordingly, various
changes took place and the group generated a lot of interest, with the result
that today Extrudawood looks set to take the park home industry by storm.
Professor
Bellamy is very excited by the development of Extrudawood and is eager to
promote its use. Looking to the future it seems likely that Extrudawood could
become a favoured material
in the building industry. Its adaptability and strength cannot be denied,
making it far superior to traditional timber, in some respects.
Environmentally, its use can save valuable natural resources in addition to
reducing our levels of waste products.
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Last updated
– 4th October 2006
For more
information on the Park, our new development and availability of residential
plots
please call Ann on 0191 3866528 or E-mail: godricawatson@hotmail.com