Two houses for social rent which are claimed to be zero carbon and the first of their kind in the UK have been built in Manchester.

The homes, which are part of 22 low carbon housing development, feature additional insulation, triple glazed windows, an air source heat pump and a Mechanical Ventilation Heat recovery system.

The properties do not have gas and have been designed to keep in the heat as much as possible making them energy efficient.

The city, which has currently 70,000 social homes, has set a target to be a zero carbon city by 2038.

Councillor Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Employment, said: “This is nothing short of landmark for the social housing sector.

“We know there are major challenges in making 100% social housing developments viable, but this is doubled when developing zero carbon – or even low carbon – social housing.”