As part of the national campaign 'Climate Week', Barratt Homes is inviting the people of Nuneaton and Coventry to find out exactly how they design environmentally-friendly and sustainable new homes at their Bluebell development's innovative 'Discovery House'.

The first of its kind, the Discovery House looks like a normal home until you step inside. Designed as an educational and interactive tool, visitors young and old can learn how Barratt Homes design their new houses to be as energy efficient as possible.

Featuring colourful and informative display boards, some walls are cut away so you can see exactly what's going on behind them - exhibiting good levels of insulation, quality construction and high efficiency heating systems.

As a result, Barratt's new homes are more energy efficient than comparable new build homes, as well as easily out-performing the average second hand home. This means that residents at Bluebell could save hundreds of pounds on their annual energy bills each year, as well as being kinder to the planet.

The rooms at the Discovery House are devised to make visitors aware of how to keep their energy usage down to a minimum, including a sustainability and a technology room. For example, you will find information and tips on what types of energy efficient household appliances you should look out for to reduce your energy output.

The garden is no exception, as it boasts a flourishing organic vegetable patch, a bird bath to encourage wildlife and a selection of bee and butterfly friendly plants to support the development's bee and butterfly population. It also displays interesting ways to conserve water.

Steve Barton, Sales Manager for Barratt Mercia comments, "We're very supportive of the Climate Week campaign and we thought it would make sense for us to showcase the steps Barratt have taken to reduce our own and our purchasers carbon footprint.

"We're proud of the way we build sustainable homes and we hope that by opening the doors at Bluebell's Discovery House, it will raise awareness and spur people on to continue to consider the environment."

Bluebell is part of a new vision for Camp Hill, Nuneaton, which has seen the area regenerated into a thriving community. The landmark development will consist of 814 modern properties alongside a new high street, Whittleford Park and other green open spaces.

Bluebell features a range of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom homes priced from £70,000. For more information please contact the sales office on 02476 399520 open daily from 10am to 5pm

Alternatively, please call the sales hotline on 0844 811 9988  open seven days a week from 8am to 9pm or log on to www.bluebellnuneaton.co.uk or www.barratthomes.co.uk

This Barratt Mercia was confirmed as meriting the maximum five star official rating from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) for the third year running. The news was announced after more than 4,000 new home buyers across the country took part in this year's HBF customer satisfaction survey.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

1)    Bluebell is a partnership between Barratt Mercia, the Homes and Communities Agency, Nuneaton and Bedworth Council, Advantage West Midlands, Pride in Camp Hill and the Prince's Foundation.

2)    For further information about Bluebell or Barratt Mercia please contact Hannah Elwell, Director of PR or Sophie Redman, PR Account Executive on 0116 247 1777 or hannah@unsworthsugden.co.uk or sophie@unsworthsugden.co.uk

3)    Barratt Group sold 11,377 homes in the last financial year, making it the biggest housebuilder by volume in Britain.

4)    Barratt Group was awarded a maximum five star rating for the third consecutive year in the 2012 Home Builders Federation Customer Satisfaction Survey.

5)    Barratt Group was named Housebuilder of the Year at the Daily Telegraph British Homes Awards 2010.

6)    In 2010 site managers working for Barratt Group won the highest number of NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards for a record sixth consecutive year.

7)    Barratt Group is the only housebuilder to guarantee the fixtures and fittings in place at the time of purchase of its new homes for five years.

8)    Barratt Group is also one of Britain's foremost sustainable housebuilders.

9)    Images of a selection of developments are available to the media at http://www.barrattdevelopments.co.uk/barratt/en/media/mediakit/lib

10) Pride in Camp Hill is a partnership project between Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, Warwickshire County Council, regional development agency Advantage West Midlands, the Homes and Communities Agency, the Prince's Foundation and the residents and businesses of Camp Hill.

11) Its aim is to regenerate and revitalise Camp Hill creating a vibrant urban community through a series of initiatives focussing on physical improvements, health, education, training and community involvement.

12) For further information on Pride in Camp Hill, contact Joanne Hughes on 02476 399093, or email: joanne.hughes@prideincamphill.co.uk

13) The HCA is the single, national housing and regeneration agency for

England.  We bring together English Partnerships, investment functions of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities, with major delivery programmes of Communities and Local Government.

14) Our role is to create opportunity for people to live in high quality, sustainable places. We provide funding for affordable housing, bring land back into productive use and improve quality of life by raising standards for the physical and social environment.

15) For further information on the Homes and Communities Agency, contact Ian Dutton, Communications Manager on 0121 352 5443 or Sue Maguire, Consultant, Willoughby Public Relations on 07739 403952, or email ian.dutton@hca.gsx.gov.uk or suem@willoughby-pr.co.uk