Councillors in Hertfordshire have approved Oakland Care’s plans for a highly sustainable care home.

The 75-bedroom state-of-the-art care home in Harpenden will become Oakland’s 11th care home in the Southeast and London. Construction will start in June 2024.

The Harpenden home will be Oakland Care’s first to be powered by renewable energy that does not connect to the gas infrastructure grid. The care home will be powered by 100% electricity, with 125 solar panels installed to generate power.

Air source heat pumps will help heat the building via an under-floor heating system. The home will include 12 charging points for electric vehicles, and a wildlife garden area to promote and support biodiversity.

Oakland Care, a carbon neutral care home group, aims to deliver a carbon neutral, net zero home which is certified Excellent by sustainability assessment method BREEAM.

Joanne Balmer, chief executive of Oakland Care, said: “The new care home in Harpenden will be our most innovative, adventurous, and sustainable yet, and will act as a blueprint for our future homes. It demonstrates a big step forward against our environmental strategy and is further evidence our industry-leading approach to combatting the climate crisis.”