Glove Factory Development, Yeovil, Somerset

An eco-friendly development is taking shape in Yeovil, Somerset. The Glove Factory, purpose-built in 1872 for Ewens and Johnson Gloveworks, is the last vestige of the glove making industry in Yeovil. It is located on the southern edge of the town centre, adjacent to the Yeovil leisure complex and overlooking the country park.

After World War II, as post-war imports took their toll, the factory changed hands and ceased gloving in the 50s. It continued in light industrial use and was purchased by the District Council in the 1980s.  In 2004 the building was at risk of being bulldozed, but was saved and in 2006 it was declared a listed building.

The site is now undergoing regeneration into a mixed use urban quarter, with the Glove Factory as its centrepiece. The development is a high-quality scheme of 27 houses, 10 apartments, three shops, office space, and a promenade. The Glove Factory will be refurbished to create a cafe/restaurant, with a picturesque outdoor courtyard eating area. 

The Glove Factory scheme is part of Yeovil District Council’s regeneration of the town. Work started in early February 2010, the first homes should be on the market by the early summer of 2011, and the entire project should be completed by 2012. The first homes should be completed in the early summer of 2011. Elements of the scheme are being delivered to zero carbon standards, and the first phase is being delivered to the minimum standard of Code 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The project is headed by the town's regeneration team, Yeovil Vision. South Somerset District Councillor Tony Fife said: "This is a landmark site and links in with the newly improved South Western Terrace and Reckleford areas. It is part of a much larger picture that will help deliver the town's potential."

The Glove Factory development will include solar powered homes, an onsite water recycling scheme and a 150kw biomass boiler, the Woodpecker Thermon 150, which is being installed by Ecofirst as part of a district heating system. Each accommodation unit draws heat from a large buffer tank in the boiler room via the district heating grid. Heat exchanger in each property supplies the heating and hot water systems.

The Woodpecker Thermon 150 is fuelled by wood pellets, a form of biomass made from clean and sustainable wood, some of which is derived from sawmills and manufacturing. They are fed into the burner via an automated pellet fuel-feeding system, so there’s no need to manually fire up the boiler.

Woodpecker boilers feature an automated compressed air burner and heat exchanger cleaning; industry-leading vacuum fuel loading technology; greater than 90% efficiency; remote access to control and management systems; roll-out and rotate burner design for easy servicing; twin auger automatic ash removal; and advanced water jacket design for greater heat-to-water transfer.

Woodpecker Energy is well known for its innovation, derived from three generations’ experience in the off-grid heating industry. The new, large-scale Woodpecker Thermon boilers incorporate the proven technology from over 2,500 Woodpecker domestic boilers produced since 2005. Installed mainly in Ireland, the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand, they are known for their easy-to-understand operation and controls.

Kim Slowe, Managing Director at developer Zero C, said: "We see this as an excellent opportunity to develop a scheme that represents the very best in urban design and sustainability. We have selected the award winning Bristol based architects, ESHA, to design this high quality scheme.“