DURSLEY could become home to five new eco-homes, the Gazette can reveal.

The super energy efficient houses will put the town on the international map for cutting-edge building technology.

The new properties, part of the Littlecombe development, will be built using German PassivHaus standards for energy saving and will save their owners up to 90 percent in utility bills.

Adrian Bloor, regional managing director of Bloor Homes which will build the pioneering houses, said: "Once complete, we are confident that the scheme will be used as one of the foremost examples of sustainable development."

The firm was chosen for the exciting development from a select shortlist of leading national housebuilders. It will build the low energy houses with excellent insulation and will eradicate the need for traditional heating systems or air conditioning.

The first PassivHaus buildings were built in Darmstadt, Germany in 1990 and there are now 6,000 throughout Europe and one in North America.

David Strong, managing director of the Building Research Establishment, said: "PassivHaus has been phenomenally successful in establishing construction standards for new houses in Germany which results in CO2 emissions of about a quarter of those currently mandated in other Northern European Counties.

"PassivHaus results in extremely energy efficient new homes and have very high standards of indoor air quality with major benefits in terms of health and comfort, (including a significant reduction in childhood asthma)."

The eco-friendly houses will form part of a 74-home development, to be built by Bloor Homes, of two to four bedroom houses and apartments. Twelve of the homes will be sold as affordable housing and all the homes will be built to an "excellent" rating for environmental performance.

The development will be built at the north end of the site with the River Cam, which has recently been opened up to run the length of Littlecombe, flowing through it. Developers hope to create a striking riverside environment which people will want to buy into.

Chris Foley, the South West Regional Development Agency's head of operations for Gloucestershire, said: "Houses have been designed to reflect the local architecture, whilst modern building methods and effective planning will be undertaken to reduce on-site construction time, labour and waste.

"Considerations such as this all help reduce both the visual and physical impact of the development on the surrounding landscape."

A planning application for the Bloor development will be submitted to Stroud District Council this summer. If planning permission is granted it is anticipated that construction will start before the end of 2007, with first occupants moving in six to nine months later.