BUILDER CG Fry & Son has scooped a top rating for new homes it has built.

The Litton Cheney-based firm designed and built 36 affordable homes for Hastoe Housing Association at Uffculme in Devon.

They were awarded an excellent rating in the EcoHomes Environmental Assessment Award standard.

The scheme, administered by the Building Research Establishment Ltd, assesses new homes on a wide variety of environmental criteria.

These include renewable energy, low emissions, sustainable drainage techniques, water usage, building materials, insulation, provision of adequate daylight, recycling facilities, cycle storage, sound and light provision and the ecological impact on surrounding landscapes.

Philip Fry, who is managing director of CG Fry & Son, said: "Increasingly we are building homes with sustainability in mind.

"We have been established as a building company since the 1920s and we are combining the very latest sustainable building requirements with the traditional skills which we exemplify.

"We are proud of the job at Uffculme and delighted that the new residents will be able to live in warm, safe and affordable homes which have been recognised as excellent examples of sustainable building."