On Monday I was in Bicester at the invitation of my colleague and constituency neighbour Victoria Prentis MP to officially open the new combined heat and power (CHP) plant at the Elmsbrook North West Bicester development.

I was delighted to have had the opportunity to visit Elmsbrook with Victoria to see how far this exemplary development has come. The CHP plant is an excellent example of a low-carbon, sustainable source of energy for the eco town. A2Dominion and SSE have worked hard to design an energy solution for residents’ that fits with the overall sustainability of the development.

The new CHP energy centre sits at the heart of the 6,000-home development, and will provide heating and hot water for residents. The first few residents have already moved into the initial homes built on the site just off Charlotte Avenue, and I am really impressed with what the eco town is doing in leading the way for how building will be done in the future.

It is great for homebuyers to have the choice to live in a green and eco-friendly home if they want to, and the Government is trying to do everything we can to improve the energy efficiency of homes; the eco town is a great example of what can be done, and I am pleased Victoria invited me to see the progress.