The Greenway on Staines Road in Hounslow is a 18 home scheme built by Willmott Dixon for Catalyst Housing to the highest environmental standards with the latest insulation materials, underfloor heating and a biomass boiler. Mr Johnson said it was a “fantastic project,” with, “precisely the qualities I want to see in housing developments right across the capital."

The development is one of the first in London to meet the mayor’s Housing Design Guidelines which make developments more spacious and of higher quality. The guidelines specify minimum living space and width of corridors in new developments and mean every home has a space to store a bicycle.

Based on official measurements, it is estimated that residents could see their energy bills cut by half. Other features of The Greenway include:

• A rain water recycling system that could reduce water consumption to 80 litres per day – around half the current national average water consumption of 150 litres
• Allotments and a mini orchard for residents to help them live a greener lifestyle in their new home
• Active heating control which uses rain water collected in an underground tank to cool the building when it gets too hot

In the first two years after residents move into The Greenway, Willmott Dixon will monitor the homes for energy consumption and heat loss in order to see how the features work with people living there. The data will be compiled into a report and shared across the housing sector to inform future eco-friendly building work.

The Greenway will provide homes for people in Hounslow through social rent and the affordable rent scheme. Attending the launch were: Hounslow deputy mayor Mindu Bains, Catalyst Housing chief executive Rod Cahill and Willmott Dixon managing director Tim Carpenter.

Catalyst Housing chief executive Rod Cahill said: “We have really tried to pull out the stops on this development to make it as genuinely sustainable as possible. We have not only used as many of the latest environmentally friendly technologies as we can but we have also made sure the building conforms to the mayor’s space and design guidelines so it is more liveable.

“We hope all the features will benefit new residents both in terms of lower energy bills and a better, more environmentally friendly lifestyle. This is a flagship scheme for us so we will be monitoring how energy efficient the property is when people are living in it and using what we learn here in other developments.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "This is a fantastic project which combines the highest environmental standards with truly innovative design. With decent sized, energy efficient homes, The Greenway boasts precisely the qualities I want to see in housing developments right across the capital."

Tim Carpenter, Willmott Dixon managing director said: “This is a template for how London’s housing can be greener and more energy efficient, lowering the cost of energy for households at a time when fuel poverty is becoming a real issue. We will use the learning gained at The Greenway to help create similar highly sustainable homes across the country.”