Eco-friendly homes with solar panels, wind turbines and grass growing on their roofs could become Colchester's des res of the future.
Council bosses are drawing up radical new guidelines in a bid to get developers to build houses that cause less damage to the planet.
The environmentally-friendly homes would use wind and solar power as alternative forms of energy and recycle rainwater for people to wash in.
Colchester Council is aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions created by new housing by 15 per cent, compared with traditional construction techniques.
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