WORK has started on the region's first luxury environmentally-friendly holiday lodges.

Ten so-called "ecohomes" are being built near Richmond, North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The lodges are made from sustainable timber, insulated with recycled paper, and have a living roof made of sedum plants.

Developer Simon Spence's family has owned the 55 acres of land where they are being built for 17 years.

"We are not really a farming family and it was really just a place to come for some recreation," said Mr Spence.

"We decided we either had to sell the land or make some money from it."

In addition to their environmentally-friendly materials and design, the lodges will have spring water collected and purified on site, a sewage system that uses reed beds to filter the waste, and electricity sourced from green suppliers.

Mr Spence is keen to stress that the lodges are being built to five-star specifications.

The firm he set up with his brother, Matthew, to build the lodges is called Ecobuild UK.

However, a focus group asked to give its opinion on the development said the word "eco" conjured up images of sawdust toilets and hammocks for beds, so a new name for the project is now being sought.

"We are trying to create luxury holiday homes with a green theme," said Mr Spence, who says he and his brother are committed to the idea of sustainable tourism.

"The homes will be as environmentally-friendly as they possibly can be, without compromising on quality or comfort.

"We could have built the homes for a third of the cost, but for the green specification."

The project has the backing of the Yorkshire Tourist Board, whose chief executive, David Andrews, said: "From the beginning, this development matched the criteria we like to apply before committing our support.

"Ecobuild UK has come up with a development that will bring business into the region and strengthen visitors' positive image of the area.

"It is innovative in its concept and design, is accessible, supports other products in the area, and will provide employment and benefit the local economy."