All new housing ‘must be green’

4:15pm Wednesday 30th January 2008

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A PLANNER has challenged developers to help tackle climate change following warnings that the government's massive housing programme could be an "environmental disaster".

Cllr Ron Whittaker, vice-chairman of Bournemouth Borough Council's planning board, backed the calls for more stringent standards for new homes and adequate investment in the infrastructure.

While the Thames Gateway, Ashford, Milton Keynes, South Midlands and the London to Stansted and Cambridge corridor will bear the brunt of new development, Bournemouth faces the prospect of 18,000 new homes.

Dr Jo Williams from University College London's Bartlett School of Planning believes the planned expansion programme could be "a marvellous opportunity" to tackle climate change.

But, in a new report, she warns that the top environmental standards for sustainable homes must be made compulsory for new houses.

Dr Williams stressed that there also needs to be investment in developing the technology and infrastructure to ensure that all new homes could become zero-carbon, a target which the government aims to reach by 2016.

While publicly-funded homes must currently meet the Code for Sustainable Homes three-star grade, compared with the top six-star rating for the most zero-carbon homes with state-of-the-art technology, the code is voluntary for private builds.

Cllr Whittaker said: "This is unacceptable; developers and the government must get their act together.

"We need to make homes more environmentally friendly; currently developers are putting forward flat schemes with no bathroom or kitchen windows.

"As well as providing decent living conditions, natural light is necessary to cut fuel bills.

"The cost of providing eco-friendly homes is obviously a consideration but why should the public sector have to meet standards which the private sector can choose to ignore?"

Home Builders Federation spokesman John Slaughter said: "We are serious about this issue and have agreed to work towards the 2016 zero-carbon target.

"It just can't be done today.

"Developers are heavily involved in the provision of affordable housing so they are working towards the objectives the government has set, through their contributions to planning obligations."