News
15 September 2006

Strong messages from UK Housing Minister
New UK homes should be built to Scandinavian standards and better them
within ten years, Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper said today.

Speaking after a visit to environmentally friendly and sustainably designed
housing developments in the Netherlands and Scandinavia with stakeholders
from the house building, regeneration and environmental sectors, the
minister said developers need to increase standards to meet the challenges
of climate change.

She wants to use ideas and techniques already being developed and adopted in
other European countries to deliver substantial cuts in carbon emissions
from new homes. She is also challenging UK companies to plan and innovate
now to beat designs and standards from Scandinavia and the Netherlands
within ten years.

The second phase of the Design for Manufacture competition will be launched
by the end of the year, challenging builders to develop environmentally
friendly, low carbon housing developments. The competition will involve
private and public sites for low and zero carbon developments. European
companies will be invited to join the competition to increase innovation.

Yvette Cooper said: "The homes we build today will house our children and
grandchildren for decades to come which mean they need to be sustainable. If
other countries can do it so can we. The challenge now is for UK developers
to create low cost and low carbon homes. We believe that new developments in
the Thames Gateway and in areas like Northstowe can also lead the way."

Accompanying the minister on the visit were Stuart Baseley, Executive
Chairman of the Home Builders' Federation, Paul King, Campaigns Director at
the WWF, and John Calcutt from English Partnerships, the Government's
regeneration agency.

The visit is part of a major programme of work led by the minister to
deliver substantial cuts in carbon emission from new homes:

  a.. DCLG Minister with responsibility for climate change Angela Smith will
visit the Dongtan eco-city in China later this year to examine further ideas
that can be used in the UK;
  b.. The Government's new planning policy on climate change will set out
how we expect the planning system to help shape a lower carbon society;
  c.. The Government's major review of building regulations alongside the
new Code for Sustainable Homes will set out a long term direction for
delivering low carbon and ultimately carbon neutral developments; and
  d.. Plans for potential low and zero carbon targets for Thames Gateway are
being examined under a feasibility study. Other new developments including
Northstowe in Cambridgeshire are being designated as exemplars for energy
and water efficiency.