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Planning, building and the environment

Quality of life, not just quantity of homes

Date of speech	27 February 2008
Location	Earls Court, London
Event summary	Ecobuild 2008 conference: Innovate & Green

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Transcript of the speech as delivered.

Thanks to Paul King for that introduction. I'm delighted to be with you today. Over the short time that I've been in this job, I've seen how much genuine enthusiasm there is to work towards a more sustainable environment. But more importantly, I want to thank you and your colleagues at UK GBC (UK Green Building Council) for all the hard work you've put in over the first year. Leadership in government is critical on this issue, but so is leadership from elsewhere and the UK GBC is a powerful champion for this work. The projects that Paul has just outlined prove that they will be similarly ambitious over the coming months. They have my absolute support in this work.

Paul has rightly drawn attention to the issue of tackling carbon emissions from our existing housing stock. Today, I'm mainly going to be talking about our approach to new homes and new towns, but I want to make it clear that I am very interested in addressing this challenge too, and I'd welcome your ideas and thoughts on that. 

The need for more homes - 3 million by 2020 - is my first priority. And for good reason. Decades of not building enough homes have led to affordability problems and too many people not able to afford their own home. But the need for better homes is equally important. And that has to mean greener homes.

Tackling climate change through housing

The weather a few weeks ago was yet another reminder of the effects of climate change. Temperatures were around double the average. Cardiff was the same temperature as Rhodes. Newcastle was warmer than Athens.

A nice day or two in the depths of winter might at first seem quite a pleasant side effect.

But the weight of scientific evidence conclusively shows that without radical action to tackle climate change, the impact will be devastating.

That is why we have committed to ensuring that all homes built from 2016 will be zero carbon. A commitment, I'm pleased to say, which is shared by housebuilders of all sizes, right across the country. A target unparalleled elsewhere in the world. In Paul's words, this is moving us from laggard to world leader. And much of what is on display here today shows us what is possible.  

There is broad agreement that this is ambitious, but achievable - confirmed recently by John Calcutt.

So how do we transform that goodwill and consensus into action and delivery?

I think the answer is through effective partnership.

With government setting a clear direction. Consumers benefiting from better information. And industry responding with imagination and innovative solutions.

"These developments have the potential to revolutionise the way that people live - not just in individual developments, but across the country."

I want to talk about the contribution of each of those partners today.

Let me start with industry. It's been incredibly positive to see the way that many companies are already stepping up to the challenge. Many are at the forefront of the work on eco-towns.

These developments have the potential to revolutionise the way that people live - not just in individual developments, but across the country.
 
The number of proposals we've received has been very encouraging - as was the positive response to eco-towns in the housing green paper consultation. This demonstrates the genuine appetite for this programme from around the country.

But I also know that there has been uncertainty in some areas about what this might mean for them. I think that when we are talking about the issue, it's important that we are using the right language - talking about the homes, the people, the families and how they will benefit.  

I want to reassure them that this will be a robust and transparent process with their full involvement.
 
Successful schemes will need to show not only that they've fully involved the community in planning, but also that they will benefit through better transport, education or health services.

The department has been working across government and with other agencies to rigorously assess these bids, particularly against tough criteria on local environmental impact and transport infrastructure.

I will soon be publishing a short-list of locations which we think have the potential to be successful. This will be followed by full public consultation with communities and stakeholders.

I want to make it clear that only the best proposals will survive - a majority will fall by the wayside. Weak bids where the greenest element is the recycling of failed proposals won't make it through.

As we go into the next phase of the selection process I will be looking for bidders to refine and strengthen their proposals and their offer.

Because these towns must be exemplars for the rest of the country and indeed internationally. We must set the bar as high as possible.

Stakeholders have been looking to us to prove that eco-towns will be as green as possible. The CPRE, for example, has set ten tests which they believe eco-towns must meet in order to be successful.  I am setting out today how our approach will address those tests. 

We will need to look at what will work best in each location, but we will also ensure that every successful scheme must achieve certain standards on everything from effective consultation to use of land to public transport.

And I also want to put on the record that, contrary to some reports, eco-towns will be subject to rigorous planning processes. Each proposal will have to submit a planning application and will be properly scrutinised before it can proceed.

So what will make eco-towns different?

I see them as an opportunity to radically rethink how we design, plan and create genuinely sustainable developments.

For example, I want to make sure that eco-towns are designed around the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

I would like to see eco-towns which follow the most ambitious European models, where half the households do not rely on a car. And to help achieve this, major facilities such as schools and health centres should be located within 10 minutes walk.

The best bids show real imagination in the solutions they've proposed.

Some, for example, have emphasised the need to create open and friendly communities based around small schools. Cutting out the congested and stressful school run in favour of safe and well planned walks.

Others suggested supporting flexible home working with shared conference and business facilities. Creating jobs while reducing transport emissions.

Still others are promoting greater use of allotments. Preserving green spaces and promoting recreation while cutting down the food miles needed by the local community.

This is something I think is really important in terms of increasing bio-diversity. And so I'll expect each eco-town to set aside an acre of green space for every hundred homes.

Of course, each bid is unique - reflecting the local context and circumstances.

But the best proposals all have a very important principle in common. A focus on quality of life, not just quantity of homes.

An emphasis on investment in the community - the jobs and transport, schools and surgeries, parks and cultural facilities which will make eco-towns places to be proud of.
 
A critical benefit will be the affordable housing on offer - between thirty and fifty per cent of each development. In this way, we can make sure that the very highest standards of green technology aren't the preserve of the wealthy but are open to all.

Some local authorities and MPs are concerned about the very stretching area targets for housing delivery.

I make no apologies for this. Ambition is absolutely essential if we are going to build the three million homes that we need.

But I also recognise the need to be pragmatic. And so I want to assure local authorities which include an eco-town in their future housing plans that it will, of course, count towards their future housing targets, consistent with our national figure of 240,000 homes per year by 2016.

And, depending on progress towards that target in regional and local plans, part of the eco-town housing may count towards the existing or emerging housing number. We'll provide more details on this when we publish the short list of successful proposals.

Eco-towns will be an incredibly powerful means of reaching the zero carbon target.

Consumers and code

"Zero carbon homes will be good for the economy as well as the environment."

But equally important will be raising consumer awareness. People want to do the right thing, but they aren't always sure how to do that - and it's our job to make it easier. Consumer demand will be a critical part of driving this forward, offering a clear business incentive as well as an opportunity for business to do the right thing.

For example, people are increasingly looking at factors like energy efficiency when choosing a home. After all, who doesn't want to save money on their fuel bill? 

So there's a clear commercial incentive for change. Zero carbon homes will be good for the economy as well as the environment. 

That is what the code for sustainable homes is designed to achieve. It gives consumers the information they need to ask the right questions and demand the highest standards. 

And we've already seen builders starting to respond.

Berkeley Homes has committed to building all new homes to code level three. The first homes built to code level four have recently been finished in Halifax.

We want to go even further. So I'm announcing today that we are making ratings against the Code mandatory from May.

Buyers of new homes will be able to see, for the first time, just how green their home is - not just in terms of emissions but water consumption, impact on biodiversity, and so on.

I believe this will have a major impact on consumer demand and as a result, will help accelerate sustainable building and innovation in the sector. 

Government

Finally, I want to say what we in government will be focusing on over the coming months.
 
As John Calcutt said, with such an ambitious timetable towards 2016, we need a body to oversee progress and drive forward change.

Again, my thanks to UK GBC for assessing how this might work and working closely with industry, I'll be announcing how we take this forward shortly.

Zero carbon non-domestics

I will also be looking at what we should be doing to tackle carbon emissions from the rest of our buildings - our offices, shops and pubs. I'm determined that we commit to the most ambitious target we can.

I'm grateful to UK GBC for the work that they have already done to look at the feasibility of this. Having the right evidence base is important. As is the need to be practical. But there is every reason to be optimistic. Their analysis shows that, with the right circumstances, the will and the investment, it would be possible to achieve this goal by 2020.

Areas of both the public and private sector are already making striking improvements to new buildings.

DCSF, for example, is aiming to ensure that all new schools will be zero carbon from 2016. The first low-carbon Tesco has opened in Shrewsbury, and the first eco-Marks and Spencer in Bournemouth.

So we now need to bring all the major players together to agree a timetable to achieve this across all sectors.

We are currently using the UK GBC's work to help us frame the questions we need to ask industry. And later this year, we'll be holding a full public consultation.

Conclusion

I have covered a lot of ground this morning. But I hope I have made clear how seriously I take this work. Climate change is perhaps the most pressing issue facing not only this country but the entire world. I am determined to take my responsibilities seriously. 

The green mantra is that everyone can make small changes which collectively, have a big impact.

But as Housing Minister, I aim to make sure that together, we make giant strides, with vast impact. I look forward to working with you to achieve that.