Joint memorandum submitted by Communities
and Local Government and the Department of Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs
Communities and Local Government and the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are pleased to respond
below to the Environmental Audit Committee's invitation for memoranda
in support of the Committee's inquiry into greener homes for the
future.
INTRODUCTION
1. In July 2007 Communities and Local Government
published Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable[1],
the Government's green paper on housing. Homes for the future
set out our intention to increase housing supply to 240,000 new
homes per year by 2016 in order to meet our objective that everyone
should have access to a decent home at a price they can afford
and in a place where they want to live and work.
2. Homes for the future is not just
about housing numbers, however. If the homes that are built in
the years ahead are to stand the test of time, then they will
need to be of high quality and, in particular, meet the environmental
challenges of the future. In the Communities and Local Government's
2007-08 Sustainable Development Action Plan[2]
we said that one of the Government's key contributions to sustainable
development is ensuring that people have access to housing that
is affordable and of good quality, and managing the environmental
consequences of housing development.
3. In responding to the EAC's inquiry it
is important to set out the key environmental challenges that
housebuilding potentially presents which will need to be addressed
in future homes and new or expanded communities. These include:
— carbon emissions—mainly from
running the home, although there are also carbon emissions from
construction;
— pressures on water resources and
water quality;
— the potential impact of new development
on flood risk and surface water drainage;
— impacts on biodiversity and green
spaces; and
— the ability of our built and natural
environments to adapt to the inevitable consequences of climate
change.
4. Carbon emissions are of course a global
issue. The other impacts listed above tend to be more locationally
specific—ranging from issues best considered at a regional
scale (in particular water resources) through to issues where
the potential impact depends to a large extent on the precise
location of the development (such as biodiversity). Some issues,
such as flood risk and water quality, need to be considered at
both the regional and local scales. The New Growth Points programme
is a good example of how we are seeking to manage the impacts
of growth at the local level.
5. The Committee has identified some of
the important programmes, which we will use to address these issues—our
zero-carbon homes policy, the Code for Sustainable Homes[3]
and the eco-towns programme. But it is also relevant to consider
these within the wider frameworks that government sets, in particular:
— the Climate Change Bill will place
an overarching, legal obligation on Government to reduce carbon
dioxide emissions by at least 60% by 2050, against a 1990 baseline,
with the trajectory defined by a system of five-year carbon budgets.
While the Bill does not set targets for specific sectors of the
economy, or define which policy measures will be required to stay
within budget and meet the long-term target, the framework it
establishes makes clear that if policy decisions in one area increase
emissions they must be balanced by emissions reductions elsewhere
in the economy. The Bill also sets out a framework for climate
change adaptation, through a process of risk assessments, programmes
of action and powers to require certain bodies to report on risks
and actions;
— renewable energy sources have a role
both in achieving carbon reductions and contributing to overall
energy security. The Government therefore intends to put in place
a Renewable Energy Strategy, to provide for the role of renewable
technology in tackling climate change and to ensure we successfully
meet the UK's share of the EU 2020 renewables target;
— the planning system. Our national
ambitions for housing will be tested through the planning system,
both at regional and local level. Regional Spatial Strategies
prepared by Regional Planning Bodies and Local Development Frameworks
prepared by Local Authorities will identify the need and location
for new housing through a process of evidence gathering, and plan
making incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment and sustainability
appraisal. Additionally, through their development control powers,
local authorities will pay careful attention to the environmental
impacts of all new house-building proposals and, whenever appropriate,
subject them to Environmental Impact Assessment. Proposals to
improve the planning system are currently before Parliament in
the Planning Bill;
— Building Regulations will address
carbon emissions from new homes—with increasing standards
planned for 2010, 2013 and 2016—and other impacts too, for
example water. We are introducing a new process for revising Building
Regulations with a regular cycle of co-ordinated reviews that
address drivers for change—including environmental impacts
and evolving understanding of the changing environment and risks
that homes will face in the future—and can take account
of the potential of evolving technology and experience of how
it is used in practice.
6. We have structured this memorandum in
five parts. We address, first of all, the carbon impacts of new
homes and our zero-carbon policy in particular. Next we address
the other environmental impacts set out above. We then turn to
the further programmes that the Committee has asked questions
about—eco-towns and the Code for Sustainable Homes. Finally,
we address the subject of infrastructure.
REDUCING CARBON
EMISSIONS FROM
NEW HOMES
Is the target for all new homes to be zero-carbon
by 2016 on track to be achieved? Does the Government need to do
any more to deliver this target?
How should "zero-carbon" be defined?
What role should carbon offsets play in meeting this target?
What impact will the progressive tightening of
energy efficiency Building Regulations have up to 2016?
How should compliance with the targets be measured
and enforced?
7. With nearly 50% of carbon emissions in
the UK coming from buildings, and 27% from homes it is clear that
reducing emissions from homes will be vital if we are to be successful
in tackling the challenge presented by climate change. To this
end the Government is committed to reducing carbon emissions from
all homes, both existing and new. That is why in December 2006,
the Government launched its consultation on Building A Greener
Future: Towards Zero-carbon Development[4],
proposing a trajectory to zero-carbon new homes from 2016.
8. In July 2007 the Government confirmed
in the Building A Greener Future Policy Statement[5]
the timetable for all new homes to be zero-carbon from 2016, via
a progressive tightening of the carbon standards in the Part L
Building Regulations—by 25% in 2010 and by 44% in 2013—up
to the zero-carbon target in 2016. We expect our zero-carbon new
homes policy to save around 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide
annually by 2050.
9. The policy statement set out the Government's
overall definition of zero-carbon, namely that the emissions from
all energy use in the home (including appliances, heating, lighting
and hot water) should be zero in net terms over the year, taking
account of renewable energy generated onsite and from directly
connected renewable sources. The policy statement said that the
Government would consult further on the finer detail of the definition
of zero-carbon in the light of experience and technological developments.
In response to stakeholder views that clarity on the definition
was very important, it was announced in the Budget that the Government
would consult in the summer of 2008 with a view to finalising
the definition by the end of this year.
10. The Government recognises that the 2016
zero-carbon new homes target is challenging but is committed to
ensuring that it becomes a reality. Some homes are already being
built to the 2010 and 2013 standards. In pursuing this agenda,
the Government will be breaking new ground. It will be necessary
to provide continued clarity and certainty around the long-term
policy aim and approach, while recognising the need to rely on
stakeholders for input as to how the aim can be achieved. The
process will need to be a co-operative one and a learning one
for all sides.
LEVERS
11. The key lever at the Government's disposal
to bring this about is regulation, in the form of Building Regulations.
But Government also has other roles to play, in particular:
— supporting industry in delivery,
to overcome the barriers to implementation;
— creating a supportive planning framework—in
particular the Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on climate change[6];
— supporting the creation and refinement
of voluntary mechanisms, such as the Code for Sustainable Homes;
— financial incentives—in particular
the Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for zero-carbon new homes;
— supporting exemplar programmes; and
— supporting industry's research needs.
These roles are addressed in turn below.
Regulation
12. Alongside the Building A Greener
Future Policy Statement, Communities and Local Government
published Building Regulations, Energy Efficiency Requirements
for New Dwellings[7],
a forward look at what the interim standards in 2010 and 2013
might mean for the industry and how they might be met. Since then
Communities and Local Government has embarked on a comprehensive
review of how best to achieve the higher standards through the
Part L review programme. This work is being undertaken in close
cooperation with stakeholders in the construction industry, with
the aim of agreeing an approach which is practical and cost-effective,
and which provides sufficient flexibility for designers whilst
not taking unacceptable technical risks.
13. The Government expects this technical
work to be completed in time to enable the launch of formal consultations
on the next amendments to Part L early in 2009.
14. The principle criterion for compliance
will continue to be calculation of the net annual carbon dioxide
emissions per unit floor area using the Government's Standard
Assessment Procedure (SAP) for the Energy Rating of Dwellings
and comparisons with target calculation results. As part of the
technical development work leading to the Part L consultation
SAP is also being reviewed in the light of user experience with
the current (2005) version and industry's suggestions on increasing
its scope and versatility to cope with the product and system
innovation that will be needed to achieve the higher standards.
15. The same calculations are also used
to produce the Asset Rating conveyed on Energy Performance Certificates
(EPCs) and are part of assessing the Level achieved on the Code
for Sustainable Homes Scale. For EPC and Code purposes the calculations
must be carried out by accredited energy assessors.
Supporting delivery
16. Ultimately, it will be industry—developers,
housebuilders, the construction products and industry and others
in the supporting supply chain—that deliver on zero-carbon
new homes. But Government will continue to work closely with industry
via the 2016 Zero-carbon New Homes Taskforce, and will identify
the barriers to implementation of the zero-carbon 2016 target,
and put in place measures to address them.
17. Work is already under way to establish
a delivery unit that will launch this year to guide, monitor and
coordinate the zero-carbon programme. Government will provide
pump prime funding for the unit to support it in the early stages.
The Government is working with industry and other stakeholders
on the details of the arrangements for a delivery unit.
18. One of the key elements of ensuring
delivery will be ensuring that Building Control Bodies are able
to support and assure compliance with the Building Regulations
standards when they come into effect. To support their efforts
in this area we recently launched a consultation paper, The
Future of Building Control[8],
which includes proposals to strengthen Building Control functions
and introduce a wider range of sanctions and enforcement powers
for Local Government.
19. The Government is also developing, jointly
with the construction industry, the Strategy for Sustainable construction.
This strategy is aimed at providing clarity around the existing
policy framework, and seeks to realise the shared vision of sustainable
construction by:
— Setting higher standards to achieve
sustainability.
— Providing clarity to business on
the Government's position by bringing together diverse regulations
and initiatives relating to sustainability.
— Signalling the future direction of
Government policy.
— Making specific commitments by industry
to take the agenda forward.
20. The strategy covers climate change,
biodiversity, waste, water and materials, as well as innovation,
procurement, design, better regulation, and the people agenda.
The Government's consultation on the draft Strategy closed on
30 November 2007, and we expect to launch the final Strategy by
11 June this year.
Supportive planning framework
21. The Planning Policy Statement: Planning
and Climate Change, which was published on 17 December 2007,
puts tackling climate change at heart of what Government expects
from good planning. The PPS means that climate change—both
mitigation and adaptation—will now be a key and integrating
theme in plans and planning decisions. In particular, the new
PPS on climate change sets out a significant role for both regional
and local planning in helping to speed up the shift to renewable
and low-carbon energy. This PPS is further supported by the Government's
Planning Bill, which includes a new duty on climate change. Draft
practice guidance to compliment the PPS has been published[9]
to support practitioners.
Code for Sustainable Homes
22. In April 2007, the Government launched
the voluntary Code for Sustainable Homes, a six star rating for
new homes. The Code provides a consistent framework and set of
standards against which developers can build more sustainable
homes and market their properties based on how environmentally
friendly they are. The Code was developed in close consultation
with the housing building industry and green groups and remains
relatively new. Government will continue to examine its operation
in practice to see how it supports the overall policy aim of achieving
zero-carbon.
23. Since the Code's launch over 727 developments
have been registered against the Code, incorporating over 40,000
homes. The first Code certificates are now being issued, with
14 homes having reached Code Level 3 at design stage and three
homes having reached Code Level 4. Some of these properties have
already been built and are going through the post-construction
assessment. Further information on the Code can be found below.
Stamp Duty Land Tax relief
24. The Government recognises that financial
incentives can act as a catalyst to industry in building to higher
environmental standards. To this end the Government has introduced
a Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief for new zero-carbon homes.
The SDLT relief will help kick-start the market for new highly
efficient technologies in homes, both for the fabric of the building
and in the use of microgeneration, and sets a gold standard for
green homes.
Exemplar programmes
25. The Government wants to challenge industry
in finding cost effective and innovative ways to build to low
and zero-carbon standards. To this end the Government has brought
forward proposals for new eco-towns, which will be designed to
meet the highest standards of sustainability, including low and
zero-carbon technologies and good public transport, and will lead
the way in design, facilities and services, and community involvement.
More details on eco-towns are provided further below.
26. In addition, the Carbon Challenge, managed
by English Partnerships, will further the Government's ambition
in this area by fast tracking the development of zero-carbon small
communities, and we expect the Challenge to deliver over 1,000
homes that meet Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes in eco-villages
across England. In December 2007 the Government announced that
Barratt Developments PLC has been chosen as the preferred developer
for the first site, Hanham Hall Bristol, where the first homes
will start to be built in summer 2008.
27. The Government's Delivery Plan[10]
published in November 2007 announced the ambition to make the
Thames Gateway the country's first Eco-Region, acting as an international
exemplar of sustainability. The key characteristics of the Eco-Region
will include: enhanced quality in both the built and natural environments;
efficient use and re-use of resources; development that mitigates
its contribution to climate change whilst adapting to the inevitable
impacts of climate change; and delivery of high quality environmental
infrastructure in the right places and at the right time. The
scale of development in the Gateway provides an opportunity for
innovation in areas such as the provision of renewable and decentralised
energy, and the testing of new approaches to resource efficiency
such as water neutrality and a zero construction waste target.
These ideas will be refined through a series of workshops and
an international symposium, leading to publication of the Thames
Gateway Eco-Region Prospectus by the end of this year.
Research
28. Research will also play an important
part in developing the designs, energy solutions and construction
products that will be needed in low and zero-carbon buildings.
On 8 May this year the Government announced, through the Technology
Strategy Board (TSB), £30 million funding to support an Innovation
Platform in the area of Low-Impact Buildings.
29. The Innovation Platform's initial focus
will be on the development of materials and components that will
reduce energy and water consumption within buildings, which can
then be integrated into existing designs and building practices.
Alongside this the TSB is launching a funding competition that
will allocate £4 million to provide partial funding for winning
projects that involve businesses working collaboratively with
other businesses and/or with research organisations and academic
institutions.
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS
What is the likely scale of environmental impacts
(especially carbon emissions) of the construction of three million
new homes (ie, irrespective of where they are sited)? How should
these impacts be reported? What should be the role of central
Government in minimising them?
To what extent do, and should, planning controls
protect greenfield and green belt land from development of new
housing? How adequately are environmental considerations (for
instance, biodiversity and rural landscapes) being taken into
account in deciding the location of new developments?
30. This section sets out the crucial role
of the spatial planning system in assessing and mitigating the
environmental impacts of new housing development. It then goes
on to consider specific environmental impacts, namely protection
of green space and biodiversity, water use, water quality, flood
risk and climate change adaptation.
Spatial planning
31. The planning system will be the key
mechanism through which the environmental impacts of house building
will be assessed, both at regional and local level. It will take
into account not only the impacts of carbon emissions and climate
change, in accordance with the recently published PPS: Planning
and Climate Change, but also other impacts.
32. The process of preparing Regional Spatial
Strategies (RSS) and Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) involves
intensive processes of information and evidence gathering and
full public consultation. It is a statutory requirement for Natural
England, the Environment Agency and English Heritage to be consulted.
RSS and LDFs have to take account of national planning guidance
and are subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment, Sustainability
Appraisal and examination in public before being, respectively,
signed off by the Secretary of State and adopted by Local Planning
Authorities.
33. As part of the Sustainability Appraisal
process, Sustainability Appraisal Reports are prepared on the
likely significant sustainability effects of the proposed strategies
or frameworks. The consultation requirements noted in the previous
paragraph apply also to the Sustainability appraisal.
34. Regional Planning Bodies and local planning
authorities have to prepare a statement summarising how the final
Sustainability Appraisal has taken account of the consultation
process and the process for monitoring the significant effects
of implementing the strategies and frameworks. Also there are
particular requirements imposed by the need for plan making bodies
to comply with the EU Habitats Directive, and for "appropriate
assessments" to be undertaken of the impact that their strategies
and frameworks will have for any European protected species or
habitats that may be effected by them.
Protection of green space and biodiversity
35. The Green Belt was introduced in the
1930s primarily as a strategic device, to help planners forestall
inappropriate development and the piecemeal joining-up of discrete
communities by means of unplanned ribbon development extending
into the countryside, and also to preserve the openness of that
countryside. In essence, that is still its role today, when the
pressures on land are even more intense. Currently, approximately
13% of the land mass of England, across all regions, is designated
as Green Belt.
36. One of the key ways of protecting green
space is to concentrate housing development on previously developed
land. PPS3: Housing[11]
focuses on developing brownfield land for housing as a priority.
Currently, 75% of new housing is being constructed on brownfield
land—well above the Government's target.
37. However, the Government has made it
clear that the classification of a site as brownfield does not
necessarily mean the site is suitable for development for housing.
The key consideration is whether a site is in a suitable location.
With an increasing level of new house building, there may be increasing
pressure to bring forward some suitable greenfield sites for housing,
although PPS3 has maintained the national target of at least 60%
on brownfield land. Local planning authorities should take a strategic
view and develop brownfield wherever possible, but recognising
that other land may be more appropriate for development at a particular
time.
38. Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) Note
2: Green Belts[12]
sets out the Government's policy on Green Belts. RSS set the framework
for Green Belts within each region and form the basis for designations
made by local planning authorities. The detailed boundaries of
the Green Belt are set out in Development Plan Documents.
39. Green Belt boundaries may be amended
through the development plan process, but only in exceptional
circumstances and only after robust public consultation and a
formal Examination in Public. Any development proposals in Green
Belt land are subject to very stringent tests. PPG 2 sets out
the key policy—a presumption against inappropriate development
on Green Belt land. Such development should not be approved, except
in very special circumstances.
40. In May 2007 the Planning White Paper,
Planning for a Sustainable Future[13],
reinforced the Government's commitment to the key principles of
Green Belt set out in PPG2. Green Belt policy has served the country
well over many decades, preventing urban sprawl and protecting
countryside from inappropriate development.
41. Environmental considerations are central
to identifying suitable locations for new developments. PPS1 Delivering
Sustainable Development[14]
states that planning policies should seek to protect and enhance
the quality, character and amenity value of the countryside and
urban areas as a whole. This includes giving a high level of protection
to the most valued landscapes and wildlife habitats. More specific
policies aimed at protecting the natural environment are contained
in PPS7 Sustainable development in rural areas[15],
and PPS 9 Biodiversity and Geological Conservation[16].
These policies need to be taken into account in the preparation
of development plans and may also be material to decisions on
individual planning applications.
Water Usage
42. Future Water[17]—The
Government's water strategy for England was published in February
2008. The strategy outlines the Government's plans for water management
in the future and the steps to ensure that good clean water is
available for people, businesses and nature. The strategy recognises
the importance of managing future water demand and includes goal
to reduce per capita consumption by 2030 to a level of 130 litres
per head per day or less, through cost effective measures. The
strategy recognises that Government, water companies, house builders,
manufacturers, retailers and consumers all have a role to play
in saving water.
43. Water efficiency has a key role to play
in reducing carbon emissions. Treatment systems for both water
and effluent are large users of energy through pumping and hot
water use in the home is responsible for over 5% of total UK greenhouse
gas emissions.
44. In April 2009, the Government will be
setting, via Building Regulations, a performance standard of water
use for new dwellings of 125 litres per person per day (equivalent
to Levels 1 and 2 of the Code for Sustainable Homes). This can
be achieved by current or market ready products.
45. As well as amending Building Regulations,
the Government will also be conducting a review of the Water Fittings
Regulations. The British Standards Institute is preparing a code
of practice for rainwater harvesting systems and plans to introduce
a code of practice for grey water systems.
46. Through the Code for Sustainable Homes,
the Government has challenged developers to build new dwellings
to higher levels of water efficiency—as little as 80 litres
per person per day in the case of Code Levels 5 and 6. The intermediate
levels of water usage in the Code can be achieved by using available
or market ready products, although the more demanding levels will
probably require an innovative approach from developers.
47. Last year, the Environment Agency, working
with Defra and Communities and Local Government, undertook a study
to investigate the potential to achieve water neutrality in the
Thames Gateway. The study, published in December 2007, identified
a number of demand management pathways for moving towards water
neutrality and concluded that water neutrality can be achieved
by improving efficiency in new buildings, retrofitting existing
buildings, extending metering and using tariffs so that the overall
water use of the developed Gateway would not exceed current water
use. The Government is currently working with stakeholders to
identify how moving towards water neutrality could be achieved.
48. The climate change PPS confirms that
local planning authorities may expect higher levels of sustainability
in developments that are planned, for example, in areas of serious
water stress. Where higher levels are specified, they should be
nationally described sustainable building standards such as a
specific level of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Water Quality
49. The Water Framework Directive (WFD)
provides an inclusive approach to managing water as it flows through
catchments from lakes, rivers and groundwater to estuaries and
the sea, and aims to improve the ecological status of these waters.
There is a requirement for water bodies to meet good ecological
status by 2015, unless it is technically infeasible or disproportionately
costly to achieve this, in which case the deadline may be extended
to 2021 or 2027, or a less stringent objective may be set.
50. A key WFD objective is to prevent deterioration
in the status of all water bodies ie deterioration from one status
class eg good to a lower one eg moderate. The Government is working
with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Environment Agency
to develop policy and procedures on how the Environment Agency
should work with other regulators to ensure that they take WFD
requirements—including the requirement to prevent deterioration—into
account (alongside other relevant considerations) when assessing
planning proposals and developments. The Government is considering
what guidance is needed to ensure that planning authorities consider
the requirements of the WFD when assessing proposals for new modifications
and developments.
Flood Risk
51. PPS 25: Development and Flood Risk[18]
is an important part of climate change adaptation policy, providing
a risk-based approach to managing future changes in flood risk
to new development due to climate change to complement the climate
change PPS. PPS 25 policy provides opportunities to avoid, manage
and reduce future flood risk to communities, for instance by re-creating
and safeguarding functional flood plain and washlands and designing
more liveable developments combining sustainable defences, green/recreational
space and increased flood storage. The Stern Review pointed out
that land-use planning, in encouraging private and public investment
towards locations that are less vulnerable to climate risks and
flooding, is an important element for managing flood risk in the
long term.
52. The Government recently consulted on
a suite of policies to improve surface water management as part
of the Government's Water Strategy, Future Water. This
provides a vehicle to take forward some of the key recommendations
outlined in Sir Michael Pitt's interim report on the Summer 2007
floods and the results emerging from the 15 pilot projects on
urban drainage that Defra is currently funding as part of Making
Space for Water[19],
the Government's programme for flood and coastal erosion risk
management.
53. Communities and Local Government has
carried out research jointly with the Environment Agency to determine
how the flood performance of buildings can be improved. This involved
background research into existing practice, risk assessments to
see which options were advisable and testing materials and forms
of construction at a hydraulics laboratory.
54. The flood performance of buildings is
not part of current Building Regulations. However this is being
considered as part of the response to Sir Michael Pitt's interim
report into the floods of Summer 2007. Also, Building Regulations
apply mainly to new buildings or the undertaking of building work
and not to maintenance and repair. However, insurers and other
stakeholders have expressed a preference for standards of flood
repair to be brought into regulations. For energy the improved
specification of replacement works has been well captured. However,
applying these same principles to flooding aspects of other types
of building work may prove problematic. The Government is currently
considering how best flood performance could form part of the
Building Regulations and expects to explore the scope and limitations
of legislation as part of this review.
Climate Change Adaptation
55. The Climate Change Bill recognises the
importance of adapting to the impacts of climate change. The Bill
will require Government, on a regular basis, to assess the risks
climate change poses to the UK, and update a programme to address
the risks. Additionally there will be new powers in the Bill that
will allow the Government to require, where necessary, a public
authority or statutory undertaker to assess the risks of climate
change and set out what action they need to take in response.
Statutory guidance will be provided to help public authorities
understand how to assess the risks of climate change and plan
any related action. Later in the year the Government will publish
an Adaptation Policy Framework document that reflects the legislative
framework set out in the Bill drawing together information about
what the Government is already doing, and why, and setting out
how we will move forward.
56. The Government's work will build on
the work of our world leading resource, the UK Climate Impacts
Programme (UKCIP), which provides information and tools that can
be used by organisations across the public, private and third
sector to help them adapt to both the risks and opportunities
of a changing climate. UKCIP will be publishing updated probabilistic
climate change scenarios for the UK in November 2008, which will
include regional scenarios up to 2099. These scenarios will be
important context for all of our decisions on our homes for the
future.
57. The adapting to climate change indicator
in the new local performance framework, measures the progress
of local authorities in assessing and managing the risks from
climate change across its plans, estates and services. Ensuring
the assessment and management of the impacts of climate change
on the building of new homes is integral to achieving the requirements
of the indicator.
58. The new PPS on climate change makes
clear that tackling climate change is at the centre of what Government
expects from good planning. This means planning helping to shape
sustainable communities that are resilient to, and appropriate
for, the climate change now accepted as inevitable.
59. As far as individual buildings are concerned
the proposed improvements in the Building Regulations standards
in 2010, 2013 and 2016 will continue to be developed on the basis
that insulation and airtightness are key to winter warmth and
the avoidance of excessive internal temperatures in summer without
the need for air conditioning or changes in the basic cool-climate
building styles we are familiar with in the UK. Nevertheless,
climate change predictions and stakeholders perceptions of the
place of warm climate housing styles and efficient air conditioning
equipment will be kept under review. The aim will be to include
a report on the Government's thinking on these matters in the
consultation documents that precede each amendment.
ECO-TOWNS
As currently envisaged, how big a contribution
will they make to reducing the environmental impacts of housing
in England-both in their own right, and in the development of
design and techniques that could be rolled out in other developments?
60. The Government expects that there will
be up to five eco-towns by 2016 and 10 by 2020. The size range
for each town is 5,000-20,000 homes, which should provide the
critical mass to trial and develop new or existing technologies
to achieve zero-carbon emissions, other forms of improved resource
efficiency, and more sustainable behaviour patterns (in terms
of transport, for instance) across the whole development.
61. The Government has looked at 57 proposed
eco-town locations in a review across Government Departments involving
Communities and Local Government, Defra, the Environment Agency,
Natural England, Department for Transport, the Highways Agency,
and Government Offices, assessing, in each case, the potential
location-specific impacts on the natural environment and the infrastructure
necessary to support the proposed developments. This assessment
(or "showstopper review") considered a wide range of
environmental impacts, including: flood risk, surface water drainage,
water supply, water quality, biodiversity (especially impacts
on protected sites and species), landscape, waste management,
land contamination, and air quality.
62. The Government is asking each eco-town
proposal to demonstrate the highest level of excellence in one
particular aspect of environmental sustainability (in addition
to higher than regulatory standards across a wide range of environmental
impacts). For example, this could be in water efficiency levels,
or sustainable drainage systems. In this way eco-towns will demonstrate
as beacons of excellence in the practical demonstration of environmental
sustainability. Among the ideas and examples of innovative approaches
included by bidders are:
— underground systems for waste recycling;
— free public transport for residents;
— variable charging for car use and
remote parking to deter car use for short journeys;
— green routes to school;
— planting and harvesting woodland
around the eco-town to provide biomass fuelled energy; and
— using waste heat from nearby power
stations for homes and businesses.
63. The Government has made clear that it
does not expect proposals for built development in an area of
high flood risk and that eco-town proposals should include a water
cycle study for the eco-town and related areas, including any
additional assessment of flood risk needed, and reflect this in
the design.
64. The Government is actively encouraging
innovative proposals that enhance biodiversity and improve the
natural environment, by integrating high quality green spaces
into the new towns. Some proposals have been rejected because
they had too many adverse impacts on the environment. We will
ensure that eco-towns maximise delivery of ecosystem services.
65. On 3 April the Government published
the consultation document Eco-towns—Living a greener
future[20].
This is a three month consultation on preliminary views on the
benefits of eco-town, the sorts of environmental standards that
might apply in eco-towns, and the 15 shortlisted locations. At
this stage all the shortlisted locations for eco-towns are subject
to consultation and further assessment, and final decisions on
the locations are still to be determined. At this stage we do
not have enough information to make an assessment of the impacts
that eco-towns will have. However, a detailed Sustainability Appraisal
of all 15 sites, incorporating a Strategic Environmental Assessment,
will be undertaken over the next three months, and this in turn
will be consulted on when the results are known.
66. The Government wants to ensure the sharing
of best practice amongst the proposed eco-town developments. To
this end we are working with the Town and Country Planning Association
(TCPA) on the practical application of the key sustainability
and development criteria for eco-towns.
67. As part of this the TCPA are working
with experts from Government and non-government organisations
to produce worksheets, which provide the "how to do it"
type of guidance on the eco-towns criteria. The worksheets will
be available to all those involved with taking forward eco-town
proposals eg developers, local authorities etc. The approach adopted
is not prescriptive, but rather showcases a variety of complementary
and innovative approaches to achieve the desired outcomes. It
also provides the guidance in an accessible format to those not
familiar with the concepts. The TCPA have recently published worksheets
on transport, the water cycle and community, and these are available
on the TCPA website[21].
Further worksheets will address housing, low carbon development,
waste management, climate change adaptation, and biodiversity.
CODE FOR
SUSTAINABLE HOMES
68. Paragraphs 24 and 25 above provide background
on the Code for Sustainable Homes. As these explain, and in common
with the development of Building Regulations, Government will
need to continue to work closely with stakeholders both to refine
the Code and to examine its operation in practice to see how it
supports the overall policy aim.
69. So far 727 developments, containing
over 42,000 new homes have been registered against the Code in
the first 12 months of its existence. Although very few Code homes
have been completed, the number of registrations alone indicates
that the Code is having a positive impact.
70. With Code Level 3 a condition of receiving
grants from the Housing Corporation's national affordable housing
programme for 2008-11, we expect the number of developments registering
to the Code to rise further. The downturn in the private housing
market may mean that there will also be opportunities for housing
associations to increase the level of affordable housing above
that which would normally be available via section 106 agreements
as developers look to reduce their level of stock. These completed
homes may not meet all of the standards for the 2008-11 programme.
The Housing Corporation has therefore set out additional criteria
upon which it will consider, on a case by case basis, accepting
private market sector variants, which in some aspects fall below
the Corporation's published minimum standards.
71. Increased awareness of climate change
and fuel costs are likely to encourage people to buy homes that
are more sustainable. The Government's aim is for Code homes to
support this process as they enter the market.
How well is the mandatory rating likely to be
enforced?
72. Trading Standards Officers are the enforcement
officers for the mandatory provision of Code certificates within
Home Information Packs (HIPs) for new homes in the same way that
they enforce the mandatory provision of EPCs within HIPs for all
saleable homes. We have worked with Local Authorities Coordinators
of Regulatory Services to ensure that Trading Standards Officers
are aware of what Code certificates look like and what their role
is. It is only the provision of a Code certificate that they are
enforcing, not the content of what is on the certificate. Therefore,
technical training of any sort is not required.
73. The contents of the Code Certificate
are the responsibility of the licensed and accredited Code assessor.
The organisations that train, license and accredit Code assessors
have quality assurance processes to check that the standards of
assessments that are carried out by their assessors meet the requirements
of their accreditation, and thus ensure the correct Code rating
has been awarded.
Should the Code be changed in any way?
74. As noted above, the Code is relatively
new and breaks new ground. As such, it can not be static, but
has to be capable of responding as issues arise. A technical advisory
group containing representatives from industry and specialists
in sustainable development advise the Government on what changes
need to be made to the Code on the back of any technological developments
or feedback on how the Code is operating in practice. The Code
technical guidance is updated every six months to incorporate
these changes. In 2010, the Code will be updated comprehensively
in light of the scheduled changes to the Building Regulations.
The Government will go out to consultation on updating the Code
in 2009.
INFRASTRUCTURE
What progress has the Government made, in the
two years since EAC's last report on this issue, in ensuring that
new developments are being built with adequate infrastructure
in order to make them successful and sustainable?
75. The Government has been clear that its
commitment on new housing is not just about meeting its target
of three million additional homes by 2020. It involves building
better homes in sustainable communities. The timely provision
of infrastructure is critical both to unlocking housing growth
in the first place and to ensuring that communities are sustainable
in the long-term.
76. Over the last two years the Government
has been working hard to ensure that new developments are provided
with the infrastructure they need. This work has followed up on
the Government's Response in 2005 to Kate Barker's Review of Housing
Supply and includes:
— Review into Supporting Housing Growth
(2006-07)
During the CSR07 process Communities and Local
Government worked closely with HM Treasury, Defra and other departments
to ensure that departmental resources across Government are targeted
appropriately to provide the necessary support for future housing
and population growth. The Review's conclusions—including
ensuring all major infrastructure departments prioritise investment
to support housing growth and sign up to the housing Public Service
Agreement and improved local infrastructure delivery planning—fed
into subsequent policy documents, including the Planning White
Paper.
— Planning White Paper[22]
(May 2007)
Planning for a Sustainable Future sought
to refocus the role of local authorities away from site-specific
planning of infrastructure delivery to a more strategic and holistic
view, involving infrastructure providers and neighbouring authorities.
Among its detailed changes, the White Paper proposed to clarify
the soundness test on "implementation" of development
plan documents, so that local authorities would need to demonstrate
to an inspector how and when infrastructure that is required to
facilitate development will be delivered, which would provide
greater confidence among developers and other infrastructure providers
in their own plans.
— Housing Green Paper[23]
Homes for the future—in particular
Chapter 5—set out a range of announcements to ensure housing
growth is underpinned by adequate infrastructure. These included
a new cross-Government Public Service Agreement (PSA 20) on housing
growth, how departments would work together to support growth
and detailed proposals on planning gain.
— Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive
Spending Review[24]
(October 2007)
At PBR 2007, the Government announced £732
million for a new Growth Fund to support the delivery of infrastructure
in the three newer Growth Areas and the Growth Points. From April
2008 this will provide unringfenced block funding to local authorities
and partnerships based. This forms part of the wider £1.7
billion funding for infrastructure in Growth Areas, New Growth
Points and eco-towns.
— Community Infrastructure Levy[25]
(CIL)
The Housing Green Paper set out different approaches
to capturing a greater proportion of planning gain. Following
discussions with stakeholders, the Government has made provision
for a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in the Planning Bill,
introduced to Parliament in November 2007. CIL will enable local
authorities to ensure that almost all developments, not just the
major ones, make a fair contribution towards new community infrastructure
needed to support growth. The new CIL powers are expected to come
into effect by spring 2009 (subject to the Parliamentary timetable).
Local authorities will then be able to establish charging regimes
in their area. A public consultation on the draft CIL regulations
is planned for the autumn. CIL is expected to raise hundreds of
millions of pounds for investment in infrastructure.
— PPS12: Local Spatial Planning (Expected
May 2008)
Building on the CSR07 Policy Review and the Housing
Green Paper, this revision of PPS12 will strengthen national policy
on infrastructure planning by setting out detailed expectations
of local planning authorities in terms of infrastructure planning
for Core Strategies. It will set out local authorities' responsibility
to undertake timely, effective, and conclusive discussions with
key infrastructure providers when preparing a core strategy and
that the strategy should include the specific infrastructure requirements
of any strategic sites, which are allocated in it.
— PSA (20) and Three-Month Reviews
PSA 20's Service Level Agreement sets out that
responsibility for delivery, particularly in infrastructure provision,
is shared with key departments, for example in terms of how their
policies and funding allocation systems will support sustainable
housing growth. To support this, CLG is leading on a programme
of three month bilateral reviews with each department, aiming
to identify and overcome any barriers to infrastructure delivery
within the scope of the department.
— The Defra three month review is now
underway and is scheduled to be report to the Housing Minister
and the Secretary of State for the Environment in the summer.
It will seek to: consider how the delivery of improved environmental
infrastructure and more general environmental enhancement can
best be done hand in hand with increased housing supply; identify
barriers and risks to delivery on the PSA20 commitments of Defra
and its Agencies; explore ways in which these can be overcome
or mitigated; and identify examples of best practice where local
delivery partnerships are working well to ensure that environmental
and green infrastructure is provided in support of housing growth.
CONCLUSION
77. The Government believes that its ambitious
objectives for housing growth can be achieved in ways that are
environmentally sustainable. This Memorandum has set out the wide
range of policies and programmes in place to ensure that housing
development is as environmentally sustainable as possible, ranging
from the overall strategic frameworks in place for environmental
protection (notably through climate change policy), the spatial
and other planning processes (such as the sustainability appraisal
required for RSS and LDFs and the WFD), through to policies and
programmes specifically aimed at mitigating the impact of new
homes (such as zero-carbon homes and water efficiency policies
in Building Regulations). The Committee can be assured that the
Government will be taking forward these policies vigorously as
we move forward with our housing growth plans.
May 2008
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