The role of local leadership in creating sustainable homes
In January 2016, the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) published a green paper proposing a key leadership role for cities and local authorities in supporting the delivery of sustainable new homes and communities.
The report, 'The role of local leadership in creating sustainable homes', was published following the scaling back of ambitions for zero carbon and sustainable new homes by the national government in recent years.
2015 saw the scrapping of the zero carbon homes target - a policy which had been in place for nearly ten years - and the wind-down of the Code for Sustainable Homes, the key tool that developers and planners used to promote sustainable development in new build housing.
- What city, combined and local authorities in the UK can do, under their existing powers, to improve the standards of new-build housing in their area.
- How they can proactively use their role as landowners.
- How they could engage with the devolution agenda.
It suggests that local authorities can take a lead by, for example, requiring higher building standards on their own land, using tools like Open Book Viability, running energy companies, and a range of other policy innovations.
It also reviews what devolution deals could offer, considering the potential for cities to develop spatial plans for whole areas; work with industry to develop standards for higher quality homes; and bring budgets together to tackle health and housing issues holistically.
Julie Hirigoyen, Chief Executive, UK Green Building Council said:
“In the current policy landscape, with ambition in sustainable housing at a national level falling short, it is vital we consider how local and city authorities can play a leadership role. This is the only way we will meet our stretching carbon reduction targets and deliver genuinely sustainable places.
“This paper proposes that cities should learn from existing best practices in respect of planning and design tools, and drive up sustainability standards for housing on their own land. It also suggests advocating for new powers under devolution, which would enable them to work in partnership with industry to raise the bar for new-build housing in their jurisdiction. We look forward to the views of stakeholders on our proposals.”
The paper will inform UK-GBC’s work with local authorities, central government and industry in the upcoming city-region mayoral elections and beyond.
The full green paper is available here: http://www.ukgbc.org/sites/default/files/Role%20of%20leadership%20in%20creating%20sustainable%20homes.pdf
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Construction awards provide relief in wake of ISG collapse
Spike in major infrastructure awards, housing up but short of targets, are ISG collapse impacts yet to come.
Biodiversity net gain with related updates and terms
Only 0.5% of applications subject to BNG in the context significant proposed changes to planning.
As political power has shifted from blue to red
Has planning now moved from brown to green?
The role of construction in tackling the biodiversity crisis
New CIOB Nature of Building digital series available now.
The Nature Towns and Cities initiative
Grants of up to 1 million for local councils and partners.
The continued ISG fall out October updates
Where to look for answers to frequently asked questions.
Building safety remediation programme for Wales
With 2024 October progress updates.
In major support package for small businesses.
Conservation and transformation
Reading Ruskin’s cultural heritage. Book review.
Renovating Union Chain Bridge.
AI tools for planning, design, construction and management
A long, continually expanding list, any more to add?
Robots in the construction industry
From cultural characterisations to construction sites.
Empowering construction with AI integration
New horizons with a human touch.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government.
A Better Hiring Toolkit for construction
Tooling up to hire under best practice standards in the sector.
Recharging Electrical Skills in Wales
Step by step collaborative solutions.