Paul Smith has backed the National Housing Federation's campaign to ensure that more green homes are built.

www.housing.org.uk

About the campaign

Housing associations build nearly one in four of all new homes – around 40,000 every year. Over 90% of those built in 2007 met the Eco Homes ‘very good’ standard.

To help meet its targets for reducing carbon emissions, the Government has said that in line with the Code for Sustainable Homes all new houses built by housing associations must now emit 25% fewer carbon emissions than required by current building regulations.

Housing associations have welcomed the challenge, but we are very concerned that private developers are not required to meet the same standards until 2010 – another two full years of unnecessary carbon emissions. 

With three-quarters of the house building industry lagging behind, housing associations will be unable to achieve economies of scale. Supply chains and materials will remain expensive until the whole construction industry is kick-started into action.

The government needs to review the timetable previously set out and compel private developers to build to the same environmental standards and timetable as housing associations as soon as possible.