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English Partnerships and Housing Corporation Increase Ecohomes Requirements

English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation have both announced they intend to increase the EcoHomes standard from ‘good’ to ‘very good’, in a review of all properties built on their land. EcoHomes is the scheme overseen by the Sustainability Board to standardise the environmental assessment of new and older houses and apartments.

In a BRE press statement, it also makes a case for other measures, such as the type of white goods installed, minimizing flood risk, sourcing of non-timber resources, and credits to provide a Home User Guide, for new tenants and owners.

But has this system been taken up by private housing schemes? I asked Ian Meikle from BRE about private housing and the need for an increase in standards for their properties. He says that English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation have joined the voluntary EcoHomes scheme at the higher level, to increase the environmental standards of any properties developed on its land. He says they have ‘mandated’ the scheme. He also went on to explain that twelve of the largest building companies listed on the stock exchange have also adhered to the EcoHomes voluntary scheme on some of their developments, to answer government concerns over having a strong environmental policy on new housing schemes across the country. All of this is in response to planning laws being changed to encourage higher standards in environmental practice. Business will only do this in response to direct instructions from local councils some of which are getting tougher. Where this isn’t demanded many private developers don’t adhere to these standards, which is where tougher planning laws would have played a part; something John Precott’s team steered clear of, under the guise of the Sustainable Building Task Group.

The government is also encouraging designers to move away from costly environmental solutions, to better design to control the financial disincentive often seen throughout the building industry. It is keen to see the cost element removed and a low cost alternative made available so that cost cannot be used as an excuse not to build green. Previously you could expect to pay a green levy for green credentials for your building, but with the drive to save energy and costs, this is set to change.

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