Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper announced new environmental safeguards to regulate the building of new homes, as part of the Government's response to the Barker review.
The proposed Code for Sustainable Homes, which is out for consultation, uses ratings similar to the Ecohomes standards to indicate to homebuyers the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of new homes. Seemingly, the proposed five star rating system would be more comprehensive and demanding than current building regulations, with the highest star rating requiring cutting-edge technology to achieve carbon neutral development.
The Government is keen to appear committed to sustainable housing and tougher standards. Significantly, however, the proposed new code would remain a non-mandatory scheme:
"New publicly funded homes will be expected to reach level 3 on the star ratings system, significantly higher than current building regulation standards. Local authorities will also be encouraged to promote the use of the Code on public sector land and strategic sites. We intend that all other housing procured by the public sector should be built to Code standards. Our ambition is that there should be rapid take up of the Code by the private sector and we will monitor take up on an annual basis."
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced the successful bidders for a further four sites in the Design for Manufacture competition, the Government's challenge to the house-building industry to build a home for a construction cost of £60,000:
Over 100 companies took part in the first stage of the competition, which is run by English Partnerships on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. English Partnerships takes no part in the sale or allocation of homes for the competition sites. Rather, the allocation of any shared ownership/social rented homes is made by the housing association on each site. The developer for each site arranges the sale of private homes.
The above four competition sites will see the creation of around 288 homes. At least 30% of homes on each site will be built to a construction cost of £60,000. The remainder will be a mix of smaller and larger homes constructed with similar cost efficiencies. Overall, the competition across ten sites will see the construction of more than 1,000 new properties for sale or rent.
A public exhibition to showcase the £60,000 home designs and further details of the successful bidders are available at www.designformanufacture.info.
The official opening took place of Catalyst HG's development of 45 new homes on a long-term derelict site in London's Shepherds Bush area. The high-density scheme provides 33 homes for rent and 12 for shared ownership; most of the new homes are two or more bedroom. The scheme also includes four family units that are fully wheelchair accessible. Other features of the scheme include safe play areas, rooftop gardens, and a planning restriction that prevents residents from applying for car parking permits in nearby streets.
Hackney Council appointed Berkeley Homes and Circle Anglia as lead partners in a redevelopment scheme that will see 1,350 new homes developed on four sites on the Woodberry Down Estate. The appointment is likely to lead to Circle Anglia being selected as the preferred partner in the regeneration of the rest of the Estate.
The first development by Kings' Forest HA was nearing completion. The Association, which is part of the Flagship Housing Group, has developed nine two-bedroom and nine three-bedroom family homes on a greenfield site in Mildenhall. The £2 million scheme comprises eight homes for shared ownership, with the rest for affordable rent to local people. The development is part of a wider programme that will see 650 new affordable homes developed in the Forest Heath part of the Cambridge sub-region.
The £560 million Clapham Park Project, which has attracted wide praise, is in jeopardy after Lambeth Council found out it had broke its newly introduced planning rules and ordered a redraft of the scheme's blueprint. Planning permission for the New Deal for Communities project is a key aspect in triggering the Council's proposed stock transfer programme. If outline permission is not granted in February, there will be a major question over whether it will be possible to transfer the estate by the March deadline. The transfer was supported by a 59% majority of tenants in a ballot earlier in 2005.
The first stage of a development providing 300 new key worker homes for rent was officially opened by footballer Ashley Cole of Arsenal and England. The Newlon Housing Trust scheme is part of a larger scheme that will deliver over 1,000 affordable homes as part of a regeneration project that includes providing Arsenal Football Club with a new stadium ready for the 2006/07 season.
Demolition work started on a site in one of the most run-down areas of Top Valley, Nottingham, paving the way for a major development of new homes by Lovell, for Riverside Housing.
Work will start in October 2006 on a £4.3 million United Welsh HA scheme, which will see 48 affordable homes built on a former colliery waste site in Caerphilly. The Association recently purchased the site for £2.8 million.
