Policy Hub
On 3 November 2008, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee published a report (Greener homes for the future? An environmental analysis of the government's house-building plans) which reviews the impact of recent government housing policies on the objectives of sustainable development.
In relation to the government’s target of 3 million new homes by 2020, the report suggests that the Committee on Climate Change should assess the impact of the new house-building target and associated carbon budgets. In the light of the latest economic projections, fundamental changes in the mortgage market and falling house prices, the report also recommends that the government should review the assumptions on which its 3 million new homes target is based.
Currently the government’s target is for 2 million news homes to be built before the zero carbon target for homes comes into effect in 2016 and for a further 1 million to be built afterwards. The report calls for the government to change the balance so that the proportion built after the zero carbon target comes into effect is increased significantly.
The report also suggests that the government should ensure that, in the current market downturn, an excess of land is not made available to developers, something which is already leading to greenfield sites being developed in preference to brownfield locations. Instead, the government should introduce a clear test in favour of brownfield development as part of set planning policy.