The prime minister's pledge to achieve an annual house-building target of 240,000 by 2016 has triggered a substantial amount of criticism, with industry experts branding it as everything from "PR-grabbing" and "government spin" to "a half-hearted" attempt at addressing a pressing problem.

According to green campaign group Friends of the Earth, the plan has so far focussed on delivering large amounts of housing, but has contained little substance with regard to quality and eco-efficiency.

Paul de Zylva, head of Friends of the Earth England, told the Guardian: "The way we design, build and then use housing is a key chance to improve the UK's environmental performance by cutting resource use."

The expert pointed out that making homes eco-friendly can also help to make the housing affordable to live in and run.

"If you live on a low income, why not live in a home that helps you save, and spend on things you really need [rather than] fuel and water bills?" he pointed out.

Mr de Zylva claimed that ministers should make high eco-standards an immediate priority, "not wait for 2016 to make all new homes zero carbon".

©

Author:  Joanne McCabe

Mail to a friend  |   Print this news  |  Contact Us  |  About Us

Publish our Insulation articles on your own site!

All our Insulation articles are available for republishing, provided the links in the content remain intact. You can also use our RSS news feed to republish all of our Insulation articles.