Carbon Challenge
The Homes and Communities Agency is committed to supporting new and emerging Government sustainability policy – particularly in response to the zero carbon targets of 2016 and the Code for Sustainable Homes. HCA is also in a unique and powerful position to facilitate decentralised, low carbon, and integrated infrastructure solutions for new and existing homes. We will be testing the most demanding sustainability standards through the development of exemplar projects together with delivering over 150,000 new homes at code level 3 or better through the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP). HCA
This initiative is tasked with testing the Code for Sustainable Homes at the highest point – namely zero carbon at level 6, and in so doing help to accelerate the homebuilding industry’s response to climate change.
Building on the lessons learned from the former Millennium Communities Programme and the Design for Manufacture Competition four sites have been offered for disposal subject to a demanding performance brief. With high standards for both design and construction the aim is to deliver high quality communities providing new homes that are both affordable and sustainable.
- The first site is a former hospital at Hanham Hall, near Bristol. The preferred bidder Barratt Development Plc aim to submit a planning application shortly for this high quality scheme of about 190 homes at Code level 6, of which at least a third will be affordable. The site will also provide retail, employment and community buildings set in a diverse landscape.
- The second site is South Bank Phase One, Peterborough – jointly owned by the HCA, EEDA and Peterborough City Council. The preferred bidder is pPod, a consortium led by Morris Homes. A planning application is expected to be made in 2009 for a truly imaginative scheme of about 350 new homes, 35% affordable, with some retail and community space to transform this complex site.
- Two further sites have been announced, both former coalfields at Bickershaw, Wigan and Brodsworth, Doncaster in the ownership of the respective RDA’s.
The Homes and Communities agency is to investigate ways in which the provision of energy services on sites throughout their programmes can be delivered in a more cost effective and appropriate manner, unlocking the potential for developers to achieve the Governments zero carbon targets for 2016 and ensuring that the cost of energy to the end consumer is kept to a minimum.
- We will be looking to develop a process which will assist and identify energy solutions available to each new development site based upon its proximity to complimentary development opportunities,
- To provide advice on the most suitable models for energy distribution and supply,
- Giving access to a standard suite of documents which will reduce the typical transaction costs associated with the establishment of energy services on our new sites.
EcoHomes
Under the 06-08 National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP), the Corporation required EcoHomes “very good” as a minimum standard. This was delivered alongside
- Allocating funding to a third more homes
- The use of only 15% more grant
- Raising other core quality standards
- Producing more homes for families
As a result of the Corporation’s early introduction of minimum EcoHomes standards to funded schemes over 140,000 tonnes of CO² per year will be saved.
Code for Sustainable Homes
The Housing Corporation, through its successor body the HCA, will pump £8.4 billion into the market over the next three years. This will be matched by £12 billion of RSL generated private finance, aiming to procure over 150,000 affordable homes between 2008 and 2011. Newly built grant funded homes will need to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes level 3 or better in order to comply with the Corporation’s core quality standards. Furthermore code levels 4 and 5 are incentivised through the grant index mechanism such that schemes which achieve higher levels of the code will be more likely to receive allocations.
As of 10th Nov 2008, over 51,000 homes achieving code level 3 or better have been allocated grant funding.
Fit for the Future
In June 2008 the Housing Corporation published Fit for the Future: the Green Homes Retrofit Manual.
The guidance pulls together in one place the key information that social landlords need in order to improve the environmental performance of their existing housing stock. It is structured around EcoHomes XB, the Environmental Assessment Methodology for eXisting Buildings developed by the Building Research Establishment under a commission from the Housing Corporation.
Fit For the Future has been designed to provide housing associations and local authorities with a clear, concise, reference manual. It allows them to make the best choices and develop the most effective strategy when it comes to 'greening' their existing stock. The manual has been eagerly received and we believe this document will have a lasting impact on the sector, allowing for a more informed, customisable approach to environmental provision and retrofitting of social housing.
Decent Homes
In 2004, housing associations, registered by the Housing Corporation, reported 327,462* homes failing the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) - a quarter of all housing association stock. Between then and 2007, a further 93,903 homes failing DHS were brought into the sector under stock transfer, so that the full size of the challenge facing housing associations over this period was a total of 421,365 homes - not far off half a million.
Housing Associations certainly rose to the challenge. In March 2003, only 219,895 homes failed the DHS. If you take out those that have been given an extension to the target, mainly for properties affected by local regeneration strategies and timescales which make meeting the target inefficient, that leaves 148,447 - 8% of the stock. We're confident that housing associations will continue the momentum and meet the 2010 challenge.
*Numbers are based on analysis of the homes owned by large associations which own more than 250 properties.
Last updated: 4 June 2009