Cooper: More green homes to address shortage

The government has unveiled the findings of the Homes for the Future: More Affordable, More Sustainable consultation paper on the future of housing in the UK.

The green paper outlines the government's proposals to address the housing shortages which have blighted the UK for a generation through the building of more green, affordable homes.

There will be "more homes – backed by more ambitious building targets, increased investment, and new ways of identifying and using land for development," said housing minister, Yvette Cooper.

Ms Cooper also promised the government would be "building homes more quickly – by unblocking the planning system and releasing land for development" and they would be "greener homes – with high environmental standards and flagship developments leading the way".

The plans have been designed to combat rising prices and falling affordability in the market.

Demand for homes in the UK is growing faster than supply and wages have failed to keep pace with price increases in recent years. These factors have combined to exclude many first-time buyers from the housing ladder.

Climate change has added a further dimension to the problem, prompting the government to focus effort of environmentally sustainable homes.

In response the government has promised three million new homes by 2020, with two million built by 2016 – some 240,000 annually.

The plans will offer scope for ten new eco-towns in the UK and will concentrate on new areas for development, including the north of England.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) gave the plans a cautious welcome.

"The Code for Sustainable Homes and proposals for ten new eco-towns are important and welcome steps.

"I am convinced however, that greater attention to design is needed if we are to balance the energy demand of construction and use of our homes with the imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said RIBA President, Sunand Prasad.

There will also be am initiatives to help those in rural areas, which have been acutely affected by housing shortages – including shared ownership and social housing schemes.

To see the Homes for the Future: More Affordable, More Sustainable report in full, follow the link.