sustainable construction - eurobuilduk.co.ukby the government’s zero carbon policy for new homes....

Sustainable Construction: Greater local planning control

James Anwyl

CIOB Sustainability Conference

Keyworth Centre, LSBU

27. 01. 2010

Unsustainable buildings &

communities

Sustainable buildings &

communities

WHY? TARGET:

HOW?

Slide 2Sustainable Construction: Driven by market forces, not by regulationChi (Lowhouse) Ltd. © 2010


communities

The UK’s housing stock is some of the least efficient in Europe.

Space heating accounts for, on average, ~60% of household energy demands.

In 2003, of 25 million UK homes, approx. 2 million were classed as fuel poor.

Parliamentary Office of Science & TechnologyOctober 2005


Sustainable Construction: Driven by market forces, not by regulation


communities

PassivHaus, a German standard of building, achieves a 75% reduction in space heating requirements when compared to existing UK building regs.

In Austria, as of 2008, 20% of all new homes are built to Passiv Haus standard.

There are 2 certified PH buildings in the UK.

Mark Siddell, Devereux Architects

Chi (Lowhouse) Ltd. © 2010


communities


communities

WHY? TARGET:

HOW?HOW?

PLANNING POLICIES & ENFORCEMENT



Happold Scholarship for ‘Sustainability & Construction’ 2008:


The Worshipful Company of Constructors


Achieves Code Level 6 by: • thermal mass • large solar gain • GSHP/ MVHR • triple glazed • super insulated • solar DHW • solar PV (>2kW array) • FSC crosslam panels


The Lowhouse: a low carbon, low visual impact twin dwelling


a) Test the claims of a new development that aims to go above and beyond guidelines set by the government’s zero carbon policy for new homes.

b) Challenge preconceptions of ‘green belt’ planning issues, low density development, longevity with respect to embodied energy and adaptable design, modular construction and low carbon living.

Research aims:



“11. Very occasionally the exceptional quality and innovative nature of the design of a proposed, isolated new house may provide this special justification for granting planning permission.

Such a design should be truly outstanding and ground-breaking, for example, in its use of materials, methods of construction or its contribution to protecting and enhancing the environment, so helping to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas.”


PPS7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas


For

All immediate neighbours

Head of Planning (TDC) [at draft stage]

Parish Council

Local MP (Labour)

Local MP (Conservative)

Senior Planning Consultant to TDC (former Head of Planning)

Regional Development Agency

Essex Development Agency

Essex County Council

Natural England

Environment Agency


For Against

All immediate neighbours Planning Officer

Head of Planning (TDC) [at draft stage] Head of Planning (TDC) [on application]

Parish Council

Local MP (Labour)

Local MP (Conservative)

Senior Planning Consultant to TDC (former Head of Planning)

Regional Development Agency

Essex Development Agency

Essex County Council

Natural England

Environment Agency


“The application was taken to Chairman's referral this week with a recommendation of refusal on grounds of sustainability...

The Chairman agreed this application could be refused under delegated powers, rather than going to a full development committee.”

Richard Collins, Planning OfficerTendring District Council

The Lowhouse planning decision:


A recurring message to the Review was that national policies, such as PPS7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas, are not implemented consistently or as intended at regional or local levels and that priorities in other Planning Policy Guidance/ Statements are given more weight.

Matthew Taylor, July 2008

The Taylor Review:


“While setting a national overview and avoiding prescription – deliberately so, in order to facilitate local decision-making responsive to local issues – their consistency leaves much to be desired.

For example the supportive content of PPS7 is often undermined by other statements such as those on housing, nature conservation and transport.”

DEFRA: Barriers to Farm Diversification


“Among the structural issues underlying these [planning] concerns is the absence of a clear financial incentive for local authorities to promote growth.

This is particularly important since the costs of development are often local, visible and short-term, while the benefits may be diffuse, invisible and long-term.”

Kate Barker, March 2004

The Barker Review of Land Use Planning:


“...to consider how fiscal incentives can be better aligned so that local authorities are in a position to share the benefits of local economic growth”

Sir Michael Lyons, March 2007

The Lyons Inquiry into Local Government:


“The McKinsey Global Institute in 1998 pointed to the planning system as one of the factors negatively affecting the growth and competitiveness of the British economy.

In particular, they pointed to the way in which, because the planning system assumes location to be relatively unimportant, the free location of firms is hindered and the growth of industrial complexes where firms in new industries can closely interact with each other is slowed, if not prevented.

The OECD recently gave a similar warning about the negative growth effects of the British planning system.”

Dr. Oliver Hartwich, The Policy Exchange

Slide 17Sustainable Construction: Driven by market forces, not by regulation

With special thanks to:


In a country where no more than 8% of land has been developed compared to:

• France 12% • Netherlands 28% • Germany 28%

... effective use of land!


1935 - the largest number of houses built in the UK for any year before or since.

3-bed family semi built for just under £500 in 1937 - about £23,000 in today’s prices.

Conall Boyle, Action for Land Taxation & Economic Reform

More for less...


• low interest rates • plentiful supply of land• very limited Planning Control • rudimentary Building Regulations • novel design – not by architects, but by craftsmen-builders • not achieved through cheap labour

1930s good-quality low-cost housing:


• Established planning permission required for land development

• Reduced 1,400 existing planning authorities to 145

• House prices rise with land prices.

• ‘Green Belts’ - manipulated by rural communities to prevent the growth of towns and cities (original purpose to give recreational areas to urban dwellers) .

The Town and Country Planning Act, 1947:


For a sustainable future, house prices must remain stable. In order to keep house prices stable, land prices must remain relatively stable.

How to do this? Ensure good supply of houses through planning control.

Where in the developed world is there a planning system that works?


1) stable house prices for nearly 40 years (!)2) high standard of living3) greener towns & cities4) sustainable buildings5) sustainable communities

Switzerland & Germany - exemplar systems:


a) Planning completely decentralised into small municipalities e.g. Switzerland 1:2600 pop. vs. UK, 1:109,000 pop. in Tendring

b) Central government provide guidelines and aid coordination but cannot control actual development.

c) Municipalities take charge of their own development, retaining all business rate revenues and in some cases a share of income tax.

What incentivises development?


The Local Government Finance and Planning Acts allowed central government to decide spending limits for individual authorities and could remove general grants - approx. 60% of the councils’ income.


Ongoing Thatcher legacy...


http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Local_Government_Finance_and_Planning_Act_1980&action=edit&redlink=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Local_Government_Finance_and_Planning_Act_1980&action=edit&redlink=1

“85% of revenue is allocated by central government and other sources.

Before Thatcher, nearly 50% of revenue was derived from local taxation”

Dr. Oliver Hartwich, The Policy Exchange

Local authority’s income:


UK planning policy is failing to sustain the utility of land for future generations by the planning constraints made on rural development.

Without urgent and definitive change to the existing planning system, the older generation faces a rebellion from the younger.


A ‘Stern’ Warning:


1. Increase the number of authorities to at least pre-1947 levels giving local communities power to make planning decisions at the parish level.

2. Recycle at least 50% of tax revenues at the local level, creating competition between parishes to develop better amenities, better homes and local business.

3. Rather than giving a single ‘sustainability option’ (PPS7) as a planning policy, require all new buildings to be engineered to an energy consumption threshold per m2 at planning stage, and make unsustainable buildings the exception.


How to stimulate sustainable construction in the UK?


Existing planning policy enforcement

Existing centralised control & distribution

of tax revenues


communities+ =


Existing planning policy enforcement

Existing centralised control & distribution

of tax revenues



communities


communities

Localised control & distribution of tax

revenues

Relaxing of planning policy & enforcement

+

+

=

=


Reduced land

availability

Supply lags

behind demand

Anything built

gets bought

No competition

in relative

construction

quality

Unsustainable

buildings

Poor quality

housing

Unsustainable

buildings &

communities

No sense of

place/ identity

social

sustainability

Unsustainable

communities

Perceived utility

of space

reduced

Planning

controls tighten

Density increase

encouraged

Central

government

Local

government

Local

communities

Landowners/ 'older' generation/ homeowners (!)£££

THEIR amenity increased/ preserved

INFLUENCE INFLUENCE

HOUSING BUBBLE

Increased

competition in

buyers market

Inhabitant

incentivised to

move on

'Ladder effect'

enhanced in

strength &

urgency

UK



Planning control

more

responsible &

democratic

Central

government

Local

government

Local

communities

Landowners/ 'older' generation/ homeowners (!)

INFLUENCE

Sustainable

buildings &

communities

Tax revenues

recycled i.e. not

siphoned off by

central gov

Increased

competition for

inhabitants

between

municipalities

Commercial

development

incentivised in

rural areas

Less

NIMBYism

Increase in

completion

rates

Increased utility

of available land

Supply NO

LONGER lags

behind demand

Marketplace

more stable

Market driven

sustainable

buildings

Competition

increases in

construction

quality

Inhabitant

incentivised to

remain

Better sense of

place/ social

sustainability

Sustainable

communities

'Ladder effect'

diminished but

rentals strong

Perceived utility

of space

increasd

Central

government

Local

government

Local

communities

Landowners/ 'older' generation/ homeowners (!)"£££" & Future generations provided for...

INFLUENCE

Sustainable

buildings &

communities

Planning

policies relaxed

RELATIVE INDEPENDENCE

SWITZERLAND / GERMANY


Chi (Lowhouse) Ltd. © 2010 Slide 33Sustainable Construction: Driven by market forces, not by regulation

Thanks for listening.

Thanks again to the Happold Trust for their support.

PassivHaus Design & Construction

6 Smithys ClosePlumpton GreenLewesEast SussexBN7 3DLmailto: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

sustainable construction - eurobuilduk.co.ukby the government’s zero carbon policy for new homes....

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