Government ''should be stricter on property developers''

Government restrictions should be tougher on private property developers rather than penalising individual home owners, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF).

Regulations, such as the new Code for Sustainable Homes, are not strict enough on private developers and this means that they can get away with minimal efforts towards making the construction of homes better for the environment, according to the NHF.

John Goulding, a spokesman for the NHF, said: "We think that the new measures don''t go far enough.

"Housing associations build to a very high standard, they are obliged to do that because they get Government grants but other private housing developers, like Barratt, don''t have to. The bar set for them by the Government is considerably lower for them."

The government is also emphasising the importance of local authorities in improving the quality of housing design and the upholding of environmental standards, according to the housing minister''s latest planning policy statement.


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