Green building plans questioned

The government's plans to build 240,000 zero-carbon homes by 2016 will not be realised unless more land is made available, it has been claimed.

Adrian Barden, who has just been elected chairman of the Construction Products Association, told an audience of industry leaders, politicians and officials that he was not sure any political party had the "courage" to grapple with the issue, the Green Building Press reports.

He also argued that too much stress was being placed on making new build greener, rather than encouraging the eco-friendly renovation of existing homes.

Describing this as "staggering", Mr Braden added: "Worse still they persist in charging VAT at the full rate on energy saving products yet at a lower rate on the energy we are trying to save."

Such comments may place extra pressure on the government to emphasise the benefits of home renovation in order to lower emissions and save on energy bills.

The comments of Mr Barden follow criticism of the Welsh assembly government's target for all new homes to be zero-carbon by 2011, which the Green Building Press reported last week.

An unnamed senior member of a major housebuilding company said that the extra cost pressure of trying to meet the target, set five years earlier than that for the rest of the UK, was reducing the number of affordable homes that could be built.


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