Campaign group calls on next London Mayor to embark on major green housebuilding drive
The next London Mayor should press ahead with a major programme of regeneration of London's housing estates that could simultaneously slash carbon emissions and tackle the capital's chronic housing shortage.
That is according to a report released late yesterday by campaign group Britain Remade, which sets out how the winner of the upcoming Mayoral election could deliver energy-efficient housing across the capital while tackling the housing crisis.
Titled Get London Building, the roadmap details how the Mayor's Office could set in motion a major housing programme which could see 893,000 energy-efficient homes built, in part by regenerating estates that are currently dominated by buildings with extremely low energy efficiency standards.
The study calculates that regenerating London's estates at modest densities could deliver more than 530,000 new homes, on top of 540,000 rebuilt and upgraded social homes.
The average tenant could save almost £800 a year in lower gas and electric bills if all new estates were built to the highest energy efficiency standards, it notes.
Sam Richards, founder and campaign director at Britain Remade, said politicians could take steps to tackle the housing crisis and build more energy efficient homes.
"Housing in London doesn't have to be unaffordable," he said. "It is a choice. For too long, politicians have chosen not to build enough homes to meet demand. The only way to fix this is to build more homes.
"From transforming the capital's post-war estates to provide warmer and bigger homes for existing residents to better using land across the city our report, Get London Building, is a blueprint for wherever is the next occupant of City Hall to deliver the affordable homes Londoners desperately need."
Britain Remade said that high rents and house prices were acting as a drag on the UK economy, adding that a "decade plus" of flat-lining living standards could be tackled by enabling more people to live and work in the capital.
A one per cent increase in economic growth in London would produce roughly £2.5bn more money for public services like the NHS, it said.
The report has been backed by Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of energy trade body Energy UK, who said energy efficient properties were the best way to cut energy bills permanently for households across the country, while also reducing emissions and providing warmer and more comfortable homes.
"Those living in the draughtiest homes are unfortunately often those who can least afford to waste energy so tackling the poor energy efficiency of social housing, including London's post-war estates, is particularly important," she said.
"In addition to improving the daily lives of residents, with buildings remaining the UK's second highest-emitting sector, a programme to improve energy efficiency in these properties would make a major contribution to cutting London's carbon emissions and making further progress towards reaching the UK's climate change targets."
The plan also sets out how the Mayor could rewrite planning rules to enable development in more places, including by using London's industrial land and golf courses better. It posits that "using London's land better" could deliver 325,000 good homes within walking distance of public transport.
Keep up to date with all the latest green business news by signing up to the free Daily and Weekly BusinessGreen Newsletters.
