Revise housing targets to spare greenfield land and re-focus on carbon impact of new housing, says report

The government should revise its target to build 3m new homes by 2020 in the light of the economic downturn, which gives ministers a chance to save greenfield land from development, says a new report. The Environmental Audit Committee has crticised the government for planning the building of more homes over minimising their carbon impact. The dramatic economic developments of recent weeks give ministers the chance to revise the target of three million homes by 2020 so that more emphasis can be placed on environmental concerns, the MPs argue.

Says the report: 'The Committee on Climate Change should assess the impact of the Government's new house-building targets on the UK's 2020 carbon reduction target, and related carbon budgets. In light of the latest economic projections, fundamental changes in the mortgage market, and falling house prices, the Government should urgently review the assumptions on which its 3 million new homes target is based. In particular, the Government should review the share of its house-building targets attributable to meeting aspirations for bigger homes and gardens.'

The report also comments on zero carbon homes. Government's target is for 2 million new homes to be built before the zero carbon target comes into effect in 2016, and for a further 1 million to be built afterwards. The Government should change the balance of its target so that the proportion built after the zero carbon target comes into effect is increased significantly.

Unless ministers change their policies, the committee warns, it will be impossible for local authorities to prevent planning permission being granted for development on greenfield land even though this extra land may not be needed now that the housing market has declined.