National Trust report says partnership is key to zero carbon delivery

Government and housebuilders need to work more closely together if they want to meet the government's target of delivering zero-carbon houses by 2016, a report published today has claimed.

The report, "Volume - Delivering Sustainable Housing", published by Redrow Homes, Bryant Homes and the National Trust, highlights the major obstacles which must be overcome if the zero-carbon target is to be met.

Its findings are based on Redrow and Bryant’s Stamford Brook development on National Trust land in Cheshire.

It is claimed that the project shows how traditional large-scale housing can still deliver high environmental standards, such as big reductions in energy and water consumption, through good quality construction techniques and design.

According to Rob Jarman, Head of Sustainability and Environmental Practices at the National Trust: “The effectiveness of a partnership between developers, a conservation charity, the community and a research body has been the key to making this development work – something we urgently need to see happening across the UK.”

“Action is needed to bridge the gap between the aspirations of the policy makers to create a greener housing stock and the reality of what is happening in the construction industry where the supply chain cannot deliver the volume of sustainable products needed,” he warned. 

But according to the scheme’s monitors, Leeds Metropolitan University,  housebuilders still need to improve the way houses are built and designed.

Malcolm Bell, the University’s Professor of Surveying and Sustainable Housing, warned: “We must improve the whole production process and continually check that what we design in theory is realised in practice.

“This will need considerable effort, not only in construction and design, but also in education and training so that lessons from research are continually fed back to the industry.”

Mark Mainwaring, Bryant North West’s director and general manager, said: “Stamford Brook has opened many people’s eyes to the energy efficiency gains that can be achieved with traditional cavity wall construction.

“A great deal can be achieved by the industry appreciating what is needed to deliver high energy efficiency standards. In this way, we can become a lot better at combining traditional building with innovative use of materials and practices.”

But the report says that one of the challenges at Stamford Brook was the lack of a supply chain to deliver products which are good quality, environmentally sound and economic and calls for more investment in skills and training.