Green groups fear backlash from economic downturn

Fears are growing that sustainability measures will be the first thing builders dump as the economic downturn leads to belt-tightening across the industry.

But green champions are warning firms that snubbing sustainable initiatives will damage their prospects in the long term.

Good Homes Alliance (GHA) technical director Simon Corbey said there was a definite concern within the industry that builders could no longer afford to keep up with sustainability.

He said: "It's a triple-whammy because you have costs increasing, and building sustainably means costs increase as well, and everything is happening in such a tight market."

English Partnerships head of environmental policy Jane Forshaw said builders who dropped sustainability measures would struggle to meet the zero-carbon targets outlined in the Code for Sustainable Homes.

She said: "For developers, especially those that want to grow and prosper, it is important they build up experience of building to higher standards now.

"There will always be a number of falls and peaks in the market, but these quality environmental standards will persist. So it is not good for builders to take their eye off the environmental ball."

British Property Federation chief executive Liz Peace called on the government to stop laying extra requirements on builders as they struggled to cope with the market and environmental goals.

Peace said: "The government is loading a lot on the industry. There is no point kicking it when it is on its way down."

But industry groups said there were simple and cheap methods that builders on a budget could still pursue to stay in the zero-carbon race.

Effective site orientation was an easy and cost-effective way to make energy efficiency gains, said SMC Alsop Architects founder William Alsop.

He said: "80% of savings can be made orienting the building the right way. It's not hard. But the technology out there makes it look hard."

And investment in sustainability technologies leads to paybacks in the form of smaller energy bills, said BRE director of housing futures Oliver Novakovic.

Corbey added that members of the GHA who are building to level three of the Code were still confident they could deliver innovative homes in the difficult market.