Earlier this year John Prescott, The UK's Deputy Prime Minister, unveiled plans to build 100,000s of new homes in south-east England, to tackle a severe shortage of affordable homes.

The plan identified four key areas for housing developments (1) The London-Cambridge-M11 corridor (between 250,000 and 500,000 new homes), (2) Milton Keynes (up to 300,000 new homes), (3) the Thames Gateway (up to 40,000 new homes) + (4) Ashford (up to 31,000 new homes).

Many NGOs, including the RSPB, are disappointed that the although there will be a requirement on new social housing to meet Eco-homes “Pass” standard they will not have to meet tougher “good” or “excellent” standards, and that it does not cover the private sector housing. They are also concerned that “infrastructure-led development” in the Thames Gateway may include the proposed Cliffe Airport (which has been vigorously opposed by local branches of the Woodland Trust, the RSPB + Council for the Protection of Rural England) and that the government has failed to insist on increased energy efficiency, reduced water use and other tried + tested sustainable construction technologies.

For further reading see the WWF's One Million Sustainable Homes ("the typical home built in the UK requires a total of more than 3.5 times the of energy of a home built in Germany or Denmark"), the Sustainable Homes website and the deliberations of the Commons Committee stages where the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill has been discussed prior to moving on to the Houses of Commons and Lords later this year...