What does the declaration of a climate emergency by councils mean for housing?

First, as a planning authority, councils set the rules for new developments in their area. Many of the climate emergency councils are now committing to adopting more demanding standards for the carbon efficiency of new build, through an updated local plan or supplementary planning guidance. In the snap survey, 24 of the 29 were either considering passing such a measure or had done so already, and the five which hadn’t did not ruled it out – they were just too early in the process to have made specific plans.

This development may have set councils on a collision course with central government. Concerned about the impact on developers and worried about the piecemeal development of housing standards across the country, the government is currently consulting on proposals “which would restrict local planning authorities from setting higher energy efficiency standards for new homes”.

Cornwall has more than 90,000 solid-wall homes which need better insulation (picture: Getty)

Region: South West

Declared climate emergency: January 2019

Impact for housing: The council is developing a Climate Change Development Plan Document, which will require future development to be more energy efficient, powered by renewables and mindful of the impact on coastal areas and floodplains. No new build council housing will be connected to fossil fuel power sources.

The council also has funding to run a ‘Whole House Retrofit’ programme on 83 social homes in the county, which seek to reduce running costs by 20% and emissions by 80%. It is seeking further funding for retrofit – with some 90,000 solid-wall homes in the county (all tenures). The council is also altering its supply chain to reduce its carbon footprint.

Currently they are entitled to 19% more in carbon reductions above the level set in building guidance but are discouraged from going further.

This has riled local politicians.

“It should be a case of standards being pushed up by national government, not being held back,” says Hazel Smith, lead cabinet member for housing at South Cambridgeshire Council.

South Cambridgeshire Council's retrofit measures have already saved 4,000 tonnes of carbon (picture: South Cambridgeshire Council)

Region: East of England

Declared climate emergency: December 2019

Impact for housing: South Cambridgeshire has some of the highest growth in terms of new development in the country and believes “ensuring that planning policy is as stringent as possible in supporting carbon reduction is of the utmost priority”. As a result, it is preparing supplementary planning guidance which will set higher standards for developers of new housing in the area. It is also working to embed placemaking policies into this document which will require new areas to be developed in a way which allows people to live a low-carbon lifestyle.

As a landlord, it has 5,300 social homes which have an average energy band rating of C. It is working to convert the lowest-performing properties to a higher rating. It has also set out a five-year capital spending plan which involves investment in heating systems and insulation – measures which are estimated to have already saved 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. It is also altering its contract regulations to require suppliers to provide evidence that they are monitoring and reducing CO₂ emissions.

She says that developers she has spoken to welcome the move. “For them it’s a selling point,” she says. “They understand the value in being able to build new homes for the future.”

In Luton – which has a target of reaching carbon neutral across the whole area by 2035 – Mr Shaw says he is hoping a redrafted local plan will demand ‘Code Four’ homes in all new developments. For those uninitiated to sustainability jargon, that is level four out of six on the Code for Sustainable Homes grading lists and sets higher standards than national regulations require across areas, covering CO₂ emissions, water use and waste among other factors.

Dacorum’s Longlands block in Adeyfield after refurbishment. The council declared a climate emergency in June last year

Region: East of England

Declared climate emergency: June 2019

Impact for housing: Dacorum is preparing a new local plan and is considering planning policies to reflect its environmental commitments - such as directing development to sustainable locations and more stringent construction standards.

As a landlord of around 10,000 homes, it has commissioned a survey to model the baseline energy performance, which will help identify the homes most in need of work. A number of measures have already been taken to improve its energy performance. With regard to procurement, its repairs contract with Osborne Property Services requires the contractor to include an indicator of the environmental impact of its activities. It will continue to review procurement rules as part of its action plan.

Mr Shaw says that he would be “completely opposed” to the government ordering it to set lower standards, but that it will ultimately be a matter for the planning inspectorate.

In Guildford, the council has required a 20% reduction in carbon emissions for new development in its local plan. Mr Jackson says it will toughen these standards “as aggressively as it is possible to” but acknowledges the “trade-off” between sustainability and viability. “We do want homes to be built,” he adds.

Guildford is considering adopting tougher planning rules (picture: Getty)

Region: South East

Declared climate emergency: July 2019

Impact for housing: A new local plan adopted last year requires a 20% reduction in carbon emissions for new build, and standards could potentially get tougher if the council deems it necessary. The council’s planning guidance places an emphasis on a ‘fabric first’ approach – which means maximising the performance of the materials which make up the structure of the building.

The council owns around 5,000 social homes and is focusing on replacing heating systems at the 80% reliant on gas boilers to more sustainable systems such as air source heat pumps where possible and retrofitting homes which are less energy efficient. It is also reviewing its procurement policies to require suppliers to demonstrate their sustainability credentials.

What about existing housing stock? All 18 councils that responded to Inside Housing’s survey which owned stock said they were planning to work on improving their environmental performance.

Much of this work involves retrofitting insulation – councils are commissioning surveys to establish the worst-performing homes in their stock and prioritising them for retrofit. There are also large programmes under way that involve the installation of renewable energy sources such as ground source heat pumps and solar panels. This work can attract private investment – particularly the energy generation – but the retrofit is expensive. Councils are directing resources from their Housing Revenue Account – but this is not a limitless resource.

Region: East of England

Declared climate emergency: January 2020

Impact for housing: The council is working on a new local plan and could seek to demand that developers meet the exacting ‘Code 4’ standard under the Code for Sustainable Homes – a step that would require developers to go significantly in excess of the building regulations.

The council has also committed £40m to improve the thermal efficiency of its tower blocks and £1.2m a year from its Housing Revenue Account to fund energy efficiency improvements to council stock.

The council is also seeking to lift standards in the private rented sector by making energy efficiency a condition of its landlord licensing scheme.

“Money is always the challenge at local authority level,” says Mr Jackson. “I can’t see the retrofit of properties happening on a grand scale without government funding.”

There is also the question of non-council stock. In some areas, such as Glasgow, programmes offer low-cost or subsidised retrofit programmes to the private sector. In others, such as Luton, councils are exploring using new landlord licensing schemes to force private landlords to improve properties.

Manchester is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2038 (picture: Getty)

Region: North West

Declared climate emergency: October 2019

Impact for housing: The council’s local plan is about to undergo a review, which is likely to include new standards for sustainable building as it strives to meet a target of making the city carbon neutral by 2038.

The council owns 16,000 of the 68,000 social homes in the city, which are managed by ALMO Northwards Housing. Over the past five years 1,500 solar panels have been installed and further retrofitting is planned.

With regard to procurement, the council has adopted specific carbon reduction questions – which examine suppliers’ organisational approach to carbon reduction and how it will be applied to the contract. It will apportion 10% of the overall evaluation of the bid to this scoring.

Finally, councils are adjusting their procurement policies. Local authorities are large businesses and spend billions on goods and services – from printer toner to major repairs contracts. Increasingly, they are setting rules within the procurement process which demand that suppliers demonstrate a commitment to sustainability. Manchester has recently resolved to make carbon reduction worth 10% of the scoring for new tenders.

“As with many, many areas we’re reviewing our procurement as a direct result of the climate emergency declaration,” says Mr Jackson. “You want to see that suppliers have their own sustainability policies.”

Glasgow City Council runs an affordable warmth project (picture: Getty)

Region: Scotland

Declared climate emergency: May 2019

Impact for housing: All planning applications for new housing in the city have had to meet ‘Building Standards Technical Handbook Gold Level Compliance plus 20% Low and Zero Carbon Generating Technologies’ since September 2018. These standards require homes to be energy efficient and include measures for renewable energy use.

While Glasgow does not own social housing directly, it has worked with local housing associations on schemes aimed at making the social housing stock in the city more energy efficient. It also has an affordable warmth project – aimed at the lowest-income areas of Glasgow and open to homeowners and private landlords – to help make homes more energy efficient.

So those selling to councils in the coming years, be advised: get green or lose out.

Overall these policies will be small steps along the path we need to take as a society to avert the looming crisis. But they are steps. It is now for central government to decide whether it wants to help turn them into leaps or put barriers in the way.

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