UK's homes 'should beat Scandinavian standards' by 2016

New UK homes should be built to Scandinavian standards and better them within 10 years, Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper said today.

Speaking after a visit to environmentally friendly and sustainably designed housing developments in the Netherlands and Scandinavia with stakeholders from the house building, regeneration and environmental sectors, the minister said developers need to increase standards to meet the challenges of climate change.

She wants to use ideas and techniques already being developed and adopted in other European countries to deliver substantial cuts in carbon emissions from new homes.

She is also challenging UK companies to plan and innovate now to beat designs and standards from Scandinavia and the Netherlands within 10 years.

The second phase of the Design for Manufacture competition will be launched by the end of the year, challenging builders to develop environmentally friendly, low carbon housing developments.

The competition will involve private and public sites for low and zero carbon developments. European companies will be invited to join the competition to increase innovation.

Yvette Cooper said: "The homes we build today will house our children and grandchildren for decades to come which mean they need to be sustainable. If other countries can do it so can we.

"The challenge now is for UK developers to create low cost and low carbon homes. We believe that new developments in the Thames Gateway and in areas like Northstowe can also lead the way."

Accompanying the minister on the visit were Stuart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the Home Builders' Federation, Paul King, Campaigns Director at the WWF, and John Calcutt from English Partnerships, the Government's regeneration agency.

The visit is part of a major programme of work led by the minister to deliver substantial cuts in carbon emission from new homes:

DCLG Minister with responsibility for climate change Angela Smith will visit the Dongtan eco-city in China later this year to examine further ideas that can be used in the UK. The Government's new planning policy on climate change will set out how we expect the planning system to help shape a lower carbon society. The Government's major review of building regulations alongside the new Code for Sustainable Homes will set out a long term direction for delivering low carbon and ultimately carbon neutral developments. Plans for potential low and zero carbon targets for Thames Gateway are being examined under a feasibility study. Other new developments including Northstowe in Cambridgeshire are being designated as exemplars for energy and water efficiency.