Eco-towns should copy models successfully trialled on the continent to deliver high quality sustainable housing and restart development in the economic downturn, according to a new report. Beyond eco-towns, applying the lessons from Europe, by PRP Architects, Urbed and Design for Homes, argues that European countries build better and larger homes, to high environmental standards, at a much faster rate than in the UK. A key difference with eco-towns is that they are not isolated but are built near existing conurbations where transport infrastructure is already strong enough to support the new development in the early stages. The report supported calls made by the Callcutt review of house building delivery for an investor model where returns are sought over a longer term than developers usually expect. Models for private sector involvement in Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden tend to be longer term, making councils less dependent on house builders who want to dispose of houses quickly, and more in control of their land bank. Local authorities in the towns studied typically partner with multi-disciplinary teams, local development agencies and private developers to invest in sites.Smaller plots of land are then sold to the developers at the price of what is built on them, allowing private investors to recoup their early investment. ‘House building will not recover unless there is a rapid rethink of how procurement works here. There is a disconnection between the planning process and the means of delivery in the UK,’ said Andy von Bradsky, chair of PRP. ‘We are going to have to look at new investment models. Section 106 requirements placed on developers is not a model that will carry forward in the current climate. The findings could apply to all forms of large-scale development, not just eco-towns’, he added.
‘[Our] tax model has been predicated on rising land value and funding infrastructure. We want to be thinking about revamping how we restructure our public finances given that land value has plummeted.’ Beyond eco-towns, applying the lessons from Europe,
www.prparchitects.co.uk

Weblink

15 October 2008
© NewStart