Our private space defines us. The space we have at home is where our children are brought up, our health maintained, our relationships cemented and our friends entertained. All these things suffer if we do not have enough room. And when they suffer they present the nation with a huge social cost. Yet we build the smallest homes in Europe.
The industry suggests that larger homes are more expensive to build and to buy. They are right – although such homes are also more marketable and robust against future market downturns. A balance has to be struck, and I believe we need to do better. That is why the HCA recently hosted an open consultation on a new set of core housing design quality standards. Our proposals include minimum sizes of homes, storage requirements and measures to improve sustainability and neighbourhood design.
Although standards don’t guarantee quality, the focus is on improving quality of life through larger, more flexible homes which reduce energy bills. This ambition supports the new government’s interest in encouraging continuous improvements to the quality and energy efficiency of new housing. We expect a full and wide ranging debate to inform our final decisions on the HCA’s new standards and the timetable for their application. This blog is an important part of that debate.
The industry suggests that larger homes are more expensive to build and to buy. They are right – although such homes are also more marketable and robust against future market downturns. A balance has to be struck, and I believe we need to do better. That is why the HCA recently hosted an open consultation on a new set of core housing design quality standards. Our proposals include minimum sizes of homes, storage requirements and measures to improve sustainability and neighbourhood design.
Although standards don’t guarantee quality, the focus is on improving quality of life through larger, more flexible homes which reduce energy bills. This ambition supports the new government’s interest in encouraging continuous improvements to the quality and energy efficiency of new housing. We expect a full and wide ranging debate to inform our final decisions on the HCA’s new standards and the timetable for their application. This blog is an important part of that debate.
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