Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

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5.62 EEDA has a key role to play in supporting the delivery of high quality housing and sustainable
communities through the development of its Housing Prospectus. Particular outputs will include
support for a number of housing demonstrator projects, master planning exercises, brownfield
land action plans, capacity building for local delivery vehicles and the Regional Centre for
Excellence, ‘Inspire East’.
5.63 The ‘EcoHomes‘ 14 standard is an environmental assessment method and the Housing Corporation
has set targets for housing associations in new developments. For current allocations none
have yet achieved the EcoHomes ‘excellent‘ standard, but 8% are ‘very good‘, 67% ‘good‘
and 24% ‘pass‘.
5.64 The term ‘affordability‘ of housing should ultimately encompass the cost in use of a property as
well as the price of purchase or rent, striving for housing that is efficient and cost effective to
maintain and service.
5.65 The Government’s code for sustainable buildings is concerned with, ‘establishing excellence for
energy and water efficiency waste and the use of materials that goes beyond the minimum
standards in building regulations. Where we (Government) are engaged in public private
partnership to develop sites we can ensure that these high standards are applied to all
new homes.‘
5.66 The Housing Corporation should continue its progress with housing associations to
achieve EcoHomes standards.
5.67 Regional housing providers should work through Inspire East and the Sustainable
Construction Forum, to develop and promote a regional perspective on the ‘Code for
Sustainable Buildings‘. As the Region’s Planning and Housing Body, EERA should take a
co-ordinating role that is linked to the responsibility for the Annual Monitoring Report.
14 See the reference in the context document to quality and design.