sPeCIAL Social housing
From the
editor
A sector that is showing the way
W
elcome to this special report on social properties concerned, and for helping to cut the fuel
housing in the UK. At a time when bills of the residents. Clearly, when it comes to social
the government is promising to housing, reducing energy costs is a crucial outcome
invest more to boost the provision of for those on lower incomes.
affordable homes, while at the same time pushing As consultant James Honour points out in the third
for more low-carbon dwellings, it is appropriate to article in this special report, social housing does make
focus on the contribution that up only a small proportion of
social housing can make to Britain’s total housing stock –
sustainability.
Social housing
and so retrofitting this sector
And so our first report looks
landlords are
will not have such a significant
at the award-winning Clay impact on the carbon footprint
Fields development, which sets particularly well placed of the nation’s dwellings.
the bar high when it comes to
to encourage occupiers
However, he rightly argues that
eco-friendly affordable homes. the sector can lead by example
Contents
What is particularly striking
to adopt more
– as the other preceding
about this project – in addition
eco-friendly
articles demonstrate – and it
36 Fabric of the
to its array of energy saving
lifestyles.
is particularly well placed to
community
The UK public
features – is the use of a variety encourage occupiers to adopt
housing sector has
of locally generated materials, more eco-friendly lifestyles shown that it can
including hemp for the ‘hempcrete’ walls that are said as part and parcel of the process of using renewable
build dwellings that
are both low-cost
to lock in carbon. technologies such as heat pumps. and sustainable.
The second report shows how social housing We hope you find this special report stimulating,
Simon Ellery looks
at one recent
landlords can set an example for commercial and we look forward to receiving your views on the
awarding-winning
developers to follow when it comes to retrofitting issues raised in these articles.
example.
existing properties to make them greener. 38 Fit for the future
Congratulations to this group of landlords and to the Bob Cervi, Editor
Schemes for
improving
Energy Saving Trust for successfully improving the bcervi@cibsejournal.com
established social
dwellings show what
can be achieved
Sean
to cut carbon
istock/ emissions from
Britain’s existing
housing stock,
writes Carina Bailey.
42 A chance for
us to lead by
example
What needs to
be done to bring
sustainability to
the social housing
sector in the UK,
particularly in
light of the
government’s plans
to boost this sector?
James Honour offers
some answers.
34 CIBSE Journal September 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEsep09 pp34 editorial/contents.indd 34 21/8/09 10:49:30
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