Robotics: Standards For Future Homes

Robotics: Standards For Future Homes

AUAR’s automated micro-factories deliver homes based on a building block system.

As resistant as the housing industry has been to adopt new technology, some innovations are breaking through the barrier. From the actual home construction all the way to operations and user experience, every part of the home experience is being touched by technology and automation.

Through that technology and automation, housing can become productized and be delivered faster. Not only that, but homes can be delivered at a higher quality, with better performance, and with longer-term resiliency features.

These three innovative companies are bringing automation to the forefront and championing this new level of housing.

Speeding The Process With Robotics

The name of the game is speed to solve the current housing crisis. So, new approaches to automation and robotics are bringing new homes online faster than ever before.

Mollie Claypool, founder and CEO at Automated Architecture, or AUAR for short, has created a micro-factory for producing a programmable pixel building block that can produce 10 homes per month, and reduce labor costs by up to 60%.

AUAR’s patented design to manufacturing and assembly system programs robots to use one pixel in several different ways in the construction of timber homes.

“The building blocks of all automation is code, so we thought, why don’t we have a building system that is designed like a bit,” Claypool said. “AUAR’s building block sits at the core of our tech stack and can be best understood as a volumetric pixel or ‘voxel,’ or in layman’s terms, as a Lego. The building block can uniquely be used for floors, walls, and roofs. It is different because it is based on a computational reading of what building blocks need to be.”

An AUAR micro-factory has a single robotic cell that can build many types of the same building block and the complimentary tech stack can be licensed to partners like a contractor, home builder, offsite manufacturer, or developer. The micro-factory can fit into a shipping container-sized box, is priced at just $312,000 so it can provide a payback in 6 weeks if used at full capacity, and it can produce about 100 homes per year.

“It lowers the threshold for robotic adoption because typically it’s a long set up and a long pay off with big upfront capital investment,” she said. “We have one micro-factory operational now, and are currently onboarding three more in Belgium, the U.S., and the U.K.”

Source: Forbes

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Mayor of London First past the post with lowest ever share of vote

Mayor of London wins with lowest ever share of vote following switch to First Past the Post

Campaigners warn the move to the First Past the Post system has also seen Police and Crime Commissioners and a mayor elected on as low as a third of the vote

Sadiq Khan has been re-elected as the Mayor of London with the smallest mandate since the office was created 24 years ago, analysis from the Electoral Reform Society shows.

The Labour politician won 43.8% of the vote on Thursday, which was enough to secure him a third term under the new First Past the Post system. However, the result means that he is the mayor returning to City Hall with the lowest level of support among Londoners who voted when compared to results under the previous electoral system.

All prior London mayoral elections used the Supplementary Vote (SV) system, which allows voters to indicate a first and second preference for two candidates. Under SV, if no candidate gets over 50% of first preference votes, the top two candidates continue to a runoff where second preference votes from eliminated candidates are allocated – ensuring winning candidates have a broad base of support.

Analysis by the Electoral Reform Society shows that after the first and second preference votes of previous winning candidates are taken into account, Sadiq Khan’s current mandate is lower than any previous winner elected under SV. The mayor with lowest vote share under SV was Ken Livingstone, who received 44.4% of votes from voters giving him either their first preference vote or a transferred second preference vote in 2004.

Vote share of London Mayoral winners after first and second preferences are counted [1]:

  • 43.8% Sadiq Khan – 2024 (FPTP system used – no second preferences)
  • 44.4% Ken Livingstone – 2004
  • 45.3% Ken Livingstone – 2000
  • 47.6 Sadiq Khan – 2021
  • 47.8 Boris Johnson – 2012
  • 48.4% Boris Johnson 2008
  • 50.4% Sadiq Khan – 2016

Elsewhere, the switch to First Past the Post has seen Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and an elected mayor win on as low as or just over a third of the vote.

Analysis by the Electoral Reform Society showed that in the 2021 elections, where the Supplementary Vote was used, no winning PCC or mayor received less than 40% of the vote [2].

Reduced mandates – PPC and mayoral results:

  • In Wiltshire, Conservative Philip Wilkinson was returned as PCC with just 31.0% of the vote.
  • In Avon and Somerset Labour’s Clare Moody won the PCC role from the Conservatives on less than a third (32.3%) of the vote
  • In Gloucestershire the Conservative Chris Nelson was re-elected as PCC with 33.1% of the vote.
  • In West Mercia the Conservative John Campion was re-elected as PCC with 34.3% of the vote.
  • In Norfolk Labour’s Sarah Taylor beat the Conservative incumbent to become PCC on just 35.2% of the vote.
  • In the York and North Yorkshire mayoral race Labour’s David Skaith won on just 35.1% of the vote.

Thursday’s elections were the first time many mayoral and PCC elections used the First Past the Post system instead of the preferential Supplementary Vote (SV).

Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said: 

“What we are seeing at these elections is the bar being lowered for politicians while being raised for voters. The move to First Past the Post has lowered the bar for politicians to get elected by taking choice away from voters. The result is we have seen a Mayor of London elected with the smallest mandate ever as well as PCCs and a mayor win their races on around a third of the vote.

“This is bad for voters, who now have mayors and PCCs the majority didn’t vote for; it is bad for elected politicians who have to do their jobs with less backing for their policies; and it is bad for trust in democracy.

“At the same time, we are seeing the bar to voting being raised for voters as this was the first time millions had to show ID to cast their ballot. We know that voter ID has already prevented at least 14,000 people [3] from voting at last year’s local elections and this year we have again heard of voters – including a decorated ex-serviceman [4] – being barred from exercising their fundamental democratic right due to not having an accepted form of ID.

“Our politics is headed in the wrong direction when we are making it harder for people to vote but easier for politicians to get elected by reducing voter choice at the ballot box. We need to set our democracy on a better course by scraping voter ID and improving access to voting, but also by moving to proportional and preferential voting systems that better represent how people voted.”

Thursday’s local elections also saw First Past the Post producing a host of disproportionate results in councils, with some parties picking up as much as 90% of the available seats on less than half of the vote share.

Analysis by the Electoral Reform Society has identified a series of results where voter choices have been ‘distorted’ by England’s winner-takes-all First Past the Post system. Full stats available on request.

Warped results – ERS analysis:

  • In Watford the Liberal Democrats took a whopping 91.7% of the seats up for election with just 48.2% of the vote. Labour came second winning 8.3% of the seats on 29.1% of the vote, and the Conservatives received no seats for their 15.5% of the vote
  • In Ipswich Labour gained the vast majority of the seats up for election (81%) despite securing just 45.3% of the votes cast. The Conservatives received just 12.5% of the seats for their 29.6% of the vote. Meanwhile, the Greens received no seats despite winning 11.3% of the vote, while the Lib Dems secured 6.3% of the seats with 11.1% of the votes
  • In Broxbourne, the Conservatives swept up 90% of the seats up for election on just over half the vote (50.5%), while Labour received just 10% of the seats for its 30.5% of the vote. The third largest party, the Greens on 9.8% of the vote, received no seats.
  • In Sunderland Labour picked up 72% of the seats up for election on just 45.5% of the vote. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats’ 15.4% of the vote yielded them 16% of the seats, but Reform received no seats for their 14.5% of the vote.
  • In Winchester the Lib Dems gained 78.6% of the seats up for election, with just 47.7% of the vote, compared to the Conservatives, who won just 14.3% of the seats after winning 31.3% of the vote.

Dr Jess Garland, Director of Research and Policy for the Electoral Reform Society, said: 

“These local elections have again seen a raft of highly disproportionate results under First Past the Post, leading to council chambers that don’t accurately reflect voters’ choices. In some cases, parties have taken over 90% of the seats on less than half the vote, while other parties received no seats despite winning sizable vote shares.

“There is a clear alternative to the unfair results we have seen in England. Both Scotland and Northern Ireland use a fairer proportional voting system [5], avoiding the distorted and random results produced by First Past the Post. 

“Proportional representation would mean fairer results at local elections and would create council chambers that better reflect the way people voted.”

 

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LEGAL VICTORY IN NET ZERO CASE

CGI of proposed Salt Cross Garden Village (Image: West Oxfordshire District Council)

Oxfordshire legal victory in garden village net zero case

 

By Miranda Norris Senior reporter at the Oxford Mail

Campaigners have hailed a High Court victory for West Oxfordshire District Council’s net zero targets for a proposed new garden village.

Rights and climate collective, Rights Community Action, challenged the Government’s planning inspector’s decision not to require the new homes at Salt Cross Garden Village to be built to net-zero standards.

The judgment in the Salt Cross Garden Village Net Zero case was handed down earlier this year.

The ruling from Mrs Justice Lieven rejected the arguments made by Levelling Up minister Michael Gove’s legal team which were supported by the village’s developer Grosvenor Developments, owned by the Duke of Westminster.

Salt Cross Garden Village off the A40 near Eynsham would include more than 2,000 new homes, a new science business park and its own facilities, schools and community resources.

West Oxfordshire District Council’s plans for the development were that it be carbon net-zero and 100 per cent powered by on-site renewables.

It listed specifications for building fabric and energy efficiency, as well as measures to address risks of overheating in the village.

However in a report in March 2023, planning inspectors stated that the ambitions of the project were too high and ‘prescriptive’, and conflicted with national energy efficiency policy outlined in a 2015 ministerial statement.

Rights Community Action – a climate collective that specialises in addressing the climate crisis through the planning system and local area plans – called the decision ‘baffling’ and said it created a ‘confusing precedent’.

They said it conflicted with the approach taken by Government planning inspectors in other areas, including in Bath & North East Somerset in 2022 and Cornwall in early 2023, where inspectors considered the ministerial statement to have been overtaken by events.

The Government argued the inspector’s recommendation was not actually a decision that could be challenged, and it said Rights Community Action had no ‘legitimate concern’ or ‘sufficient interest’ to bring a legal challenge about the planning process in this local development.

Mrs Justice Lieven dismissed both arguments, agreeing that the inspector’s interpretation of national policy didn’t make sense and that Rights Community Action “is an NGO established and operating in precisely” this field and “that is an issue of enormous public concern”.

After the hearing in November, before the judgment was handed down, the Secretary of State withdrew the 2015 ministerial statement.

Leigh Day planning law specialist, solicitor Ricardo Gama said:

“The case is a frustrating example of a local authority trying to take ambitious action on climate change and being hamstrung by confusion in central government and so it’s welcome that the judge has clarified the legal position.

“The government updated its policy in between the High Court hearing and the judgment, and the lawfulness of that policy is also being examined by our client.”

Sarah Couch, leader of sustainability group GreenTEA (Transition Eynsham Area), said:

 “We were appalled when the Planning Inspectorate rejected the net zero policy, despite overwhelming community support.

“A home built to net zero standards would be resource efficient and could generate its own clean energy – it would be cheaper to run. So, it makes no sense to prevent councils and their communities from expecting homes fit for the future.

“If the Inspector’s recommendation were adopted, we could have the ridiculous situation of a large showpiece development that is not required to produce its own annual energy demand but with Europe’s largest groundmount solar farm on more farmland right up to its boundary.

 

Source: Oxford Mail

 

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PLANNING: Rogue Developers Will be Held to Account

New planning powers come have come into effect, giving local councils greater tools to hold rogue developers to account as part of the government’s landmark Levelling-up and Regeneration Act.

Council planners can use stronger enforcement measures to take on landowners who repeatedly break planning rules.

This includes those who carry out works without approval or act in bad faith on developments with planning consent.

These changes will make it harder for rulebreakers to seek future planning permission and will give councils the ability to issue unlimited fines against those failing to build in the right places.

The wide-ranging measures include:

  • increasing enforcement limits from four to 10 years so councils have more time to stop developments without planning approval
  • introducing unlimited fines against developers who fail to comply with planning permission or refusing to deal with rundown properties and overgrown fields
  • doubling the length of temporary stop notices to 56 days to suspend all works if a council suspects building has gone ahead despite permission has not been granted
  • strengthening the planning inspectorate to dismiss appeals against developers trying to delay the process, including the refusal of site visits and access

Minister for housing and planning, Lee Rowley, said:

“Today marks another important step forward in our mission to deliver a faster and less bureaucratic planning system, making sure councils have greater powers at their disposal to take robust action against developers who do not play by the rules.

“We are clamping down on planning loopholes, allowing councils to issue unlimited fines, and strengthening local decisions that communities want to see.

“This builds on our long-term plan for housing to deliver more homes and infrastructure that is beautiful, affordable, and built in the right places.”

Source: Development Finance Today

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The Great Grid – Connecting Green Energy

  • National Grid launches pioneering ‘enterprise model’ as response to UK supply chain and skills shortage, announcing the first seven supply chain partners to form the Great Grid Partnership.  
  • The Partnership, which will initially focus on the network design and construction work required by the end of the decade for nine major infrastructure projects across England and Wales, forms part of a £9bn supply chain framework which will also support infrastructure projects beyond 2030. 
  • The Partnership will support supply chain capacity and foster collaboration across best practice and skills, delivering benefits for consumers and the wider UK economy. 
  • This investment further underlines National Grid’s commitment to the people, jobs and skills required to help deliver the energy transition. 
  • Investment in the UK’s electricity network industry will contribute an average of £18.4bn to GDP and support around 220,000 jobs each year between 2024 and 2035.

In a major boost to the UK supply chain, National Grid has today launched the Great Grid Partnership. The company, which sits at the heart of the UK energy transition, has named the seven partners who will support the delivery of an initial nine Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) projects.

The ASTI projects form a key part of The Great Grid Upgrade, which is building the significant new electricity network infrastructure required to reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels by connecting 50GW of offshore wind by 2030.

This new ‘enterprise model’ is a collaborative partnership, bringing together National Grid’s supply chain partners. Two design and consenting service partners [AECOM Arup (JV); WSP], and five construction partners [Laing O’Rourke; Morgan Sindall Infrastructure; Morrison Energy Services; Murphy; Omexom / Taylor Woodrow (OTW)] are joining National Grid in the newly formed Great Grid Partnership.

Designed to speed up the delivery of much needed national electricity infrastructure by taking a fresh approach to UK supply chain and skills issues. The partnership aims to coordinate the planning and execution of projects, allowing each supplier and National Grid to pool their resources, skills, insights, and experience to deliver faster and more economically – driving value for money and benefits for both consumers and local communities.

By creating these long-term strategic contractual relationships, our partners will work collectively as an enterprise to drive value and innovation and secure delivery. Once established, this pioneering model will also deliver significant opportunities and benefits beyond the initial ASTI framework.

The partnership comes as the demand for products, services and skills continues to rise on a global scale as countries ramp up investment in the energy transition. It represents a huge challenge but also a great opportunity if industry works together to take advantage of the opportunity.

Carl Trowell, President, Strategic Infrastructure, National Grid said:

“Today’s announcement is another significant and exciting milestone in the delivery of The Great Grid Upgrade – the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in decades. The scale and pace of this upgrade requires us to unite as an industry and to think and act differently.

“This Great Grid Partnership is a ground-breaking initiative from National Grid that places our supply chain partners at the heart of our infrastructure upgrade programme. All our chosen partners have an established history of successful collaboration in delivering major projects and enabling innovation to thrive.

“By sharing best practice and collaborating across nine of our critical major ASTI infrastructure projects, we will set the gold-standard for future infrastructure projects in terms of driving innovation, shoring up capacity across the skills base, operating responsibly and sustainably and ultimately in getting the best value for consumers.”

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Introducing Sustainable Development to the next Generation

Renowned architect and TV presenter George Clarke’s education charity MOBIE – Ministry of Building Innovation and Education – is launching free workshops in home design, sustainable development and green skills to primary and secondary schools in South and West Wales.

 

Part of securing a greener future for Wales rests with how well we design, construct and then manage our buildings. 40% of carbon emissions come from the built environment – 11% from how we build them and 28% from how we heat and power them – so it is critical that buildings of the future use less energy, less raw materials and create less waste.

The workshops, offered through the Swansea Bay City Deal ‘Homes as Power Stations’ project, provide an opportunity for young people to think about how we can deliver our future housing needs whilst protecting our planet.

They use practical design exercises to help students appreciate key design principles and emphasise the importance of homes and buildings in helping us to address climate change and other environmental challenges. They can introduce young people to the range of roles in housing, the built environment and green industries and technologies that we need to deliver the homes, other buildings and communities of tomorrow.

The presenter of Channel 4 programmes George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, Remarkable Renovations and Old House, New Home and founder of MOBIE said:

“Home is the most important piece of architecture in our lives. It crafts the way we live, and how we grow as families and communities.

“The built environment accounts for 40% of our carbon emissions and we have around 27 million homes in the UK that need to be retrofitted by 2050 if we are to achieve our net zero obligations and avoid 1.5 degrees of warming. We must make buildings, new and old, more energy efficient for people and the planet.  This requires new thinking and new skills.

“MOBIE’s workshops are a great way to introduce sustainable development – through home we can inform young people about our environmental challenges and explore design solutions that can help us live more sustainably in the future. The workshops have been well received in England and Scotland so I am really excited that they are now coming to Wales.” 

Wyn Prichard, Sustainability and Net Zero Consultant and chair of the WJEC Qualification group, said

“We are really pleased to be working with MOBIE on their first project in Wales. The materials that have been jointly created for these sustainability and green skills workshops will engage and inspire pupils, students and staff about our green challenges and stimulate thinking and designs for ‘Homes as Power Stations’ and what the Welsh homes of the future should look like. The workshops complement the ‘Sustainability in Action’ qualification that was recently launched by the WJEC.”

Jayne Jones, Head of Business Development at NPTC Group of Colleges said

“With MOBIE as a key partner of our Net Zero Skills Academy, we look forward to supporting the workshops and developing further programmes with George, the MOBIE team and our other partners in the Academy to help inspire and train the workforce of the future to deliver low carbon housing, buildings and communities.”

Nicola Pearce, Director of Environment and Regeneration for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and Senior Responsible Officer for HAPS said

“one of the objectives of HAPS is to increase the skills associated with the

technologies needed to create homes that are cleaner, greener and that reduce fuel poverty. It’s essential we engage and support learning of all ages from school age up to the diversification of the current workforce. Funding from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MSC) has enabled us to begin this exciting journey and we look forward to working with MOBIE and our partners to progress this work and make a positive impact”.

 

The workshops support STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) learning and other curriculum.  They help to promote awareness and understanding of the environmental and societal issues that face young people and their future lives and lifestyles, including the UN Sustainable Development Global Goals.

The workshops cover topics including what is a home, climate change, zero carbon homes, housing innovation and technology, sustainable building materials and renewable energy. By participating, learners can develop skills in teamwork and team building, design, communication and presentation.

The workshops complement the ‘Sustainability in Action’ qualification, launched by the WJEC in April 2024, which was developed in collaboration with the office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, to support the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015 and net zero jobs of the next generation of workers.

They are open to primary and secondary schools in the Swansea Bay City Deal area, which comprises Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot,

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£45m investment and jobs boost for sustainability industry

 

£45m investment and jobs boost for sustainability industry in East of England

Assan Panel, a major affiliate of Kibar Holding, a renowned name in Turkey’s industrial sector, has confirmed its plans to locate its first UK manufacturing facility at Gateway 14, part of Freeport East.

The firm produces sustainable building materials and is one of the world’s market leaders in this sector. The move to Gateway 14 will create around 100 highly skilled jobs in Stowmarket and bring an investment of up to £45m.

The announcement comes at a time when the UK and Turkey are discussing an enhanced Free Trade Agreement.  Both Freeport East and Assan Panel are keen to ensure the investment acts as a positive signal to other companies looking to strengthen trade connections between the two countries.

Contingent upon securing required approvals, İhsan Tolga Akar, Managing Director of Assan Panel, mentioned that the goal is to have the new plant operational by Autumn 2025.

As part of its investment, Assan Panel, which exports to 85 countries from Turkey, is planning to establish a new office in Ipswich to cater the UK market.

A skilled workforce will be required at the new multi-million-pound facility, which will manufacture sandwich panels filled with Polyisocyanurate (PIR), mineral wool, or polyurethane – critical components in constructing sustainable and eco-friendly buildings.

Steve Beel, Chief Executive of Freeport East, comments:

“This announcement represents a real milestone in strengthening the presence of green industry in and around the Stowmarket and wider Freeport East area. As well as direct job creation, the investment will provide opportunities to build strong local R&D relationships with universities and drive the development of the skills and innovation cluster at Gateway 14.

“With close proximity to the Port of Felixstowe and the flexibility of the freeport customs model, locating in Freeport East provides Assan Panel with the ideal base from which to serve both UK and European markets. We are confident this is a model that will encourage other international manufacturers to consider Freeport East as a future strategic location.”

Haluk Kayabaşı, CEO of Kibar Holding, made a statement regarding the new facility investment:

“Kibar Holding, one of the leading groups of the Turkish industry, under which Assan Panel operates, is taking firm steps forward on its globalization journey with its unabated investment moves. We aim to further strengthen our presence in the European market with the new facility investment of Assan Panel in the UK, which has previously increased its presence abroad with the investments it has realized in Jordan and Azerbaijan. By making a difference with the innovative, pioneering, sustainable, energy-efficient products we offer, we serve for the transition in European sandwich panel market for sustainable solutions, and now with more concentration in the UK.”

Minister for Investment in the Department for Business and Trade, Lord Dominic Johnson, said:

“Assan Panel’s investment underscores Freeport East’s outstanding offer to businesses operating in green industries, and will create new, skilled jobs in the region. UK Freeports are perfect places for businesses to innovate, collaborate and grow. This news highlights Freeport East’s exceptional opportunities which underpin their vision of a global hub for trade and investment into advanced manufacturing and green energy.”

The Minister for Levelling Up, Jacob Young, said:

“This significant commitment by Assan Panel, made possible by the government’s Freeports programme, not only brings high-skilled jobs and investment to the east of England but also strengthens the UK’s important trading relationship with Turkey.”

Councillor Richard Smith MVO, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Skills, Transport Strategy and Waste, said: “

It is excellent news that Assan Panel will manufacture its panels here in Suffolk. This is a substantial investment which will create many new local jobs and be a significant boost for Suffolk’s manufacturing sect

or, and I would like to commend the joint inward investment and Freeport East teams for their important role in securing it.”

 

Gateway 14, led by Mid Suffolk District Council-owned Gateway 14 Ltd with development partner, Jaynic, is next to the A14 at Stowmarket.  It is East Anglia’s largest business park, providing 2.36 million sq. ft. of accommodation and as part of Freeport East, the site offers tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements and is fast becoming a hub for manufacturing, logistics, and R&D firms.

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Adapting to Heatwaves: Government response a missed opportunity

 

The Environmental Audit Committee expects the Government to provide more detail on its plans to adapt the UK to climate change, as it publishes the Government’s response to its report on Heat Resilience and Sustainable Cooling.

In its report, the Committee cited findings that heat-related deaths could rise to 10,000 every year without concerted actions to adapt to the warming climate. It found that while the UK population spends on average 90% of its time indoors, the country’s housing stock is not designed to cope with excessive heat, and millions of UK homes experience summertime overheating.

With four out of five homes set to exist by 2050 having already been built, and the UK having some of the oldest housing stock in the world, the Committee recommended launching an ambitious and comprehensive national retrofit programme to adapt the UK’s houses for the demands of net zero. It recommended this be delivered via local authorities, be underpinned by long-term funding and prioritise vulnerable households.

In response, the Government falls short of committing to a retrofit programme on this scale. Ministers say that the Heat and Buildings Strategy, published in 2021, sets out the Government’s actions to reduce emissions from buildings, and point to recent announcements extending support in this area. The Government also says that it has made progress improving energy efficiency in homes, indicating that 48% of homes in England have now achieved an Energy Performance Certificate C level.

Meanwhile the Committee recommended that standards covering overheating in new buildings – Part O of the Building Regulations 2010 – should be extended to cover not just material changes of use but also refurbishment of existing properties. In its report, it recommended that Ministers set out whether the Government would pursue this, or if not, explain how the UK would achieve its commitments on global cooling.

The Government does not say whether it plans to extend these regulations. Ministers plan to use a call for evidence currently running to understand any potential problems with the Part O regulations, and to determine future updates.

Another of the Committee’s recommendations centered on nature-based solutions to climate change in urban areas, such as trees, parks and bodies of water, which have cooling effects alongside a host of co-benefits. In its 2023 Adaptation Progress Report, the Climate Change Committee also found that there was “no requirement for local authorities to protect or provide green space”, and that funding commitments were required to maintain parks and green spaces.

The Committee welcomed Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework (GIF), which is intended to help planners improve green space in urban areas, as a “welcome step forward”. It called for the Government to take action to expand urban green spaces, including by mandating local authorities to use the GIF and introducing a statutory requirement to protect green space.

However, the Government says local authorities are responsible for delivering new green areas and says it is currently not planning to mandate local authorities in urban areas to use the Green Infrastructure Framework, as the Committee had recommended.

In its report, the Committee had criticised the level of joint working across Government, but said that the new cross-government Climate Resilience Board could represent an important step forward. In response, the Government outlines the range of Government departments involved, with membership extending to “all climate risk-owning departments”.

Chair’s comment

Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Philip Dunne MP, said:

“Extreme heat is already affecting health and livelihoods in the UK. While there is much to welcome in this response, there are still serious unanswered questions about how the Government plans to respond to a rapidly warming UK climate. This is frankly a missed opportunity.

“I am cheered to read further details of the Climate Resilience Board, which demonstrates exactly the kind of collaborative work across Government likely to be crucial in meeting the net zero challenge – a key theme in our committee’s work over the course of this Parliament.

“However, the Government has made no further commitment towards a national retrofit programme aimed at reducing the risks of overheating and improving energy efficiency. It has not for example added cooling measures to current programmes such as the Home Upgrade Grant scheme.

“Equally, Ministers have not answered our questions on whether building regulations on overheating will be extended to cover refurbishments. In my letter to the Secretary of State, I press the Government to provide more detailed information on its plans.

“Also lacking clarity at present is the Government’s approach towards protecting and enhancing green spaces. The Government insists that local authorities are responsible for this; however, as the Climate Change Committee has highlighted, serious funding pressures and the lack of a legal requirement for councils to take action mean that in reality, green infrastructure projects are unlikely to get off the ground.

“While this response falls short of what the Committee was seeking, these issues are of direct interest to colleagues across the House. I look forward to working with colleagues to secure further answers from the Government.”

Dr Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor at the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, University of Oxford, who acted as Specialist Adviser for the EAC’s inquiry, said:

“The Government’s response is a positive start – it demonstrates a recognition of the threat of extreme heat and details the existing steps in place to mitigate it. However, the levels of coordination, knowledge, and capacity building required for a rigorous National Heat Resilience and Sustainable Cooling Strategy are not yet in place. The proposed “cooling outlook document” provides a baseline but will require an integrated and strategic roadmap that is implementable. Looking ahead and recognising the threat of extreme heat and the existing measures that can help are important first steps, but there remains a lack of urgency and commitment to further action.

“Two gaps that require immediate attention are the need to hone in on overheating in existing buildings and retrofits, and the push to make the protection of green spaces, vital for passive cooling, a statutory requirement for local authorities. The Government notes that voters can take action “at the ballot box” if they feel their local authority is not doing enough in this regard. But, as the heatwave of 2022 demonstrated, extreme heat will not wait for electoral processes to complete before it has a devastating impact on population health and productivity. The Government’s response is an important first step, and hopefully one that leads to a sustainable and actionable heat resilience strategy for all.”

Source: UK Parliament Debates

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Pioneer Cities Reducing Carbon Emissions

The World Economic Forum’s Centre for Urban Transformation released a report today showcasing the best practices of pioneer cities that are effectively reducing carbon emissions from urban development projects.

As urban populations continue to grow, the pace of urban construction is expected to increase. It is projected that the global floor area will double by 2060, which is equivalent to constructing a city the size of New York every month for the next 40 years. The report titled “Reducing Embodied Carbon in Cities: Nine Solutions for Greener Buildings and Communities” outlines nine innovative solutions for various stages of construction and demolition.

Jeff Merritt, the Head of Urban Transformation at the World Economic Forum, emphasized the need for a more comprehensive approach to address carbon emissions throughout the life cycle of buildings. He highlighted the importance of rethinking traditional construction methods and materials, as well as repurposing existing structures to reduce embodied carbon.

The report features case studies that serve as models for cities striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. For example, the One Westside Office Campus in Los Angeles, which was transformed from a struggling mall into a cutting-edge UCLA science campus, diverted over 75% of construction and demolition waste from landfills, resulting in a 33% reduction in embodied carbon compared to a new construction project.

Additionally, a program implemented by San Diego’s local utility company is assisting fleet owners and operators in transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) to eliminate emissions. The initiative aims to convert at least 3,000 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, many of which are utilized in the construction industry.

Vancouver has implemented a policy that sets a limit on the amount of embodied carbon allowed in new construction projects. Additionally, they have created a benchmarking tool to accurately measure and track emissions. This proactive approach demonstrates Vancouver’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable development. In a similar vein, Seattle has established an expedited permitting process for projects that meet the standards for embodied carbon.

This initiative not only benefits environmentally friendly construction companies but also helps to expedite the construction process while aligning with the city’s environmental goals. New York City has taken a different approach by implementing a Clean Construction Executive Order. This order mandates that all capital project agencies must work towards lowering embodied carbon in municipal construction projects.

By doing so, New York City is actively working to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices in the construction industry. According to Jennifer Holmes, Accenture’s lead for cities, transportation, and infrastructure, cities play a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions within the built environment. She emphasizes the importance of cities setting clear targets, providing incentives, and collaborating with the private and non-profit sectors to achieve emission reduction goals.

These cities, along with others, are highlighted in a report developed in collaboration with Accenture following a City Sprint event hosted by the City of Los Angeles. The City Sprint included a three-day workshop with over 50 stakeholders from various disciplines who are committed to transforming the construction industry for the 21st century.

This event builds upon Los Angeles’ commitment to the C40 Cities Clean Construction Accelerator, which aims to reduce embodied emissions by at least 50% for all new buildings, major retrofits, and infrastructure by 2030. Cécile Faraud, Head of Clean Construction at C40 Cities, emphasizes the role of cities in driving demand for sustainable development. She highlights the progress made through the C40 Clean Construction program, with 10 leading cities participating in 2019 and now over 45 cities across all continents working towards decarbonizing the built environment and promoting climate resilience and equity.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

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Irish Schools Benefit from Modular Constructions

The Department of Education is using modular builds as part of its move

to modern methods of construction.

The benefits include a faster delivery of construction projects and

minimising disruption while pupils are attending the school.

Initial project approval has been given for four new secondary school extensions in Kerry.

The schools to benefit are Coláiste na Sceilge in Caherciveen, Castleisland Community College, Causeway Comprehensive School and Meanscoil Nua an Leith Triuigh in Castlegregory.

All four schools have received initial project approval for new modular classrooms and facilities which can be delivered quickly and have a lifespan of 60 years.

Coláiste na Sceilge in Caherciveen is due to get four new mainstream classrooms and two special educational needs classrooms via modular build.

Meanscoil Nua an Leith Triuigh is due to get a one new mainstream classroom, a new art room via modular build. It will also get a new special education teaching room and an existing room reconfigured to provide for special needs education.

Castleisland Community College is due to get two new mainstream classrooms via modular build

Causeway Comprehensive School is due to get one new mainstream classroom and one new special educational needs classroom via modular build

Education Minister, Norma Foley, said she is particularly pleased to see that the projects include new state-of-the-art special education facilities.

 

Source: Killarney Today

 

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