Maidstone Weald Labour Party

As the CLP and others have been interested for some years in the
Housing Question may I suggest that the following notice be published on
the CLP Web site pointing out that there is now ample opportunity to
respond in an organised way to the Green Paper on Housing published on
23 July as the period for consultation goes on until 15 Oct. It is
possible to read the Paper on the Web and to get a free hard copy which
is a blessing as it is 121 pages long.
As the Paper includes most of the matters about which we have been
campaigning the CLP should perhaps make an opportunity to discuss it by
the medium of the e-mail and for those able to attend perhaps too a
meeting devoted to it. The Question also arises too as to whether to
respond to the recent appeals from the Fourth Option Housing Campaign to
submit yet another resolution to the annual Conference and if so in what
format and content.
Yrs Les T

HOMES FOR THE FUTURE


Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning, has announced the
launch of the Government's Housing Green Paper -* *Homes for the future:
more affordable, more sustainable
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511890

The Paper sets out our plans for three million new homes by 2020. Our
plans include:

* *More homes* -- backed by more ambitious building targets,
increased investment, and new ways of identifying and using land
for development
* *More social housing* -- ensuring that a decent home at an
affordable price is for the many, not the few
* *Building homes more quickly* -- by unblocking the planning system
and releasing land for development
* *More affordable homes* -- by increasing the options for low cost
home ownership and more long term and affordable mortgage products
and
* *Greener homes* -- with high environmental standards and flagship
developments leading the way.

Supporting documents that have been published alongside /Homes for the
future/:

* Eco-towns prospectus
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511894 -- setting
out a vision and specification for local authorities and
developers, including an invitation to propose at least five new
eco-towns
* Building a Greener Future: policy statement
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511895-- our
strategy and timetable for achieving zero-carbon homes by 2016
* Building Regulations - Energy Efficiency Requirements for New
Dwellings, a forward look at what the standards may be in 2010 and
2013 www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511884
* Water Efficiency in New Buildings
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511887 -- our joint
policy statement with DEFRA
* The future of the Code for Sustainable Homes
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511885 --
Making a rating mandatory
* Strategic Land Availability Assessment: Practice Guidance
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511886 -- to provide
local planning authorities with advice on identifying land for
housing and assessing deliverability; and
* Impact Assessment for Homes for the future
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511920
* Regulatory Impact Assessment for Building a Greener Future
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511899
In addition
* Implementing Planning Performance Agreements

www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/docdownload.aspx?doc=PPA%20Guidance.pdf&pid=52DB9140EE54C7797FC91B4A65E56A6

preliminary advice that accompanies the Department's current
consultation on Planning Performance Agreements: a new way to
manage large scale planning applications.
has been published on the English Partnerships website.