Editing Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England

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{{Location data
| location = England, United Kingdom
| coordinates = 52° 31' 51.68" N, 1° 15' 53.66" W
}}

{{Newslist|keyword=Housing UK|limit=3}}

{{Read more|Housing UK news}}

{{Video
| video = r7-Uki1nzCg
| title = Woodspring Revealed
| authors = Skye Spring, Sep 7, 2022
}}

* England’s housing strategy carries a high carbon cost – unless politicians are willing to change plans, [https://theconversation.com/englands-housing-strategy-carries-a-high-carbon-cost-unless-politicians-are-willing-to-change-plans-189729 The Conversation] (Nov 10, 2022) — "our research demonstrates that, based on current trends, England’s housing strategy could consume our entire carbon budget by 2050."

This article is the current main article for Housing and land UK community action. Separate pages cover [[Land activism UK]], [[Housing UK news]] and [[Housing UK community action resources]]

== Quotes ==

<blockquote>

:* "...sprawling extractive land uses are a lethal threat to the living world. ...unless we count the hectares and decide together how best they should be used, we will lose the struggle to defend the habitable planet." , George Monbiot, Apr 21, 2023<ref>Costa Rica restored its ravaged land to health. The rich UK has no excuse for such complete failure, George Monbiot [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/21/costa-rica-uk-land theguardian.com]</ref>

"In the UK, '''the built environment as a whole is responsible for 42% of national emissions'''. The manner in which we produce, operate and renew our built environment continues to curtail [[biodiversity]], pollute ecosystems and encourage unsustainable lifestyles." [https://www.architectscan.org/ Architects Climate Action Network]

:"an absolutely groundbreaking result for climate justice".

:"This judgment has exciting wider implications for keeping climate change at the heart of all planning decisions.

:"It's time for developers and public authorities to be held to account when it comes to the climate impact of their damaging developments." Will Rundle, head of legal at the campaign group, Friends of the Earth, Feb 27, 2020, in response to "Climate campaigners win Heathrow expansion case"<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51658693 BBC News]</ref>

"The problems of housing affect most of us. The solutions need to involve all of us, too." Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts, 2015<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/16/matthew-taylor-we-must-face-difficult-truths-to-solve-housing-crisis The Guardian], August 16, 2015</ref>
</blockquote>

== What communities can do ==

'''Climate first in housing and planning!'''

* demand that government and politicians at all levels of government tell the truth about the carbon cost of new housing development.
* demand a more democratic system of meeting housing need
* demand a system which allows local communities to consider environmental carrying capacity and carbon costs of development, and enables them to influence the level of development to align with national and local carbon reduction targets
* support and encourage local politicians and other commentators who speak up against the undemocratic nature of the existing planning system
* form alliances to advocate for a more democratic and climate friendly planning system, for example of all areas concerned about overdevelopment, or regional alliances
* find and work with developers who explicitly concern themselves with the needs and wishes of local communities as determined and expressed by those local communities themselves, and more sustainable forms of housing
* advocate that 'objectively assessed housing need', a phrase designed to impart a false and inappropriate sense of 'authority', and to cover up what are essentially political choices, be replaced with 'democratically assessed housing need'.
* demand better data, more transparency and better exposition of relevant data, such as the size and age composition of migration flows, and better measures of genuinely affordable and sustainable housing.

''see also'': [[Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England#Community action projects|Community action projects]]

== The carbon costs of new housing developments ==

New housing development has carbon costs from both the construction and use of the development.

It is arguable that the present system of carbon accounting does not adequately show, and make transparent, particularly to local communities affected, these carbon costs.

'''Given that Local plans cover several future years, this is especially of concern in the 2020's decade when as a nation, and as local communities, we should be reducing carbon costs.'''

The carbon costs associated with use of new housing developments has typically in recent years continued to lock us into, for the 2020's decade, yet more car dependency, when its clear we should be and should have been, promoting more sustainable means of transport.

=== National and local carbon costs of new housing development ===

A recent (Sep 2020) article<ref>New Government Proposals impose 1532 houses a year on Teignbridge, Summary of our concerns [https://actionclimateteignbridge.org/index.php/2020/09/22/new-government-proposals-impose-1532-houses-a-year-on-teignbridge/ actionclimateteignbridge.org], Sep 22...[[Devon]]</ref> by Julian Stringer of [https://actionclimateteignbridge.org Action on Climate in Teignbridge], in response to "Changes to The Current Planning System",<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-the-current-planning-system gov.uk], Aug 2020</ref> as well as extensive investigation into the likely local effects includes a paragraph on how this might play out nationally: "Building 300,000 houses a year, rather than 160,000 means that 140,000 extra houses will be built. Using 60t per house, embedded emissions from these additional houses will be 8.4Mt, UK GHG emissions in 2019 were 351.5Mt, so this is unnecessary housebuilding could add 2.4% to UK emissions each year."

Across a range of local areas eg the whole of the South of England, for some areas the percentage addition attributable to embedded emissions will of course be higher than a national average, and further additional percentages will be attributable to transport and travel implications of the new developments.

In addition to the many negative consequences that some are aware of, eg CPRE [[Kent news|Kent]] supports county MPs in attack on 'inherently unreasonable' new housing targets,<ref>[https://cprekent.org.uk/news/cpre-kent-supports-county-mps-in-attack-on-inherently-unreasonable-new-housing-targets/ @protectkent], Sep 13, 2020</ref> it seems unlikely that many people are fully aware of the extent to which proposed changes would also be locking us into higher and higher, year on year carbon costs throughout the next decade when of course we should instead be reducing carbon costs.

=== Embodied carbon ===

{{Video
| video = MU1mhCa18uc
| title = Regulate Embodied Carbon! ACAN
| authors = Architects Climate Action Network, Jan 31, 2021
}}

Greenhouse gas emissions caused by the construction of new buildings and infrastructure, known as 'embodied carbon emissions', are a significant driver of climate change.

* These emissions amount to just under 50MtCO2e per year in the UK, a shocking figure that is vastly in excess of 10% of our national emissions.<ref>[https://www.architectscan.org/embodiedcarbon architectscan.org]</ref>
* Embodied carbon emissions account for up to 75% of a building's total emissions over its lifespan.<ref>The Carbon Footprint of Construction, The case for regulating embodied carbon emissions. ACAN Briefing note, Feb 2021 [https://765bf7ec-2dd0-4cf7-9b76-f2f379ab6a0f.filesusr.com/ugd/b22203_ebfaadd09c4e40d18a4943d6e80f6bfd.pdf]</ref>
* More than half the countries in the world have a smaller carbon footprint than the UK construction industry alone.<ref>[https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/limit-the-carbon-footprint-of-construction/ actionnetwork.org]</ref>

Despite this, embodied carbon emissions are unregulated in the UK. Current policy and regulation focuses solely on operational energy use, as distinct from embodied carbon, and there are currently no national planning policy or Building Regulation requirements to assess, report or reduce embodied carbon emissions.

This must change. So ACAN is calling for the urgent introduction of legislation to regulate embodied carbon emissions in the UK.<ref>[https://www.architectscan.org/embodiedcarbon architectscan.org]</ref> '''You can help''' by reading ACAN's report or its summary, and by signing their petition, via [https://www.architectscan.org/embodiedcarbon architectscan.org]

== Disempowered communities? ==

Under the present (as at Jan 2020) planning system local authorities and communities are effectively dictated to by central government over the housing provision they are required to make via Local Plans. Not only this but those that refuse to plan for the central government numbers are threatened with even higher numbers being imposed.

Concerning the level of housing provision local communities are expected to make, any climate concerns local communities may have are not in any way catered for in the Local plan system. Central governments position that climate concerns are irrelevant looks particularly perverse, especially in the light of its own climate change legislation.

== Overdevelopment in the South East and the North-South divide ==

{{Excerpt|South East England community action|Overdevelopment}}

== Citizens assemblies focused on housing ==

In recent years [[Citizens' assembly|citizen's assemblies]] have been proposed as a potential solution to dealing with divisive and highly-politicised issues such as same-sex marriage, abortion, and decarbonisation measures.

The citizens' assembly aims to reinstall trust in the political process by taking direct ownership of decision-making. To that end, citizens' assemblies intend to remedy the "divergence of interests" that arises between elected representatives and the electorate, as well as "a lack in deliberation in legislatures."

The global environmental movement [[Extinction Rebellion]] has called for citizen's assemblies on [[climate change]] to be used by governments to make decisions on climate and environmental justice. In the UK, Extinction Rebellion's 3rd demand is: 'government must create and be led by the decisions of a citizens' assembly on climate and ecological justice.' {{W|Citizens' assembly}}

Citizens assemblies focused on housing would aim to tackle housing need and fair, equitable and sustainable housing provision consistent with both carbon reduction targets and environmental carrying capacity of regions.

=== An England citizens assembly ===

An England citizens assembly could, with appropriate expert advice, consider national and regional housing need, fair and proportionate carbon reduction targets for housebuilding, ways of meeting housing need more sustainably at less carbon cost, and the environmental carrying capacity of regions.

Citizens, communities and government must insist that the housebuilding sector take full responsibility for its fair and proportionate share of carbon reduction as this is the best way to ensure that the transition to zero carbon is as fair as possible to all sections of society.

=== Regional citizens assemblies ===

Regional citizens assemblies could then follow a similar process to determine fair and reasonable targets for housebuilding across their region, again informed by carbon reduction targets and environmental carrying capacity of bioregions. In subsequent iterations of the planning cycle, the experience, concerns and expertise of regional citizens assemblies would feed back into the next national citizens assembly.

== Affordable housing ==

{{Video|YCqGf7T9ABo}}

'''"... but policy makers know that if they simply allow more housing to be built the ways its always been done it will result in more carbon emissions, deepening the city's contribution to the climate crisis."''' Kate Raworth

''Some great questions about affordable housing from just after 7 mins into this video.''

== Community action projects ==

=== Community land trust ===

''Main article'': [[Community land trust]]

{{Wikipedia excerpt|Community land trust}}

=== Cohousing ===

{{Video
| video = 246241053
| title = Senior Cohousing_A Different Way of Living SUBS
| authors = New Ground Co-Housing, Dec 7, 2017
}} [[Barnet community action]]

{{Excerpt|Cohousing}}

=== Housing cooperative ===

''Main article'': [[Housing cooperative]]

{{Wikipedia excerpt|Housing cooperative|paragraphs=2}}

=== Community-led housing in the UK ===

{{Video
| video = 5zMXA9Zi8iM
| title = Seasalt - a Community Led Homes success story
| authors = Community Led Homes, Dec 10, 2019
}}

* [https://www.communityledhomes.org.uk/ Community Led Homes] - "...community-led homes" across the UK. Your systems in your hands", [https://www.thealternative.org.uk/dailyalternative/2019/2/16/get-your-hands-on-the-system The Alternative UK], Feb 13, 2019
** How to do it, [https://www.communityledhomes.org.uk/how-do-it communityledhomes.org.uk], ''added 16:27, 18 May 2021 (UTC)''
* Taking action: co-production in housing and regeneration, [https://www.futureoflondon.org.uk/2019/04/11/co-production-housing-and-regeneration/ futureoflondon.org.uk], 11 April 2019 by Charli

{{Wikipedia excerpt|Community-led housing}}

== Campaigns ==

* ''see also'': [[Housing UK community action resources#Networks|Networks]]
* [https://saveyourgreenbelt.co.uk/ saveyourgreenbelt.co.uk], ''added 15:04, 25 September 2023 (UTC)'', [[Somerset community action|North Somerset]] and [[Bristol community action|Bristol]]
* Farms, Fields & Fresh Air, on [https://www.facebook.com/groups/4593023297492063/ facebook.com], ''added 18:23, 5 December 2021 (UTC)''

{{Video
| video = bcVbUEyQLBA
| title = Save Our Fields 2021 - Westgate On Sea and Garlinge Documentary
| authors = Save Our Fields, Jun 14, 2021
}}

* Save Kent's Green Spaces, on [https://www.facebook.com/savekentsgreenspaces facebook.com], Nonprofit organization, ''added 18:23, 5 December 2021 (UTC)''
* Scheme for thousands of new houses near Sittingbourne would have devastating impact on countryside (and it's not even in the Local Plan), [https://cprekent.org.uk/news/scheme-for-thousands-of-new-houses-near-sittingbourne-would-have-devastating-impact-on-countryside/ cprekent.org.uk], ''added 15:46, 24 September 2021 (UTC)''
* [https://broadwateractiongroup.co.uk/ Broadwater Action Group], based in East and West [[Malling community action|Malling]],<ref>Press release, [https://broadwateractiongroup.co.uk/f/broadwater-action-group-press-release broadwateractiongroup.co.uk]</ref> ''added 12:35, 27 August 2021 (UTC)''
* [http://savecapel.com/ Save Capel], Tunbridge Wells, [[Kent]]
* STOP THE GREEN BELT GRAB! [https://www.cpregravesham.org/ cpregravesham.org], ''added 18:17, 1 December 2020 (UTC)''
* Protect Medway, [https://medway.greenparty.org.uk/protect-medway-campaign.html medway.greenparty.org.uk], ''added 15:18, 19 October 2020 (UTC)''
* [https://www.sosca.org.uk/ Save Our South Coast Alliance] an alliance of individuals and groups involved in promoting the environment, community, and economy of Chichester's coastal plain. "...excessive centrally allocated housing quotas handed down from government threaten our ability and ambition to protect our communities, environment, wildlife and economy from the inevitable impact of climate change on our low lying coastal plain." ''added 17:46, 24 August 2020 (UTC)''
* Enough is enough - Maidstone's Housing & Infrastructure, petition against housebuilding levels in Maidstone via [https://cprekent.org.uk/people/theres-a-petition-against-housebuilding-levels-in-maidstone-and-you-can-sign-it/ cprekent.org.uk], ''added 17:18, 18 February 2020 (UTC)''
* [https://www.cpre.org.uk/ CPRE], the countryside charity - local and regional groups, [https://www.cpre.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/local-and-regional-groups/ cpre.org.uk]
* What gets built and where, [https://www.cpre.org.uk/what-we-care-about/better-places-to-live/what-gets-built-and-where/ cpre.org.uk]

== See also ==

* [[Land activism UK]]
* [[Housing UK news]]
* [[Housing and land UK community action resources]]
* [[Climate change solutions UK#Housing|Climate change solutions UK, Housing]]
* [[Climate change solutions UK#Land use|Climate change solutions UK, Land use]]
* [[Europe community action#Housing|Europe community action, Housing]]
* [[Community land trust]]
* [[Open spaces activism UK]]
* [[Saving water in South East England]]
* [[Rural sustainability UK]]
* [[Urban sustainability UK]]
* [[Urban sustainability UK#Neighbourhood Planning|Neighbourhood Planning]]
* [[Urban sustainability]], [[Urban sustainability news]]
* [[Housing]], [[Housing affordability]], [[Housing cooperative]], [[Housing for flood-prone areas]], [[Urbanization]],
* [[Resources UK#Citizens data initiative|Citizens data initiative UK]]
* [[Extinction Rebellion]]
* [[Citizens' assembly]]
* [[XR and future democracy]]
* [[Land use]]

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'''External links'''

Wikipedia: Drought in the United Kingdom {{W|Drought in the United Kingdom}}, 2009 Great Britain and Ireland floods {{W|2009 Great Britain and Ireland floods}}, Affordable housing {{W|Affordable housing}}, Affordability of housing in the United Kingdom {{W|Affordability of housing in the United Kingdom}}

'''References'''

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{{Page data
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[[Category:UK sustainable community action topics]]
[[Category:England]]
[[Category:Housing]]