Housing Minister Grant Shapps has warned that Scandinavian-style ‘eco-bling’ homes risk becoming the new architectural norm, as UK house builders prepare to go zero carbon in 2016.
His comments came as he opened the ‘Natural House’, a low-carbon property developed by the Prince’s Foundation at the Building Research Establishment in Watford.
The property has been constructed to a traditional British design using new low-carbon and low-energy technologies.
The minister argued that the ‘Natural House’ demonstrated that British design could still retain a presence in British neighbourhoods.
He said: “We all know the Scandinavian-style homes that feature on property programmes, wearing their green credentials for all to see. These are popular and display a high quality of design and craftsmanship.
“But a lack of creativity could mean this eco-bling dominates our neighbourhoods in as little as five years.
“I am clear that the beginning of zero carbon does not need to mean the end of Great British design.
“I want developers and designers to go back to their drawing boards and see how they can ‘green up’ our traditional, British properties. People want to buy homes, not causes, and just because a home is greener does not mean it can’t reflect the character of the local area.”
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Comments
'Eco-Bling' - I like that! No-one say Shapps has done nothing for the housing industry - he has given us THAT pearl!!
ANYWAYS - he is right. People are being conditioned that in order to be 'eco-friendly', a house has to look like some Scandinavian log cabin-makers trial run.
Our architects need to be asking BUYERS what they want to see when they drive up to their houses, instead of creating statements that will inevitably look like the badly-maintained sheds we all have in our back gardens in a few years. The REAL issues are within the walls and roof - and this can easily be dealt with using traditional construction materials and designs on the outside.
So... come back, you flat-fronted-but-reasonable-size-and-fit-for-purpose 1970's semis - we love you really!!
And as for those who shout how inept the man is - WOULD YOU LIKE HIS JOB?? The property industry is, to coin my new PeeBeeism, uber-f***ed. It will eventually start to heal - but unless I have missed something, there has been no-one sent amongst us who can raise the dead or perform similar feats that defy the laws of physics or nature for a couple of millennia or so.
However - assuming as you lot do that Mr Shapps is THAT person - what miracles would you like to see him perform?
Shapps is a grinning idiot with no neck, who has done nothing for anyone since coming to power.
What a waste of space. Interestingly, I read some reports that he's to be promoted! For what, precisely, I'm not at all sure.
Oh boy, does Shapps think the awful boxes put up by the likes of Taylor Wimpey, Barratts etc. etc. are 'English' and somehow to be considered worthy of merit.
Awful, ugly little shoe boxes - with a bit of tile hanging or a dummy bay to add 'interest'. Yeuk.
I don't know where to begin with this little man. He has achieved nothing as Housing Minister unless you include making 15,000 people redundant an achievement.
To which period of great British housing does he refer. The 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s etc. Has he never sat on a train and looked out of the window at endless rows of identical little boxes barely indistinguishable from one another? Perhaps he's referring to his Regency town house, I don't know but...
please Mr Cameron at the next reshuffle reshuffle Mr Shapps - we need a Minister for housing not a Minister for ill conceived sound bites.
Great British design for the masses?? I would far far rather have a lovely Scandinavian house, all light and airy with underfloor heating than the usual horrid small dark 'typical' British house - badly designed (eg. stairs right off the front door so one constantly walks through the dirt) much too small (bring back Parker Morris standards as a bare minimum) with a complete lack of knowledge of what people do in their houses or the fact they might like space separate from their children (ie two living rooms, not just one tiny eating/sitting room) or to have space for hobbies or to to hang towels in bathrooms, coats in a proper cupboard, a decent porch, somewhere roofed to dry linen outside (hey people it rains an awful lot here in GB!).....
Dear Mr Shapps,
Would Mr Shapps please provide the EPC's for all central and local governement buildings. Also all military, Royal, National Trust, NHS and public sector (fire brigade, police, schools, etc.) buildings.
Please tell us your plans for improving these properties green credentials before you take your 'green issues' and force them on Joe Publics humble abode.
Would you tell us these are in the main historic buildings and must not be touched. Or would you tell us you have nothing to do with 'buildings' in the uk, just housing? Or would you say that Government cant afford such improvements at present?
If so!
Why are you on a green campaign that will cost every householder money. You should be defending the hoseholders position in respect od carbon production against the production of carbon produced by the state.
Fix in house first, lead by example please Mr Shapps. Once you have fixed the public sector, turn to commercial, then last, get to grips with housing stock green issues.
Many thanks.
idea !! knock everything down and start again, sod the money.
For pete's sake Shapps ought to go back to his web based printing business and stop peddling his own brand of thick headed nonsense.
He clearly knows nothing about construction, the Housing Market or carbon emissions.
...so why the heck is he still Housing Minister when the only thing he appears to have pulled of is the suspension of the HIP?
See - I am being green by saving on T!
There is a buyer for everything its all a mater of price not how green it is.