Government Pushes for New ‘Low Carbon, Elder-Friendly Home’ Designs

Christopher Pincher, Housing Minister, has invited designers, manufacturers and small businesses to create ideas for low-carbon, elder-friendly homes. These homes must meet the highest standards of design, the government said, using technology and innovation to improve quality of life and meet the needs of the country’s growing ageing population.

Last year the United Kingdom became the first major economy in the world to sign a commitment to net-zero emissions into law, leading the way in tackling climate change.

With homes responsible for 25% of carbon emissions in the country, the government has launched the ‘Home of 2030‘ competition on the back of a recent consultation on a new Future Homes Standard, which would require all new homes built from 2025 to have 80% fewer carbon emissions.

The government has highlighted it wants to see designs that:

  • Encourage health living by promoting better wellbeing and health, such as through access to communal areas and green spaces.
  • Have low environmental impact by applying construction techniques and technology to deliver net-zero carbon emissions.
  • Are inclusive and age-friendly by appealing to a variety of age groups and adaptable to how needs will change as people become older.
  • Are deliverable and scalable, enabling the designs to be rolled out across the country.

Housing Minister Christopher Pincher MP said:

This competition will harness all that technology has to offer to bring in a housing revolution: new low carbon homes that deliver low energy bills and independent living for older generations.

More than 10 million people in the UK today are expected to see their 100th birthday, compared to the 15,000 centenarians. As part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, the government has committed to ensuring that people can enjoy at least 5 extra years of healthy independent living by 2035.

Minister for Care, Helen Whately MP said:

We want everyone, regardless of age, to live healthier, more independent lives. I’m looking forward to seeing great ideas for homes that will meet people’s needs with older age, and be somewhere you would have pleasure in living.

At ethical partnership we are passionate about meeting the needs of our entire population through the Lifetime Homes scheme. We are excited to see what innovative developments and designs will come from the Home for 2030 competition. We look forward to highlighting a lot of them in future planning applications to ensure we create housing stock suitable for a changing climate and an ageing population.

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