Green Is Good – Or Is This Another Flight Of Fancy?

The opening of the new Terminal Five at Heathrow will (once the baggage problems have been sorted out) increase air travel. Any future development increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is sure to be controversial and conflicts with the Government’s green policies. In granting consent for Terminal Five the Government has balanced economic considerations against its green agenda.

The timing of the latest Property Forum debate run by Foot Anstey with the Western Morning News could not be more apt. “Are we willing to pay for green buildings?” is on 24th April 2008 at 4pm at the Alverton Manor in Truro.

This “Question Time” debate will have a panel of Mike Roberts, Board member of the UK Green Building Council and Director of Vertigo Sustainable Development Consultants; Michael Griffin, Senior Land Manager of Barrett Homes (Exeter) and Chair of the House Builders Federation (South West) and Paul Bright, Chief Executive of the Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust.

The audience will be able to hear the panel’s views and then debate environmental issues including the Budget, the regional spatial strategy and the Area Action Plans.

Gavin Poole Associate at South West law firm Foot Anstey said “Scientists are telling us to act quickly on climate change but we should not rush through proposals that could make the situation worse and clog up the planning system. We need to get involved in the debate so as to ensure that all the points are raised, the best options identified and ultimately delivered”.

“The Regional Spatial Strategy and the revisions to the planning regime mean a greater intensity of building and use of land for residential purposes. The drive towards building new homes to deal with the expected influx into the South West will have a significant impact on the local environment. That will no doubt come at a cost, both in money and social terms and that cost needs to be balanced against the social and economic benefits.

“There is a current project underway to prepare a single Local Development Framework for the whole of Cornwall to set out the County’s development aspirations. As an important element of this process the needs of local communities will be set out in local action plans.

“It is important for everyone in the community to voice their opinion on how they want to see their towns develop over the next 20 years. Consultation periods may still be running in some districts and the sorts of social issues referred to above will need to be considered in the round with other local issues. This is an issue that all communities in the South West will face”.

Anyone wanting to attend “Are we willing to pay for green buildings?” on 24th April 2008 at 4pm at the Alverton Manor in Truro should contact Gillian Brown on 01752 675002 or click here to book online

Published 02/04/2008. The author of this article is Gavin Poole