News
The Prince of Wales calls for new homes to be eco-friendly
1st February 2007
The Prince of Wales called for all new homes to be built with the environment in mind today at a meeting of housebuilders.
Eleven developments have been recognised by the Home Builders Federation and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment for adopting the Foundation’s design principles, helping to improve quality of life for residents and for being energy-efficient.
The other categories on which the developments were judged included more local amenities, alternatives to car dependency, timeless designs and neighbourhoods with context and character.
In a speech at the Foundation’s head office in Shoreditch, London, The Prince said: "The schemes on show do represent a starting point, more than anything else, for future improvement right across the industry."
Among the recognised new builds was Butts Green in Warrington, Cheshire, by Bellway Homes, which features high-density housing with a medieval design on a 10-acre site that was previously part of a Second World War airbase.
Moorend Mews in Leckhampton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, by David Wilson Homes was praised for complementing late 18th century and early 19th century villas nearby despite being a modern development.
The Prince stressed the importance of regional distinctiveness in creating new homes and the need for houses to be environmentally friendly.
"The drive for eco-excellence should be a key feature for new home building," he said.
The Prince said this did not mean that the houses needed to be overtly hi-tech or modern, which could have limited appeal as most people still favoured traditional style houses.
His Royal Highness said eco-excellent homes should have a vernacular approach and tell some local story.
The Prince called for people to "step up to this challenge on all sites for the sake of the future of the economy, landscape, townscape, wider environment and the health and well-being of its inhabitants."
The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment works towards encouraging timeless, high-quality design.
The Prince mentioned the new eco-homes at Poundbury, the urban extension of Dorchester built on Duchy of Cornwall land in accordance with The Prince’s planning principles.
The design code at Poundbury is based on some of the timeless principles that have enabled many places around Britain to endure and thrive over the centuries.
It is a high-density urban quarter of Dorchester which gives priority to people, rather than cars, and where commercial buildings are mixed with residential areas, shops and leisure facilities to create a walkable community and where high quality social and private housing sit side by side.
Click here to about the new Eco Homes at Poundbury and here to read the speech.