COUNCILLOR JOHANNA HOWELL

  THE IMPORTANCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING CANNOT BE OVERSTATED IN A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY

Councillor Johanna Howell - We are counting on Johanna to re-evaluate the importance of climate change in an age where sustainability requires zero carbon housing that are affordable. That should also mean not generating excessive incomes for landlords unfairly to keep our workers trapped in poverty.

Councillor Johanna Howell

Charmers Cottage
The Green
Frant
East Sussex
TN3 9ED

Tel: 01892 750141

Email: cllr.johanna.howell@wealden.gov.uk

Johanna represents Frant & Withyham. Cllr Howell is WDC's Chairman of Planning Committee North

Where our function is to help councils meet targets concerning low carbon housing and climate change CO2 reductions in other areas, we have noted that Wealden have failed to 

deliver housing at affordable prices.

Their agenda appears to have been to restrict builds unless they are grand designs, typically awarding permissions to traditional housing developers to build traditional housing - hence, more of the same.

If this is because dyed-in-the-wool planning officers are having difficulty coming to terms with changing times, it might be a good idea to review the performance of those officers presently serving and under performing. If this lackluster performance is due to conflicts of interest, then such matters could be referred to the scrutiny committee or the Standards Board of England. Either way, something need to be done about meeting climate change targets - and that means passing applications for wind turbines - not refusing them. Granted that this was an Area Plans South decision by your colleague Susan Stedman.

There are ways of valuing land for affordable housing that takes the sting out of compulsory purchase. The suggestion published is just one possible scenario that may help your Council meet its obligations. We would also urge you to lobby central Government for grants towards implementing an infrastructure for electric vehicles. Where are all the charging points? If East Sussex CC are going to improve the A22, why not go the whole hog and identify sites for service stations to refuel electric trucks? That is planning ahead, something we hardly ever see in the Wealden district.

Please give these suggestions your consideration for if the opportunity arises. We are well behind with meeting air quality levels agreed with the European Union. The only way we can think of to meet these targets is to promote a low carbon society.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Then along came the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, followed by the Climate Change Act 2008. These Acts demand that Wealden put in place a workable plan and encourage development of sustainable housing and transport. These Acts are in response to United Nations targets to fend off a global catastrophe.

A workable plan involves making sure that houses, transport and workplaces in the Wealden area reduce their carbon footprint by 3% a year to get back to 1990 levels by the year 2050.

If we assume that the houses in 1990 have not increased their energy requirement, then we need to work out how many new houses have been built since 1990 - and how many more will be built by 2050 - then add them together. Unfortunately, Wealden have been handing our consents since 2008 for properties that are not energy sustainable and those that are likely to be built in the future will also be substandard in energy terms.

It pretty soon becomes clear that new-builds will have to be virtually zero carbon and existing houses and factories should aim to reduce energy consumption to give us some slack. Houses that are energy self-sufficient will not look like the houses Wealden's planners are used to approving. Buildings that are modified to harvest solar energy will change in appearance somewhat - but this is typically permitted development - and if it is not the above Acts tend to support what is or will be necessary to improve existing stocks in line with a workable plan.

ABOUT WEALDEN

Wealden is a substantial district covering some 323 square miles of lush downland where wealthy people like to retire. Wealden is the largest district in East Sussex, home to some 143,000 people. 

This Council's responsibilities include housing, planning, building control, waste collection, recycling, emergency planning and economic regeneration. That last one is beyond the grasp of civil servants - and that is why the national debt is so high. They spend taxpayers money tying up would be entrepreneurs in knots. As many readers will appreciate, government directives are to encourage small businesses. Wealden, don't seem to get it. The national debt is increasing by some £2.5 billion a week, and all local authorities with corrupt officers still in their employ are partly to blame.

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