HBF responds to calls for increased microgeneration

9 June, 2006

Commenting the on Housing Minister Yvette Cooper’s announcement of a Review of Planning Policy Statement 22 and Shadow Chancellor George Osborne’s call for increased microgeneration, HBF Executive Chairman Stewart Baseley said:

“We welcome the growing public debate about how the development industry can most effectively move towards a lower carbon future. Viable local microgeneration and renewables schemes should be facilitated, but a multiplicity of different local policies would complicate industry’s ability to innovate. The test must be what is appropriate on a site by site basis. This must include site viability and should be focused on delivery.”

Notes for Editors

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal trade federation for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s 300 member firms account for over 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk

Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper was speaking a conference organised by the Town & Country Planning Association in association with the Renewable Energy Association on Micro-Renewables (http://www.tcpa.org.uk/events.asp)  The DCLG press release can be found at http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2167

Details of Shadow Chancellor George Osborne’s speech to the TCPA conference can be found at: http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.press.release.page&obj_id=130268

For media information, please contact:

Toby Orr

0207 421 6124

07736 175311

toby.orr@portlandpr.co.uk