“Eco-Action” Waives Stamp Duty? - 29 January 2006
…a Challenge for the Council of Ministers
With the imminent launch of the States “Eco-Active” initiative, Mike Waddington suggests that Jersey’s Council of Ministers should follow Gordon Brown’s example and the UK Government’s vision for all new homes to have “zero carbon emissions” within 10 years.
Gordon Brown said “Britain would be the first country in the world to make the zero carbon commitment. Stamp duty worth thousands of pounds will be waived for zero-emission dwellings, to ensure that eco houses become the norm for new developments.”
Carbon-neutral homes are defined as those which produce as much energy, by using solar panels or wind turbines, as they consume.
He went on to say “the introduction of stamp duty exemptions for sustainable homes sends a clear signal to the house building industry and homebuyers that energy efficient homes are a great investment - both in terms of up-front savings and long-term reduced running costs."
He pointed out that housing generated 27% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions.”
He added: "For existing homes I will consult on a new facility to undertake energy audits and offer low loans that will, in time, because of low energy bills, pay for themselves."
Our Council of Ministers need to make a real commitment to a greener Jersey, and waive stamp duty here, too, urged Mike Waddington.
Given Jersey’s fragile island ecology, we should be leading a drive to create a new generation of "green" housing. New homes could be super-insulated to prevent heat loss, and use modern "green" technology to produce their own heat and electricity.
Options include biomass boilers which use wood pellets rather than oil or gas, and sustainable energy sources such as solar power, heat pumps extracting energy (heating and cooling) from the ground, and roof-mounted wind turbines.
Other possibilities include heat exchangers to stop heat escaping with stale air through ventilation systems, and water recycling equipment.
Careful architectural design, such as using large south-facing windows to harvest "passive" solar heat, could greatly reduce the fossil fuel dependence of the next generation homes . However, we will need to accept that the house of the future is likely to look different, explained Mike Waddington, although there is absolutely no reason that we cannot combine traditional materials like granite or timber and design houses that sit comfortably in the Jersey scene.
Indeed, the prospect of introducing proper environmental design considerations into our new houses, and all other buildings, is very exciting indeed and could see Jersey become an environmental exemplar worldwide.
For further information of comment please contact:
Mike Waddington, Naish Waddington architects Tel: 766788
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