Olympics Village fails carbon target
None of the flats and houses in Stratford City will meet the government’s proposed upper standards for sustainable homes.
Westfield’s planning application last week makes it clear that the project will fall short of the government’s carbon reduction targets within six months of its completion. The present designs for Stratford City will meet the 25% reduction standard in 2012, when the Games are held, but within months will fall nearly 20% behind targets that have been put in place to meet total carbon-neutrality by 2016.
Westfield had previously pledged to unveil stringent environmental targets in the strategy in order to counter criticism of its low renewable energy target on the development. A spokesperson for Westfield said: “We are building to current Part L standards and to what the planning application requires.”
Private schemes are not obliged to meet the carbon reduction targets. However, Tessa Jowell has said that greater public funding for the Olympic village needs to be secured. If this is the case, and if the Code for Sustainable Homes is introduced, Stratford City may have to meet its requirements.
The green credentials of the Games were placed in further doubt this week after London assembly members wrote to the ODA to criticise its sustainability performance. It said: “The contract on the athletes’ village requires 2% of energy to be locally sourced renewable energy, as opposed to the energy self-sufficiency that was set out in the bid document."
Westfield’s planning application last week makes it clear that the project will fall short of the government’s carbon reduction targets within six months of its completion. The present designs for Stratford City will meet the 25% reduction standard in 2012, when the Games are held, but within months will fall nearly 20% behind targets that have been put in place to meet total carbon-neutrality by 2016.
Westfield had previously pledged to unveil stringent environmental targets in the strategy in order to counter criticism of its low renewable energy target on the development. A spokesperson for Westfield said: “We are building to current Part L standards and to what the planning application requires.”
Private schemes are not obliged to meet the carbon reduction targets. However, Tessa Jowell has said that greater public funding for the Olympic village needs to be secured. If this is the case, and if the Code for Sustainable Homes is introduced, Stratford City may have to meet its requirements.
The green credentials of the Games were placed in further doubt this week after London assembly members wrote to the ODA to criticise its sustainability performance. It said: “The contract on the athletes’ village requires 2% of energy to be locally sourced renewable energy, as opposed to the energy self-sufficiency that was set out in the bid document."
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