Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I think it's time for a radical overhaul of the crumbing Victorian housing stock to reduce the long term environmental footprint.

Gas boilers will be phased out sooner or later and retro-fitting air source heat pumps is going to be very difficult. We love the large rooms with their high ceilings and sash windows but the construction leaks heat even if you've done your upmost to prevent it. Climate change will bring more dry summers in the SE and so those that haven't already had movement or subsidence may see evidence of this.

Any ideas how this will go or will those living in London in 2100 still largely be occupying houses that we built 200+ years before by builders who probably never expected that they would last a quarter of that.

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/285182-replacing-the-housing-stock/
Share on other sites

It's the fabric of the buildings. Brick. It's not very thermally efficient. I'm in a 1930s solid wall, rendered property. Roof, windows, floors aren't that great. But it is the walls that are the biggest issues. I don't want to retrofit external or external cladding. Don't want to do heat pumps or solar panels. Dunno what the answer is.


I posted elsewhere some work from the Climate Change Committee that it wasn't that apocalyptic retrofitting our older housing stock, not sure if this was the link: https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/sixth-carbon-budget/


Let's see what the PM comes up with on COP26.


Depressed that the heating is back on in May. Climate Change isn't just about the world warming up, it's about extreme weather events, April was one of the coldest and driest on record https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2021/lowest-average-minimum-temperatures-since-1922-as-part-of-dry-april, and May is just cold and wet. It was the other extreme a year ago, unseasonably warm and sunny.


Hopefully someone can post something positive to cheer me up.

Start with mine if you like. I think we need more communal living. Gardens where I live are small and shady. Scrap them for a single larger shared space like they have in some of the wealthier parts. Then some solar panels, ground source heat pumps grey water scheme in well insulated buildings designed for living the way people live now rather than 140 years ago.
Cladding for high rises is not an issue for the older housing stock - obviously it is a wider issue https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-safety-programme. Would expect local building control will vary from council to council and also will be informed by national guidelines and policies.
The carbon cost is a fair question but I would hope that over the lifetime of the replacement stock build + emissions would be less than emissions from the current and secondly I would also hope that the scheme would insist that the contracts for rebuilds were as close to carbon neutral as possible.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • I have been using Andy for many years for decorating and general handyman duties. He always does a great job, is very friendly and his prices are competitive. Highly recommend.
    • Money has to be raised in order to slow the almost terminal decline of public services bought on through years of neglect under the last government. There is no way to raise taxes that does not have some negative impacts / trade offs. But if we want public services and infrastructure that work then raise taxes we must.  Personally I'm glad that she is has gone some way to narrowing the inheritance loop hole which was being used by rich individuals (who are not farmers) to avoid tax. She's slightly rebalanced the burden away from the young, putting it more on wealthier pensioners (who let's face it, have been disproportionately protected for many, many years). And the NICs increase, whilst undoubtedly inflationary, won't be directly passed on (some will, some will likely be absorbed by companies); it's better than raising it on employees, which would have done more to depress growth. Overall, I think she's sailed a prudent course through very choppy waters. The electorate needs to get serious... you can't have European style services and US levels of tax. Borrowing for tax cuts, Truss style, it is is not. Of course the elephant in the room (growing ever larger now Trump is in office and threatening tariffs) is our relationship with the EU. If we want better growth, we need a closer relationship with our nearest and largest trading block. We will at some point have to review tax on transport more radically (as we see greater up take of electric vehicles). The most economically rational system would be one of dynamic road pricing. But politically, very difficult to do
    • Labour was right not to increase fuel duty - it's not just motorists it affects, but goods transport. Fuel goes up, inflation goes up. Inflation will go up now anyway, and growth will stagnate, because businesses will pass the employee NIC hikes onto customers.  I think farms should be exempt from the 20% IHT. I don't know any rich famers, only ones who work their fingers to the bone. But it's in their blood and taking that, often multi-generation, legacy out of the family is heart-breaking. Many work to such low yields, and yet they'll often still bring a lamb to the vet, even if the fees are more than the lamb's life (or death) is worth. Food security should be made a top priority in this country. And, even tho the tax is only for farms over £1m, that's probably not much when you add it all up. I think every incentive should be given to young people who want to take up the mantle. 
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...