Towering Ambitions Report

7/29/2019 Towering Ambitions Report

1/32

Towering ambitionsTransorming high rise housing into

sustainable homes


2/32

Towering ambitions:Transorming high rise housing into sustainablehomes

By Hannah Kyrke-Smith

Green AllianceGreen Alliance is a charity and independent think tank ocusedon ambitious leadership or the environment. Green Alliance isa charity and independent think tank ocused on ambitiousleadership or the environment. We have a track record o over years, working with the most inuential leaders rom theNGO, business, and political communities. Our work generatesnew thinking and dialogue, and has increased political actionand support or environmental solutions in the UK.

About Towering AmbitionsThis report is published as part o Green Alliances ToweringAmbitions project which is looking at the challenges aced byresidents o existing high rise housing in trying to live greenerliestyles. This report recommends how green living in tower

blocks can be acilitated. We have also producedA better placeto live: a toolkit for high rise green living, aimed at helping towerblock residents to take action.

Green Alliance Buckingham Palace Road, London, SWW RE [email protected]

blog: greenallianceblog.org.uktwitter: @GreenAllianceUK

The Green Alliance Trust is a registered charity and

company limited by guarantee (England and Wales) ,registered at the above address

Published by Green Alliance, December ISBN 8--8-8-Designed by Howdy and printed by Park Lane Press

AcknowledgementsThanks to the residents o the Petticoat Tower on the MiddlesexStreet estate in the City o London; Warwick and Brindleyestates on Harrow Road in the City o Westminster; and theGrantham Road estate in the London Borough o Lambeth, whohelped us to develop the ideas in this report. Thanks also toFaye Scott and Edward Hobson at Green Alliance or their help

with editing.

We are grateul to the City Bridge Trust or unding this work.

Green Alliance,

Green Alliances work is licensedunder a Creative CommonsAttribution-Noncommercial-Noderivative works3.0unportedlicence. This does not replacecopyright but gives certain rightswithout having to ask Green Alliancefor permission.

Under this licence, our work may

be shared freely. This provides thefreedom to copy, distribute andtransmit this work on to others,provided Green Alliance is creditedas the author and text is unaltered.This work must not be resold or usedfor commercial purposes. Theseconditions can be waived undercertain circumstances with thewritten permission of Green Alliance.For more information about thislicence go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/


3/32

Contents

Executive summary 2

1. Cities, smart growth and high rise living 4

2. Transforming tower blocks 8

In the home 9

Whole block solutions 12

Beyond the block 19

Conclusions and recommendations 24


4/32

High rise housing is a amiliar eature o theurban landscape. Its compactness oers greatpotential to provide cleaner, greener, lowenvironmental impact living or residents. This isin line with a broader vision o how sustainablecities o the uture will look.

Cities need to make the most o what is alreadyavailable i they are to realise this vision, but thecurrent reality or many living in existing highrise housing is ar rom where it needs to be. Aswell as distinct opportunities, high rise housingpresents its own set o unique challenges. Thereare around 390,000 ats in high rise blocks inEngland, and they werent designed or lowcarbon living.1

This report examines how the positive visioncan be realised, and how sustainable liestylesand the benefts they bring can reach morepeople living in existing high rise housing. Basedon workshops we have run in three London

estates and a series o interviews conducted withstakeholders across the country, we haveidentifed where policy action can be taken nowto drive this vision orward.

We propose solutions to improve resourceefciency and support better connected, morecohesive communities. In particular wehighlight what the various actors: rom nationaland local government, to landlords and residentsthemselves, can do to make policy work or high

rise housing.

Our overarching conclusion is that existingpolicies are largely designed with street levelproperties in mind and thereore ail to supportand incentivise sustainable living or high riseresidents. As government policies increasinglyplace responsibility on individuals to takepro-environmental actions, tower blockresidents are undamentally disadvantagedas they have less control over the systemsaround them.

Existing policies are largely designedwith street level properties in mindand thereore ail to support andincentivise sustainable living or highrise residents.

Many pro-environmental actions like energysaving should also save consumers money. Sothere is a clear inequity here, especially or towerblock residents on low incomes who need to be

able to make savings or themselves as well asconsider the environment. Moreover, there is alack o policy drivers or incentives to address theactors preventing tower blocks rom supportinggreener liestyles. Until these gaps are addressedtower block residents will continue to miss out.

Three overarching issues have emerged rom ourstudy:

Tower blocks are overlooked by policy

makers: policies to support green living andenvironmental choices in the home mustconsider how they apply to a tower blockcontext to ensure that residents do not missopportunities or greener living and warmer,more comortable homes.

Opportunities to promote sustainableliestyles are being missed by disregardingtower blocks: cities must integrate towerblocks into current initiatives rather thanseeing them as too challenging. They present

unique opportunities, such as or districtheating, to realise lower carbon ambitions.

The unique potential o tower blockcommunities is not being realised: residentso tower blocks can eel a unique and strongsense o community. Local authorities,housing providers and policy makers wouldbeneft rom developing approaches thatsupport and engage these communities innew initiatives.

Executive summary


5/32

We have identied seven major opportunitiesthat would address the issues and make themost o existing policy to enable tower blockliving to become more sustainable:

Smart meters.Tower blocks could be exemplarsor the roll-out o energy smart meters, toincrease the installation rate, reduce energy useand stimulate personal engagement. Energycompanies should overcome technical barriersand prioritise tower blocks in their smart metertrials.

Energy Company Obligation. Housing providersand energy companies should work together touse the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) todrive tower block retrots, benefting rom theeconomy o scale, tackling many hard to treathomes at once, and drawing on the support othe existing community. I combined withminimum energy efciency standards or socialhousing, this would bring widespread

improvements to many o the lowest perormingblocks.

Heating systems.Given their unique potentialand high heat demand, the government shouldintegrate tower blocks into its heat networkproposals next year, encouraging city decisionmakers to include them in their low carbondistrict heating plans. Building managers shouldengage partners to consider both low carbonheating systems and the opportunity to connect

to district heating schemes, when upgradingtheir tower blocks.

Waste.Dealing with waste in tower blocks standsout as an area where progress has been slow. Forhigh rise schemes to be successul, localauthorities should tailor their approaches toaddress the particular challenges o each block.By working with housing providers to engageand secure support rom residents andmonitoring services, they can identiy whatworks or where improvements are needed.

Workable approaches do exist and can help localauthorities to improve and widen the reach otheir recycling and ood waste collection services.

Water.Innovation in tackling tower block waterefciency is badly needed, but is compromisedby weak national policy drivers. Theorthcoming Water Bill should set clearmetering targets or water companies.Installing meters in tower blocks would then bea cost eective option or meeting them.Although, as or energy smart meters, initiativesmust be tailored to the context o high risehousing.

Green spaces.Housing providers shouldsupport and work with residents to realise thepotential o green spaces to benet thecommunity, creating a oundation or co-operation and wider action. This can be donecost eectively by bringing together peoplerom various blocks and estates, and setting upinormal support networks or residents.

Transport.Tower block residents should haveaccess to greener transport choices, but they

rarely do. With the opportunity to inuence thetravel behaviour o large numbers o people atonce, local authorities should actively seek toinclude tower block residents in consultationsregarding local transport strategies. Buildingor estate managers should instigate what areoten modest but eective changes to makesustainable options, like walking and cycling,easier and more attractive.


6/32

1.Cities, smart growth and high rise living

More people than ever beore live in cities. Their potential to delivereconomic growth has led to a growing political ocus on urbanenvironments in the UK. But what o their environmental potential?Compact, resource ecient and well-connected cities with high densityliving have lower carbon ootprints than rural areas, and transormingthe current environmental perormance o our cities towards this requiresus to make the most o what is already available. High rise housing is aamiliar eature o the urban landscape, oering great potential to providecleaner, greener, low environmental impact living or residents, in line

with a broader vision o how sustainable cities o the uture will look.


7/32

People have always been drawn to cities oraccess to jobs, education, health care, recreation,and social mobility. They are engines o growthand have the potential to lead the UKseconomic recovery.

Reecting the governments emphasis onlocalism, cities are receiving new powers andresponsibilities via City Deals, liberating them toinnovate, raise money, create jobs and drivegrowth. Eight cities agreed deals in July 2012and a urther 20 city regions have been invitedto bid or theirs.2

City acts

74 per cent o the UKs populationlives in cities and their widereconomic areas.

In London alone, the population

stands at approximately 8,174,000,growing by almost 1 million since2001.

Cities and their wider economic areasare now home to 78 per cent o theUKs jobs.

Englands nine largest cities generate49.5 per cent o the countrys GDP.

But what about environmental progress? Citiescan be resource efcient places with lowercarbon emissions. Their compactness and theefciency o their systems are key to this. TheRoyal Institute o Chartered Surveyors has oundthat, in the UK, densely populated cities havelower emissions and energy consumption percapita than less dense cities.7 In contrast, citygrowth in the UK has tended towards

unsustainable urban sprawl, resulting incommunities that are poorly connected to work,shops and other amenities, with an increaseddependency on car travel.

The potential or cities to exempliysustainability is best articulated by the smartgrowth agenda. This advocates accessible,connected urban communities that are diverseand inclusive, while making the most o existinginrastructure and resources, preserving openspaces and reducing car dependency.8Thisconcept has inuenced planning policy in theUS and Europe and has led to the successulremodelling o a number o cities. One exampleis Groningen in the Netherlands where anemphasis on compact city planning since theearly 1970s has reduced car access to the centreand increased the number o cycle paths. 78 percent o residents and 90 per cent o employeesnow live within three kilometres o the citycentre and cycling is the most convenient mode

o transport or most journeys.9

Densely populated cities have loweremissions and energy consumptionper capita than less dense cities.

A central principle o smart growth ismaximising the value o existing inrastructure,making it important that cities realise thepotential o what they have, alongside eorts toencourage new development. Examining the

potential o existing high rise buildings has tobe central to that eort.

Since 1949 around 6,500 tower blocks havebeen built in the UK, many o them in the1960s and 1970s, with around 2,700 in GreaterLondon alone.10They were designed to inspireand encourage residents to interact with eachother and were initially desirable places to live,due to their perceived convenient location,


8/32

relative low cost, surrounding open or greenspace, and views rom higher oors. Over time,many have suered rom signifcant structuraldecay, poor management and their potential tooer access to green space and local amenitieshas been undermined. In spite o this, they arestill home to sizeable communities and in needo attention to maximise the opportunities theyoer.

High quality reurbishments have been carriedout - as demonstrated in case studies eatured inthis report - but they have tended to look atindividual measures in isolation, such as heatingor insulation, rather than taking an integratedapproach.

Entire blocks could be made moreenergy and water ecient, savingresidents money on their bills, withthe costs o measures brought down

through economies o scale.

Existing high rise housing could have a lowercarbon ootprint than conventional housing.Entire blocks could be made more energy andwater efcient, saving residents money on theirbills, with the costs o measures brought downthrough economies o scale. Blocks could bewell connected to public transport, with well-signed and lit walking and cycling routes andsufcient cycle parking, giving residents moresustainable transport choices. Good qualityrecycling and ood waste collection servicescould make it easier or residents to waste less,and green spaces around blocks could be usedbetter, or recreation or community gardening,bringing residents together and oering healthbenefts as well.

This report examines the context o existingtower blocks in detail, looking at how action bydierent stakeholders can realise their potential.

We have worked with three estates in London,running workshops with residents, landlordsand local authority ofcials to explore how tomake them better places to live. We alsoconducted a urther series o 35 interviews withhousing associations, local authorities, policyexperts and other stakeholders across thecountry.

These workshops and interviews helped us tounderstand the challenges or tower blocks andtheir residents in becoming more sustainable,and have shaped our policy recommendations.Another product o this research is a separatetoolkit,A better place to live, designed to helpindividuals and residents groups to improvetheir homes and local environment.11


9/32

The Parkhill Estate Tenants and ResidentsAssociation, or PETRA, in Havering, London became aTenant Management Organisation in , takingover housing management services o their threeblocks rom Havering Council.

A money saving estateThere were major concerns about the blocks,

including unreliable lits and door entry systems andpoor internal decorations in communal areas. Eachat was only partially double-glazed and repairs tooka long time. Tackling these concerns was the frstpriority, but then they decided to keep improvingtheir environment in other ways.

Their biggest venture has been the Money SavingEstate project, aiming to transorm the estate into abeacon or social housing through energy saving.An initial energy audit o the estate showed upproblems that many tower blocks will recognise:

Serious heat loss in winter through single glazedwindows

Communal lighting on / all year round

Large uninsulated roo areas on all three blocks(making top oor ats very hard to heat)

Extractor ans in bathrooms and toilets running /all year round

Uninsulated cavity walls in the kitchens andbedrooms

Cavity walls with deective trays allowing rain to

penetrate atsResidents on the most expensive energy taris usingcard or key meters

Low use o energy ecient light bulbs or otherenergy saving measures

Taking actionWorking with an energy adviser, residents created anaction plan which included:

Asking the council to replace single glazed windows

Insulating cavity walls

Fixing cavity trays

Replacing the communal lighting fttings with low

energy LED lighting and motion sensors so they areonly on when necessary

Replacing, upgrading and insulating roos

Installing solar photovoltaic panels on the roo toreduce the costs o communal lighting

Providing energy saving advice

Well supportedThe work has been unded in part by a grant rom theDepartment o Energy and Climate Changes LocalEnergy Assessment Fund. They were also supportedby Carbon Leaprog, an agency that oers ree adviceto communities.

The plans are well underway. Havering Council hasagreed to replace the windows, insulate the cavitywalls, upgrade the lighting, replace all the rontdoors and rames, and insulate and reroo all threeblocks. They are also tackling card meters and uelpoverty issues. Solar panels will be a priority oncethe new roos are installed.

Strong resident involvement and the skills andresources they have developed through managing

the estate since are behind their progress andambitious plans.

PETRAs tenant power


10/32

2.Transforming tower blocks

There are real opportunities at the individual household and to someextent, the wider neighbourhood level, to improve quality o lie in towerblocks, increase community cohesion and lower environmental impact.But rom a policy perspective and to achieve change at scale, the greatestpotential is realised by considering the whole block and the communityliving in it. These changes, rom improving energy eciency, to providinggood quality recycling services and creating well used green spaces, notonly require well designed government policy, but also action rom buildingmanagers, housing providers, local authorities, and well-supported

community groups.


11/32

In the homeThere are a number o policies and initiatives,currently in design or being rolled out, targetedat individuals and the decisions they make abouttheir homes. But how well are these working orthe residents o tower blocks? Oten, it appearsthat the intended benefts are less easily realisedor these individuals.

Smart metersBy the end o 2019, the government intendsevery home in the UK to have a smart meter.12They will enable householders to understandand reduce their energy use via more accuratebilling and the ability to monitor their use moreeectively. In tower blocks this will transormthe way many residents pay or their energy, asin many cases it is currently paid or through aservice charge.

Although the roll-out starts in 2014,householders can already request a smart meterrom their energy company, depending on their

supplier and eligibility. Evidence shows thatsmart metering reduces energy use, not onlyinitially but also over the longer term.13 Aresident in the Grantham Road estate, one o ourcase studies, already has a smart meter whichhas reduced his energy use and lowered his bills.

Tower block residents should be ableto benet rom smart metersalongside all other UK householders,now and in the uture.

Tower block residents should be able to beneftrom smart meters alongside all other UKhouseholders, now and in the uture. Towerblocks have the potential to be exemplars ortheir roll-out: many are run by housingassociations, so ats will all have the sameenergy supplier, enabling a supplier to installmeters throughout a block at the same time andreduce installation costs.

The existing close communities in blocksprovide a valuable opportunity to increaseacceptance rates and capture the energyefciency benefts o smart meters. Residentsare likely to talk about what they are learning

rom using smart meters and the changes theyare making, leading to potentially signifcantaggregated energy savings.

There are challenges implementing smart metersin tower blocks due to issues with communicationtechnology when all meters are in the basement.Beore the roll-out starts, all service providers willhave to prove they have a solution or difcultproperties, including tower blocks.

Energy companies should ocus onresolving technical issues so that highrise housing can demonstrate thepotential o smart meters, and not belet until last in the national roll-out.This should include prioritising towerblocks in the range o early smartmeter trials being run over the nextcouple o years.

Minimum energy eciency standardsTenants in the private rented sector will have theright to demand energy efciency measuresrom landlords rom 2016, with minimumenergy efciency standards coming into orcerom 2018.14

There is no corresponding right or socialhousing, an example o the disparity betweenwhat is on oer to private and social tenants tomake it easier to improve the efciency o their

homes.

There are a number o reasons why the energyefciency o social and private rented housingtends to dier, and although social housing onaverage has a higher environmental and energyperormance rating, many tower blocks are lessefcient.15

Minimum standards or social housing wouldbe an opportunity to capture those blocks at the

bottom o the scale, and would empower towerblock residents to request improvements to theirhomes and the block itsel rather than waitingor their landlord to decide an upgrade is due.


12/32

The government should use theorthcoming Energy Bill to amendcurrent plans and draw up minimumenergy eciency standards or socialhousing.

Water metersEvidence suggests that installing a water metercan reduce use by more than ten per cent.16 Atthe moment, householders can request a water

meter rom their supplier and they are beingrolled out on a compulsory basis in some waterstressed areas.

Without metering targets it is unlikelythat a concerted eort will be made totackle the challenges o water meterinstallation in high rise housing.

Metering all ats in a block would help residentsgain control over their bills and would also oera cost eective installation opportunity orwater companies. But existing high rise watersupply systems can make installation difcult,and a water company may reuse collective orindividual requests on the basis that it would beimpractical or too costly. As an alternative,residents can ask to be switched to an assessedcharge, which estimates their bill as i it weremetered. A number o the Grantham Road estateresidents did this, and they all saw their bills godown.

A water company may also be able to install asingle meter or a whole tower block, withagreement rom the landlord and tenants. Thishas the potential to increase the accuracy oindividual bills to some extent, although wouldnot give residents reason to reduce their usageto the extent an individual meter would.

Without metering targets it is unlikely that aconcerted eort will be made to tackle the

challenges o water meter installation in highrise housing, and there are no drivers orbuilding managers to improve water efciencyeither. Innovation in tackling water efciency isbadly needed.

The government should use the dratWater Bill to set metering targets orwater companies, taking on theWalker report recommendation that80 per cent o households shouldhave a meter by 2020. A compulsorymetering scheme should protectvulnerable customers who may seeincreased bills as a result, and support

them with water eciency advice.8As with smart meters, any roll-out willneed to be tailored to high risehousing and make the most oopportunities to use them asexemplars.

The Green DealThe Green Deal is a new opportunity to fnancethe installation o energy efciency measureswhich will be available to householders rom

January 2013. But taking advantage o it or awhole property retroft, including insulation ordouble glazing, will be impractical orindividual residents in tower blocks. As wediscuss below, fnancing whole block retroftsvia the Energy Company Obligation oers muchgreater potential. However, residents could usethe Green Deal to help fnance smaller scalemeasures such as LED lighting, water efcientshowers and taps. Residents will have to get theirhousing providers permission to apply or a

Green Deal project and demonstrate their abilityto aord the loan repayments.

Residents could use the Green Deal tohelp nance smaller scale measuressuch as LED lighting, water ecientshowers and taps.

Housing providers should supportresidents who want to take up the

Green Deal, especially where they donot have signicant retrot plans orthe wider building.


13/32

Behaviour changeGiven the challenges that tower blockresidents currently ace in taking advantageo opportunities to help reduce their resourceuse, such as smart meters and water meters,the major area in which individuals can makea dierence is via simple behavioural changes.Taken together, these can help to reduce ablocks overall impact and reinorce the progressthat can be made by the more extensive whole

block approaches discussed below. Many o thechanges that residents themselves can make arehighlighted inA better place to live, our toolkit orsustainable living in tower blocks. Actionsinclude simple changes like turning o lightswhen not in use, using curtains to keep heat inand purchasing the most efcient options whenreplacing appliances.

The closeness o tower blockcommunities provides good

opportunities or communication,with neighbours able to discussissues they have in common andsupport each other in makingchanges.

Eective communication about the reasonsor making these changes is particularlyessential in tower blocks. The simple claimthat energy efciency can save you moneymay not hold true or them i, or example,

heating is controlled and billed centrally,regardless o how much individual ats use.In these cases a large number o residentswill need to change their behaviour beoreindividuals can see an impact on their bills.

The closeness o tower block communitiesprovides good opportunities orcommunication, with neighbours ableto discuss issues they have in common andsupport each other in making changes, andnewsletters and noticeboards oering spaces to

display inormation.

Advice should be tailoredappropriately or tower blocks. At thenational scale, there is a need topresent all the policies discussed inthis report as part o a broader eortto make the UK t or the uture andenergy secure, a subject which isaddressed in our earlier report,Neither sermons nor silence. The

unique context o high rise livingneeds to be taken into account icommunications are to be eective atreaching residents.


14/32

Whole block solutionsThe biggest opportunities to increase thesustainability o tower blocks involve actions toimprove the whole building in an integratedway. Fity three per cent o ats in high riseblocks would beneft rom cavity wall insulationand 78 per cent rom storage heater upgrades.20

Fity three per cent o fats in high riseblocks would benet rom cavity wallinsulation and 78 per cent rom

storage heater upgrades.

Addressing heating and energy challenges likethese, although best done to whole blocks,creates social challenges due to the number opeople aected at once. Residents can initiatesome o these changes, but many will requireinvestment and intervention by housingproviders and building managers.

Energy eciency

Large scale tower block insulation tends to bemotivated by reducing uel poverty, reducingemissions or increasing climate changeresilience. United House, or example,retroftted two tower blocks in the LondonBorough o Barking and Dagenham to proothem against ooding, overheating and waterstress.21The cost o installing energy efciencymeasures can be lower per property or highrise blocks than other types o housing, andunding retroft measures on a large scale hasproven to be a cost eective way or energy

companies to meet their targets under theCarbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT)andthe Community Energy Saving Programme(CESP). Both schemes are closing at the end o2012 but they have been used to support sometower block retrofts. One high profle exampleis the Edward Woods estate in west London,where Rockwool insulated three run downtower blocks and installed solar panels orelectricity generation. The evaluation o thiswork (see case study right) highlighted the

importance o eective resident engagement toencourage support or projects o this scale.22

The Decent Homes Standard has also resulted inmany tower blocks being improved, with newkitchens, bathrooms, heating systems, insulationand windows. A number o housing providerswent beyond the thermal efciencyrequirements, which were seen to be relativelylow, running their own Decent Homes Plusschemes with additional energy efciencymeasures.23With the fnal 1 billion o theDecent Homes backlog recently allocated by the

government,

housing providers could use theunding as an opportunity to do a ull energyefciency upgrade o high rise blocks.24Thiscould be co-ordinated with other initiatives tomaximise the energy efciency o electricalappliances and lighting.

The government should look again atsocial housing standards, andconsider the option o a new, ormalDecent Homes Plus programme with

stronger thermal eciency standards.

Looking ahead, the new Energy CompanyObligation (ECO) is likely to be an importantmeans o unding large scale tower block retroftand could provide some useul examples o thevalue o the new mechanism. ECO replacesCERT, but has the potential to support a moreholistic set o retroft measures than CERT,which was targeted at insulation.

The Green Deal oers potential or massdiscounts to be negotiated i, or example, awhole tower block decided to pursue it. Buthousing providers are more interested in thepotential o ECO to und whole estate retroftsthan the idea o individual households taking upthe Green Deal on a piecemeal basis. Also,because ECO is intended to ocus on hard totreat properties, such as those with solid walls,many tower blocks will all into this category.This is a win-win opportunity: a cost eectiveway or energy companies to meet their targets,

making retroft more aordable or housingproviders, and making residents homes warmer.


15/32

Three -storey tower blocks in the Edward Woodsestate in west London have undergone a millionupgrade, led by the London Borough oHammersmith and Fulham and part unded by theLondon Development Agency and British Gas underthe Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP).This agship project highlights how the Green Deals

whole building approach can work or high risehousing, and provides a model or tower block retroftacross the country.

Beore the upgrade, two thirds o surveyed residentssuered rom excessive cold and damp in winter andmany were at risk rom uel poverty. Attitudes toenergy saving varied widely, with annual bills oralmost identical ats ranging rom to ,.Energy eciency and acoustics in the blocks wereimproved through exterior wall and roo insulationand double-glazed windows in communal areas.Cladding the blocks also improved their physicalappearance. Photovoltaic solar panels were ftted onthe south sides o the blocks to power lits andcommunal area lighting, and new central heatingsystems were installed in studio ats, replacinginecient and expensive storage heating.

Alongside this, the London School o Economics (LSE)was commissioned by the insulation solutionsprovider, Rockwool, to assess the social impacts othese measures by carrying out resident surveysduring the works. The study,High rise hope,highlighted that eective resident engagement wasimportant to encourage support or the project and,

despite the disruptions, per cent o residents ratedtheir experience as excellent, good, or neither goodnor bad. 8 per cent elt well inormed about theworks, thanks to regular newsletters and a dedicatedresident liaison ocer appointed by the contractor.

Residents are positive about the estate and theirhomes, and eel sae living there. Years o upgradingand close management have made residents eelgood about where they live. The current project ftsinto this virtuous cycle. However, the majoritythought the main aim o the project was to improvethe appearance o the blocks, not tackle energyeciency, and only a third thought their at wouldeel warmer or have ewer damp problems in theuture. The potential o the works to deliver bothenergy and fnancial savings is substantial, but willonly be realised through resident participation andenergy behaviour change over time.

West London tower block retrot and social impacts study


16/32

With so much potential to upgrademany hard to treat properties at thesame time, alongside the economieso scale and existing supportivecommunities that tower blocks oer,housing providers and energycompanies should work together touse ECO to drive tower block retrot.

Birmingham will be demonstrating theopportunity provided by these two new routes,with plans to retroft three tower blocks undedby the governments go early support or theGreen Deal. The city has identifed a urther 20blocks to retroft, overcoming the perceptionthat such blocks present too many barriers toaction.

As Birmingham makes progress andshares its learning, other localauthorities should consider includingtower blocks in any Green Deal or ECOunded schemes they are planning.

Increasing energy sel-suciencyHigh rise housing provides an opportunity orenergy sel-sufciency, as it can both generateand use the heat and energy produced at scale.Compact city environments are uniquely suitedto this, and tower blocks could be signifcantplayers in such systems.

Many tower blocks already have shared heatingsystems, but new technologies allow these to beupgraded tolow carbon heating systems(egbiomass or heat pumps). Replacing inefcientsystems can achieve carbon savings at lower costthan retroftting ats and with less disruption toresidents.25 As with many o the policiesdiscussed, tower block installations can be morecost eective than in individual properties.System upgrades could also provide residentswith greater control over their heating,

something which many currently lack.

The capital costs o installing new heatingsystems can be high, but building owners canreceive an income or any heat generated rom

renewable heat technology through the non-domesticRenewable Heat Incentive (RHI).26The Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP)was also open to communities and sociallandlords, although a short application windowmade it hard or all but the most organised toapply. The EcoPod is a good example o a heatingsystem which can be eligible or the RHI, and itgives residents individual control o theirheating and brings down energy bills too. Firstinstalled on a tower block in GreaterManchester, it has now been installed on anumber o blocks nationwide.27

Where it is impractical to install a low carbonheating system in a block, it is possible to linkblocks to existing low carbon district heatingschemes, making use o excess heat generatedby a central heat source. This is an efcient wayo reliably supplying heat across a city or areabased on demand, and has the potential tosupport urban growth and regeneration.

This is likely to be a cost eective option orbuilding managers as it is possible to useexisting pipe networks in a block, thereoreminimising disruption, and will bring down thecost o supplying heat to the block, in turnreducing residents energy bills. Two blocks inBirmingham have been linked to an existingcombined heat and power (CHP) system at theICC conerence centre, replacing the blocksoutdated heating systems.28

The governments heat strategy recognises therole or cities and their tower blocks indeveloping heat networks, and it has alreadyprovided unding to our cities to undertakeeasibility studies on new district heatingprojects.29

Tower blocks must be integrated intothe governments detailed proposalsor heat networks as they are

developed, making the case to citiesto include them in their low carbondistrict heating plans.


17/32

The Lancashire Hill Estate in Heaton Norris ismanaged by Stockport Homes. The residents nowreceive 8 per cent o their primary heating and hotwater rom a new biomass communal boiler that runson wood chips. The system produces per cent lesscarbon dioxide per year than the old gas districtheating system. Similar schemes are planned innearby estates as part o a wider transition rom gasto renewables.

Building managers had also previously updatedinsulation and windows. Residents have betterheating controls and warmer homes as a result.

The project was backed up with energy eciencyadvice delivered by trained sta helping residents tounderstand their use o energy better.

A woodchip heating system in Greater Manchester


18/32

Building managers should engagepartners to consider both low carbonheating systems and the opportunityto connect to district heating schemeswhen upgrading the heating in theirtower blocks.

With regard to electricity, solar eed-in taris(FiTs) provided an incentive or estates to installsolar PV, generate their own electricity, bringbills down and beneft rom the FiT income. TheBrixton energy co-operative in south Londoninstalled solar PV, it re-invests some o theincome generated into a community energyefciency und and returns the rest tocommunity shareholders.30 But the recent cut toFiT rates means the fnancial returns will not beas high as they have been and, in some cases,this will no longer be a cost eective route ortower blocks. Optima Community Associationin the West Midlands, or example, installed

solar PV on low rise ats and bungalows butthen had to scrap plans or its tower blocks.31

Despite lower fnancial returns, FiTs could stillhelp to lower bills and increase comort orresidents, but schemes will require a dierentkind o business case. For the time being, thereal opportunities or energy sel-sufciency intower blocks lie with heat, but buildingmanagers and communities interested inelectricity generation should consider thevarious fnancing models available, includingthe community-owned energy model used inBrixton, or partnerships with energy companies.

Managing waste and recyclingThe average recycling rate or England is 42.9 percent, but progress in high rise housing is muchless than this.32 In London, it is currently anaverage o only ten per cent, and is even lower orood waste.33 Given the number o people livingin a small area, the collection o recycling andood waste rom blocks could be a cost eective

way or local authorities to contribute to nationalrecycling and landfll diversion targets, improvetheir recycling perormance and ensure theirservices reach all residents. There are some good

examples, including residents in LondonsPetticoat Tower who have a twice weeklycollection o recycling and ood waste rom eachat. Recycling is also largely accepted byresidents, and compact tower block communitiescan help to reinorce the behaviour, as people seetheir neighbours recycling.

However, many tower blocks suer rom pooror non-existent recycling and ood wastecollections. Doorstep collection is expensive asindividual ats are less accessible than streetproperties, and space shortages oten make it afre or health and saety risk. Collection sites atthe bottom o blocks are more common, andare cheaper or the provider, but oten result inlower recycling rates.34 They can suer romcontamination and, as it is hard to identiywhich residents are responsible, it is oteneasier to remove them altogether. Inrequentcollections can lead to them overowing and,i blocks have rubbish chutes or general waste,

it signifcantly weakens the incentive to recycle,as general waste disposal is so much easier. Evenwhere chutes have been converted to recyclingchutes, there are problems with correct usage.

The average recycling rate or Englandis 42.9 per cent, but progress in highrise housing is much less than this.

There are, however, some good workableapproaches, and WRAPs guidance on recycling

collections or ats is a useul source oinormation and advice or any local authorityrolling out new services.35The rightinrastructure is essential to increase recyclingrates, and the needs o a tower block will be verydierent to street level schemes. Recycling trialsrun in three London boroughs, or example,adopted dierent approaches; these dependedon the number o households, existing ytipping problems, space available or bins andaccessibility or collection crews, and each saw

increased recycling rates as a result.36


19/32

Engaging residents is also vital. Under its OurCommon Place programme, Waste Watchworked with tower block residents in 21 estatesacross London, adapting its approach to theneeds and interests o each community. Acrossall estates, environmental awareness andrecycling perormance rose, contaminationlevels ell and, in addition, residents said theyelt a greater sense o community.37

Local authorities need to tailor theirservices or tower blocks i they are tobe successul. This should includebringing inormation about recyclingprovision into rental agreements andwelcome packs, as well as reinorcingmessages with publicity in communalareas. Once schemes are in place, it isalso important that building managersmonitor them to ensure continued

success.Many local authorities will need help inachieving this. In London, the London Wasteand Recycling Boards (LWARB) ats recyclingprogramme has provided unding to help anumber o boroughs overcome the barriers toproviding eective services to more challengingproperties such as tower blocks, but there is nonational equivalent.38

The government should extendunding or similar programmesbeyond London, to enable more localauthorities to improve recycling andood waste collection services or highrise housing. One option would be toreopen the weekly collection supportscheme next year, ensuring that bothrecycling and ood waste collectionservices remain eligible.

Reuse schemesReuse schemes, or urniture, appliances, clothesand other unwanted items, have great potentialin high rise housing due to the high numberand turnover o residents, the difculty odisposing o bulky items rom higher oors andthe potential or vacant ats or garages toprovide space or re-use centres.

Housing providers should partner with

existing reuse organisations to reviewthe availability o vacant fats andgarages or reuse space or residentsand, possibly, the wider communityas well.


20/32

Despite per cent o Hackneys homes being highrise, the majority o residents beneft rom arecycling service.

With unding rom the London Waste and RecyclingBoards (LWARB) Flats Recycling Programme, highrise homes have also been given reusable recyclingbags or storing and transporting their recycling tocommunal bins. To make it as easy as possible, boththe bins and bags are clearly labelled with whatmaterials can be recycled. The bins are in aconvenient location, emptied weekly, and havelocked lids with slots to deposit recycling, to avoid

contamination with general rubbish.

Some high rise properties also have a ood wasteservice, which has recently been expanded thanks tothe Flats Recycling Programme. Here, residents havebeen given a small kitchen caddy and compostable

liners, and the ood waste is then put into ood wastebins situated next to the recycling bins. These areemptied twice weekly and the compost is used onHackneys green spaces, returning the benefts tothe local community. With additional unding,Hackney Council would like to roll out ood wastecollection to all high rise properties so that allresidents have access to these opportunities.

Communicating and engaging with residents is a bigpart o the success o these services. This includesdoor to door visits, events, leaets and letterskeeping residents inormed about the services. Over

, tonnes o dry recycling has been collectedsince and in that same period tonnes oood waste has been collected that would haveotherwise gone to landfll.

Rolling out recycling and ood waste collection in Hackney


21/32

Beyond the blockThe sustainability o a tower block is not onlydependent on its abric, energy, water and wasteservices and the behaviour o residents in theirhomes. It also depends on the blockssurroundings, the vitality o the surroundingcommunity, how space is used, the availabilityo sustainable transport choices and how wellconnected a tower block is to itsneighbourhood.

Less than one per cent o people livingin social housing use the green spaceon their estate.

Green spacesThe majority o high rise housing has some kindo green or open space nearby, but its use variesgreatly. Research in 2010 ound that less thanone per cent o people living in social housinguse the green space on their estate.40

Shared green spaces are oten seen as a publicgood, and are not properly valued in terms otheir environmental and social benefts.41Theycan suer rom neglect and are under threatrom demands or more housing or parkingspaces. In our workshops, Harrow Roadresidents were worried that planned localregeneration will result in some o their blocksgreen spaces being replaced with new low riseats. Petticoat Tower residents say they fnd ithard to eel ownership o their central square, asit is also a public thoroughare. Even where green

space is maintained, restricted budgets andconicting interests can lead to tensions abouthow space is developed and utilised. Forexample, on the Grantham Road estate, concernsabout misuse or damage led to green space beinglocked away behind ences, no longer availableor residents use.

A ocus on making better use ogreen space can be a means to getpeople talking, creating a eeling

o empowerment that leavescommunities better placed totackle wider issues as well.

These issues undermine the potential or sharedgreen space to compensate or noise, over-crowding and a lack o private garden, as well asimprove well-being, enhance social cohesionand reduce crime.

Shared green space can be kept as a wildlie-riendly space, managed as a community garden,run as an allotment or developed into achildrens play area.

Residents associations are well placed to getideas o the ground and to maintain greenspaces that they value. Where residents groupsare weak or absent, a ocus on making better useo green space can be a means to get peopletalking, creating a eeling o empowerment thatleaves communities better placed to tackle widerissues as well.42

Green space is oten improved by residentsworking together and local authorities and

housing providers can do more to acilitate thiskind o sustainable connectivity. With thissupport,residents groups can run and managecommunity composting or gardening schemes.This is done well in Poplar, where residents haveturned the grey space around their tower blocksinto a community garden and ood growingarea, with support rom the housing associationPoplar HARCA and others (see case study onpage 20).43 Hackneys recycling team helpscommunity groups get started by providing ree

compost units, kitchen caddies and leaets.44

Housing providers are well placed towork with and support residents togalvanise co-operation andcommunity action around greenspaces, and can do so cost eectivelyby bringing together champions romvarious blocks and estates, to set upan inormal support network or

residents.


22/32

Greening Brownfeld is a community garden andood growing co-op on the Brownfeld housing estatein Poplar, east London. Initiated and run entirely byresidents, the garden is completely organic and runon permaculture principles, with a mixture o privateand communal plots. It was established in on adisused tennis court.

The co-op runs drop-in events and encouragesresidents to grow their own vegetables or help outon the community plot.

They secured , o unding to create the gardenrom Capital Growth, a partnership initiativebetween London Food Link, the Mayor o London,and the Big Lotterys Local Food Fund. They have alsobeen awarded a , grant rom GroundworkLondon to buy new play equipment or children.

The Greening Browneld project


23/32

Extra help is oten needed to inspire andrealise residents aspirations or signifcantimprovement to their green spaces. In the EC1New Deal or Communities programme thismeant working with urban designers to createmulti-unctional green and open spacesproviding both environmental and social beneftto the community (see case study on page 22).Neighbourhoods Green, a partnership onational organisations including Design CouncilCABE, Groundwork and Natural England, workswith social landlords to highlight theimportance o well-designed and managedopen spaces or residents.

The Community Inrastructure Levy (CIL)provides a source o income rom localdevelopment which local authorities can decideto spend on green inrastructure.45This replacessection 106 arrangements which oten helpedto und road building programmes. A numbero local authorities have included green spaces

on their drat Regulation 123 list (proposedinrastructure the levy will be spent on).

Where development is occurring neara tower block, local authorities shouldconsider using CIL income or greenspaces that will benet residents andthe wider area.

Supporting sustainable transportWalking and cycling has both health andenvironmental benefts. Nearly two millionpeople in the UK now cycle at least once a week,and 77 per cent o trips under a mile are carriedout on oot.46,47

There are good examples o tower blockresidents being supported in making sustainabletransport choices. The EC1 New Deal orCommunities programme in Londonredesigned the streets around housing estates toimprove pedestrian access. An estate in Liverpool

is ollowing the home zone model to reduce caraccess and make the streets saer or walking.48

There are good examples o towerblock residents being supportedin making sustainable transportchoices.

But despite the number o residents, manytower blocks suer rom poor access to shops,post ofces and other amenities, as well as poorconnection to public transport, even i a cityitsel has good overall provision. The nearest

supermarket or Harrow Road residents is tooar to walk to and the two buses serving themain road are oten overcrowded.

Many estates lack secure bike storage and storagespace inside ats is limited, which deters peoplerom cycling, and poorly lit and signed pathseel unsae and undermine peoples confdenceto walk or cycle. Crime and anti-socialbehaviour can also put people o walking orwaiting at bus stops. With car running costs too

high or many, people are let disadvantaged andcut-o.

There is much scope or improvement, and thepotential to enhance the travel choices o a largenumber o residents at once. Better signage andlighting could make navigation around estatesstraightorward and saer. Reducing parkingspaces would ree up valuable sharedcommunity or cycle storage space. Access routesto estates could be redesigned to give priority tocyclists and pedestrians, with wider paths and

restricted access or cars, and stricter speedlimits where cars are permitted. Housingproviders could also investigate the easibility osetting up on-site car sharing schemes.

Many estates lack secure bike storageand storage space inside fats islimited, which deters people romcycling.


24/32

Previously described as bleak, unsae and empty,Radnor Street Gardens and the surrounding streets inthe St Lukes area o EC were transormed over twoyears, between and ; the gardens are now

an attractive small park with redesigned landscaping,planting, seating and stimulating play opportunities.The work was carried out by Islington Council workingwith EC New Deal or Communities (NDC) on aprogramme o improving local streets, parks andopen spaces on council housing estates in the area.

Radnor Street Gardens is a small green spacesurrounded by high rise blocks o ats. Beore thetransormation it had only been used by dog walkers,while moving vehicles and parked cars onsurrounding streets discouraged local residents romwalking in the area. The new designs, part o a plan

or the wider neighbourhood, included clear sightlines and a sae pedestrian route through the park,linking the area to local amenities. Improvements tothe surrounding streets reduced trac, parked carsand included some shared suraces. The impact ovehicles on the estates was also reduced and,

together, these improvements have encouragedresidents to lead more active lives and interact morewith their neighbours. This has been urtherreinorced on some o the estates which have also

been relandscaped, some with allotments orresidents.

Residents were involved at all stages o the designand implementation o this work, playing a key role inits success. Design teams were appointed or eachproject; they worked closely with residents, builtconsensus and communicated ideas and solutionsthat were new to residents while also ensuring thatthe end result was o a high quality.

When Radnor Street Gardens reopened a localresident said its created an instant community,while the headmistress o the primary school on

Radnor Street said I have watched thetransormation o EC and seen the impact on ourchildren and their amilies. Its unusual in this dayand age to see children playing outside, but EC noweels sae and it eels good.

Encouraging walking and cycling in east London

Beore

Ater


25/32

Tower blocks should provide multiplesustainable transport options, such asthose suggested above. Many are onlymodest but are eective changes.Building or estate managers shouldcreate estate plans to make walkingand cycling more attractive options,eg ollowing the home zones model.

Cities should think about theseopportunities as they develop theirtransport strategies, consulting towerblock residents about theimprovements that would matter mostto them.

The governments recently closed LocalSustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) is undingimprovements like these.49 Local authorities whowere successul in their LSTF applications should

ensure that the delivery o their plans reectsgood practice and makes these new transportoptions available to tower block residents.

The Community Inrastructure Levy can alsoprovide unding or local sustainable transportand, as discussed with reerence to green spacesabove, local authorities should pursueopportunities to spend it in a way that beneftshigh rise dwellers where they have been aectedby development.

Community empowerment and inuenceTaking a step back rom the detail, it is importantto ensure that the oundations or action are inplace to initiate and support change. Tower blockresidents and communities have great potentialto create change, but need to eel empoweredand involved in the decisions that aect them.

In Havering, on the edge o London, residentshave ormed a tenant management organisation(TMO), taking over responsibility or servicemanagement rom the council on a voluntarybasis. This could be a valuable option orresidents groups in other tower blocks thatwould like a more ormal say in how their block

is run, i sufciently supported by their housingprovider as they apply and get started.

In Bristol, the council employs tenantparticipation ofcers, and tenant representativesare invited to council meetings to comment onand input to plans or any works that will aectthem. However, all three London estates weworked with elt their housing providers didntengage with them sufciently. Residents in theHarrow Road estates elt that their area wouldimprove ar more i they were given moreownership and could say what they want tosee happen locally.

The Localism Act should enable communities tohave their say in what local land is used or. Itencourages local authorities and communities tofnd new ways o working, to set a local visionor development and regeneration.50 Existingresidents groups in tower blocks are well placedto seize this opportunity. They could help to

shape neighbourhood plans so that they workor local communities and the local area.

The Localism Act should enablecommunities to have their say in whatlocal land is used or. It encourageslocal authorities and communities tond new ways o working.

There are plenty o opportunities, and steps arebeing taken in the right direction, but there ismuch more potential or community spirit to beharnessed, by supportive housing providers andlocal authorities. Only then will residents eeltruly empowered to make their tower blocksbetter places to live.


26/32

Conclusions and recommendations

High rise housing has enormous potential to be more resource ecientand to support better connected, stronger communities, while helpingcities to transorm their eciency and environmental perormance.However, existing policies have largely been designed with street levelproperties in mind, thereore ailing to support and incentivise sustainableliving or high rise residents. Major opportunities exist that, i taken up,would address these issues and enable tower block living to be moresustainable - ftting the vision o providing a desirable, sustainable wayo lie or high rise residents.


27/32

Cities are popular places to live, but despite theocus on their potential to deliver economicgrowth, there is a lack o debate about realisingthe value o existing assets like tower blocks, andthe quality o lie o those who live in them.

This report highlights that high rise housing hasenormous potential to be more resourceefcient and to support better connected,stronger communities, while helping cities totransorm their efciency and environmentalperormance.

Various actors, rom governments andlandlords, to residents themselves, can play apart in realising this potential. We have oundthat there are opportunities at the individual,household and wider estate or neighbourhoodlevel to improve the quality o lie in towerblocks, increase community cohesion andreduce environmental impact. But, rom apolicy perspective and to achieve change at

scale, it is clear that the greatest potential lies inconsidering the whole building and community.

Fundamentally, we have ound that the uniqueenvironments o tower blocks mean thatexisting policies, oten designed with streetproperties in mind, dont incentivise sustainableliving or high rise residents. As policies placeincreasing responsibility on individuals toreduce their own consumption, tower blockresidents are clearly disadvantaged as they have

less control over the systems around them.

There is a clear inequity, especially or those onlow incomes who need to make savings orthemselves as well as the environment. A lack opolicy drivers or incentives to address this incertain areas, means that tower blocks willcontinually miss out on the benefts o policiesunless these gaps are recognised.

In this report we have made recommendationsto address these gaps, and move rom the

current state o play to the vision o tower blocksas better, greener places to live.

Three overarching issues emerged rom our study:

Tower blocks are overlooked by policymakers: policies to support green living andenvironmental choices in the home mustconsider how they apply to a tower blockcontext to ensure that residents do not missopportunities or greener living and warmer,more comortable homes.

Opportunities to promote sustainable

liestyles are being missed by disregardingtower blocks: cities must integrate towerblocks into current initiatives rather thanseeing them as too challenging. They presentunique opportunities, such as or districtheating, to realise lower carbon ambitions.

The unique potential o tower blockcommunities is not being realised: residentso tower blocks can eel a unique and strongsense o community. Local authorities,housing providers and policy makers would

beneft rom developing approaches thatsupport and engage these communities innew initiatives.

With this in mind, we have identied sevenmajor opportunities that would address theseissues and make the most o existing policy toenable tower block living to become moresustainable:

Smart meters.Tower blocks could be exemplarsor the roll-out o energy smart meters, toincrease the installation rate, reduce energy useand stimulate personal engagement. Energycompanies should overcome technical barriersand prioritise tower blocks in their smart metertrials.

Energy Company Obligation.Housing providersand energy companies should work together touse the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) todrive tower block retrots, benefting rom theeconomy o scale, tackling many hard to treat

homes at once, and drawing on the support o theexisting community. I combined with minimumenergy efciency standards or social housing, thiswould bring widespread improvements to manyo the lowest perorming blocks.


28/32

Heating systems.Given their unique potentialand high heat demand, the government shouldintegrate tower blocks into its heat networkproposals next year, encouraging city decisionmakers to include them in their low carbondistrict heating plans. Building managers shouldengage partners to consider both low carbonheating systems and the opportunity to connectto district heating schemes, when upgradingtheir tower blocks.

Waste.Dealing with waste in tower blocksstands out as an area where progress has beenslow. For high rise schemes to be successul,local authorities should tailor their approachesto address the particular challenges o eachblock. By working with housing providers toengage and secure support rom residents andmonitoring services, they can identiy whatworks or where improvements are needed.Workable approaches do exist and can help localauthorities to improve and widen the reach o

their recycling and ood waste collectionservices.

Water.Innovation in tackling tower block waterefciency is badly needed, but is compromisedby weak national policy drivers. Theorthcoming Water Bill should set clearmetering targets or water companies.Installingmeters in tower blocks would then be a costeective option or meeting them. Although, asor energy smart meters, initiatives must be

tailored to the context o high rise housing.

Green spaces.Housing providers shouldsupport and work with residents to realise thepotential o green spaces to benet thecommunity, creating a oundation or co-operation and wider action. This can be donecost eectively by bringing together peoplerom various blocks and estates, and setting upinormal support networks or residents.

Transport.Tower block residents should haveaccess to greener transport choices, but theyrarely do. With the opportunity to inuence thetravel behaviour o large numbers o people atonce, local authorities should actively seek toinclude tower block residents in consultationsregarding local transport strategies. Buildingor estate managers should instigate what areoten modest but eective changes to makesustainable options, like walking and cycling,

easier and more attractive.

While it may be a challenge to fnd workable,scalable solutions or high rise housing, we havedemonstrated that there are compelling reasonswhy tower blocks and those who live in themshould not be overlooked.

Existing high rise housing has the potential tobe regenerated, to be better connected and havelow environmental impact, ftting the vision oproviding a desirable, sustainable way o lie. But

only as long as the support is there. Tower blocksshould be at the heart o plans to developcompact, smart, sustainable cities, taking theirplace alongside the new high rise housing thatis increasingly seen as the cutting edge o urbanliving.


29/32

DCLG, , English housing survey: homes 2010 (seechapter , annex table .)

Cabinet Oce, City Deals, www.dpm.cabinetoce.gov.uk/content/city-deals; Cabinet Oce, October , Bolddeals to set more cities ree or growth, available at www.dpm.cabinetoce.gov.uk/news/bold-deals-set-more-cities-ree-growth

Cabinet Oce, , Unlocking growth in cities

ONS, , 2011 Census population and householdestimates for England and Wales

Cabinet Oce, , Unlocking growth in cities

Centre or Cities, , The growth conundrum: the

importance of cities to economic growth in the UK RICS, , Hotting up? An analysis of low carbon plans and

strategies for UK Cities

8 www.smartgrowthuk.org

D Hembrow, , How Groningen grew to be the worldsnumber one cycling city,A view from the cycle path (online)available at aviewromthecyclepath.com///how-groningen-grew-to-be-worlds-number.html

Exploring th Century London, Tower Blocks,www.thcenturylondon.org.uk/tower-blocks

Green Alliance, ,A better place to live: a toolkit for highrise green living, available at www.green-alliance.org.uk/towerblocks, or as hard copy on request

DECC, , Smart metering implementation programme:programme update April 2012

VaasaETT, , Empower demand; Ogem, , Energydemand research project: nal analysis

DECC website, Green Deal: Private Rented Sector (PRS),www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/green_deal/gd_industry/private_rented/private_rented.aspx

DCLG, , English housing survey: homes 2010

Owat, , Water today, water tomorrow: exploring thecosts and benets of faster, more systematic water metering inEngland and Wales

Dera, , Independent review of charging for householdwater and sewerage services. This target was also more recentlysupported by the Committee on Climate Change in itsadaptation sub-committee progress report , and theEnvironment, Food and Rural Aairs select committee in theirreport on the water white paper

8 Waterwise, , International experience of sub-metering:an analysis of four case cities to inform planning for domesticmetering in the Greater London area; Committee on ClimateChange, , Climate change is the UK preparing for oodingand water scarcity?, adaptation sub-committee progress report

R Phillips and F Scott, , Neither sermons nor silence:the case for national communications on energy use, GreenAlliance

DCLG, , English housing survey: homes 2010 (seechapter , annex table .)

London Borough o Barking and Dagenham, July ,Barking tower blocks get major ace-lit to cope with climatechange, available at www.lbbd.gov.uk/News/PressReleases/Pages/HartsLaneTowerBlocks.aspx

K Bates, L Lane and A Power, , High rise hope: thesocial implications of energy efciency retrot in large

multi-storey tower blocks, LSE Housing and Communities

Examples include Raven Housing Trust, see www.ravenht.org.uk/pages/decent-homes-plus.html, and Stockport Homes,see www.procure-plus.com/documents/Members-News/SHL-Decent-Homes-Publication_.pd

DCLG, 8 September , billion to improve councilhomes set to boost economy, available at www.communities.gov.uk/news/newsroom/

Bioregional, , Retrotting district heating systems:creating replicable retrot models in Hackbridge

The RHI provides payments or each unit o heat generatedrom biomass boilers, solar thermal systems and heat pumps.See www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/

renewable_ener/incentive/non_dom_rhi/non_dom_rhi.aspx

Belry Group, The award winning EcoPod heating system!,www.belrygroup.co.uk/ECOPOD.htm

8 Homes and Communities Agency, , District heatinggood practice: learning from the low carbon infrastructure fund

DECC, , The future of heating: a strategic framework forlow carbon heat in the UK; DECC, November , HeatConerence : Keynote speech by Edward Davey, www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/heat_/heat_.aspx

Brixton Energy, Community owned solar power in Brixton,http://brixtonenergy.co.uk; A Otero, October , Howwere repowering south London, Green Alliance blog, athttp://greenallianceblog.org.uk////how-were-

repowering-south-london/

Anecdotal evidence rom Optima Community Association

Dera website, Local Authority collected waste or England quarterly statistics, www.dera.gov.uk/statistics/environment/waste/wrg-wrmswqtr/

Local Partnerships LLP, , Identifying and deliveringefciencies in waste: London case study

Two London boroughs make an interesting comparisonhere: % o properties in Hackney are ats, but recycling ratesare as low as %. In Harrow, only 8% o properties are atsand recycling rates are almost %, see www.capitalwasteacts.com/borough-services/

WRAP, Recycling collections or ats, www.wrap.org.uk/

content/recycling-collections-ats Taylor Intelligence, ,Capital gains from recycling: awhite paper into the effects of aesthetic containers on recyclingrates in urban high rise developments

Waste Watch, , Our common place: summary report

8 London Waste & Recycling Board, Flats recyclingprogramme, www.lwarb.gov.uk/page/?identity=atsrecyclingprogramme

DCLG, November , Weekly collection saved asgovernment scheme delivers or million amilies, at www.gov.uk/government/news/weekly-collection-saved-as-government-scheme-delivers-or--million-amilies

CABE, , Community green: using local spaces to tackleinequality and improve health

Groundwork UK, , Grey places need green spaces: thecase for investing in our nations natural assets

Carnegie UK, ,Pride in place: tackling environmentalincivilities

Endnotes


30/32

Greening Brownfeld blog, May , Greeningbrownfeld a short history (part ), available at http://greeningbrownfeld.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/history

Hackney Council, Community composting, www.hackney.gov.uk/greenerliving-community-composting.htm

DCLG, , Community Infrastructure Levy: an overview

Sport England, ,Active people survey 6, quarter 2

DT, , National travel survey: 2010

8 Kawneer UK, July , Kawneer Systems helpSeaorths new vision, available at www.kawneer.com/kawneer/united_kingdom/pd/kings_park.pd

DT statement, June , million investment inlocal sustainable transport schemes, available at www.dt.gov.uk/news/statements/baker-a/; DT, LocalSustainable Transport Fund: successul bids and guidance onthe application process, www.dt.gov.uk/publications/local-sustainable-transport-und-guidance-on-the-application-process/

DCLG, , Get the green space you want: how thegovernment can help


31/32


32/32

Green Alliance36 Buckingham Palace RoadLondon SW1W 0RET 020 7233 [email protected]

blog: greenallianceblog.org.uktwitter: @GreenAllianceUK

The Green Alliance TrustRegistered charity no. 1045395Company limited by guarantee(England and Wales) no. 3037633Registered at the above address

Towering Ambitions Report

Documents

Transcript of Towering Ambitions Report