News
Retrofit v New Build
Which should take priority – new build or retrofit? It’s much easier in some ways for social housing teams to argue for investment in new build as a way of achieving decarbonisation targets, as at least the likely costs are broadly understood. But what about the tenants who are crying out for more affordable warmth and the other benefits of low carbon retrofit – in rural areas of the North in particular, this is a major strategic priority. And nationally there’s no doubt that the energy efficiency of our existing housing stock is a bigger, more pressing problem to tackle.
Gary Cawley, director of CPC, offers advice on how to weigh up the options, based on the funding streams currently available and the experience of social housing clients in the North working with CPC to meet their decarbonisation goals.