Could the New Homes Bonus support Carbon Neutrality?
In August the government announced its proposals for the New Homes Bonus. Under this scheme the government will match the council tax raised on each new house for six years. In some local authority areas this will potentially provide very significant new funding. Some authorities are already considering the benefits of setting up a Carbon Offset Fund to ensure all new development is carbon neutral. This follows the precedent set by Milton Keynes Council. With New Homes Bonus funds, the potential for setting up an Offset Fund is arguably greater. A contribution from both the Council and developers could bring added comfort to those residents who might be sceptical about the benefits of new building developments. At the present time such an initiative would also have the benefit of attracting additional energy supplier (CERT) funding into the area. Since 2008, United Sustainable Energy Agency (USEA) has been helping Milton Keynes Council allocate its Carbon Offset Fund (COF) to the maxim
