James goes to parliament
Last week James Berry attended the inaugural meeting of the Healthy Homes & Buildings All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) at Westminster. This was the first meeting of the group since the formation of the new labour government. Compared to previous meetings there was a higher turnout of MPs, with many stating that on the campaign trail, quality of housing had been one of the main discussion points on the doorstep.
An insight into this Government's plans
The meeting gave an interesting insight into the Governments' understanding and plans on poor quality housing. There was a lot of talk about the quality of new builds and how a lack of supply meant we had become accepting of poor-quality housing, but equally there was recognition that there is a problem with our existing housing stock.
It was acknowledged that retrofit insulation alone would not cure the problem and ventilation played a significant role in providing a healthy home. Although, a little concerning, one politician said they were aware retrofit wasn't perfect but there were benefits and we needed to press on.
Further thoughts
Personally I came away from the meeting with the feeling that dampness in buildings and quality homes was very much on the agenda of this new Government, I just hope this optimism is not misplaced.