Zero carbon homes 'not the end of British design'

When all new homes are built to zero carbon standards by 2016, it will not put an end to "Great British design", housing minister Grant Shapps has said.

Reassuring homeowners that having energy efficient homes does not mean they cannot be Victorian terraces or have traditional British character, he has urged developers and designers to "see how they can 'green up' our traditional, British properties".

"People want to buy homes, not causes and just because a home is greener does not mean it can't reflect the character of the local area," he said.

"We all know the Scandinavian-style homes that feature on property programmes - wearing their green credentials for all to see," Mr Shapps added, suggesting that without new designs, this "eco-bling" will dominate UK neighbourhoods in just five years.

His comments come during a visit to the Natural House at the Building Research Establishment in Watford, a low-carbon property from the Prince's Foundation, which has used traditional design built from low energy technologies.