Caroline Lucas MP, Leader of the Green Party opened a major housing event in Brighton by calling for a street-by street programme of energy efficiency improvements to ensure an affordably heated home for everyone.

Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) South East Conference, Ms Lucas highlighted the plight of tenants in poor private rented sector in her constituency who live in cold, damp, unhealthy homes. Ms Lucas called it "both a social and environmental scandal that anyone is living in these conditions".

She raised particular concerns about standards of energy efficiency and warmth in private rented properties, highlighting that housing is responsible for 44 per cent of the City of Brighton’s carbon emissions. Ms Lucas cast doubt on the ability of the Green Deal, the government’s voluntary home energy efficiency programme, to tackle some of the worst insulated 3 million private rented homes in the country. Instead she called for a mandatory register of private landlords, where it would be illegal to rent out properties with an energy efficiency rating of less than E.

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She said: "What we need is a massive investment in green infrastructure….Only by thinking big can we tackle these issues."

Claire Martin, Chair of CIH South East, said: "It was very interesting to hear Caroline Lucas call for a major retrofitting programme to tackle our worst insulated homes, recognising the important role that social landlords could play alongside those in the private rented sector. The government is clearly addressing some of these issues as part of the Energy Bill, but we applaud the recognition from the leader of the Green Party that improving our existing housing stock is a major way to tackle many of the environmental, social and economic problems we face."

(CD/KMcA)