English Partnerships plans to raise the environmental standards of the building projects that it funds once again.

EP chairman Baroness Ford, launching the regeneration quango’s annual report said: “The board is going to have a look at all of our environmental standards in the autumn.”

John Calcutt, recently appointed chief executive, said that EP wanted to test the industry’s ability to procure cost effectively at a higher standard. EP now insists that all of its projects meets the EcoHomes standard.

The report showed the amount of brownfield land reclaimed by EP fell 17% from 293 ha in 2004/05 to 243 ha in 2005/06.

Ford said the drop was accounted for by fluctuations in the amount of land reclaimed under the coalfields regeneration programme, EP’s brownfield land initiative.

Over the same period the number of homes commissioned by EP increased 26% to 3182 and the level of private investment attracted rose 38% to £664m. Overall investment increased to £836m, up 73%.

The launch of the report comes in the run-up to the expected announcement of the merger between EP and the Housing Corporation.

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