Poet's Corner

THE WRONG HOUSES

10-09-2007

News that the government is thinking of back-tracking on its commitment to higher environmental standards for the 3 million new homes it says we need to coincides with claims on this website that many of the new properties going up aren't wanted or needed. Brendan Hawthorne finds rhyme but no reason.

THE WRONG HOUSES

So the 2020 vision

for three million

new houses

is already blurring

round the edges

is it?

Six per cent affordable

on new found

flood-plains

promotes

property floatations

and sinks

eight billion pounds

into ploughed

brown and green

plot developments

at the same time

Ignore eco-town

chants at your peril!

Instead

keep on supporting

below sea-level

basement plans

on part-share

stilt walker estates

Experts say the plans

are for hot houses

not green ones

Our double glazed

expression

and need for

centrally heated

laminate floor

extensions

with paved drive

rain run-off

off-road parking

and optional mooring

to the side and front

will be in need

of bailing out

But

if we box clever

use common knowledge

and think for ourselves

just a little bit

we understand that each

central-heating system

claims twenty gallons

of processed water

Why can't we ask the question?

Why can't all new houses

be capable of catching rain

for heating and ablutions now?

Let's build a new

climate of awareness

Something with

the future in mind

Otherwise the carbon

imprint will

grow on air-con

new roads

and urbanisation

before we sink

beneath the deluge

of short-sighted

visionaries

and their paper over principles

those whose only role is

ticking boxes

for the profiteers

to stake a claim

on someone else's misery

(Copyright Brendan Hawthorne 2007)