England risks building new ‘death traps’ as experts warn of overheating crisis

Experts warn that new housing developments in England are at risk of becoming 'death traps' due to a lack of mandatory cooling and ventilation strategies. Research indicates that only a small fraction of local councils utilize recognized tools to ensure climate-resilient infrastructure.
Why it matters
As heatwaves become more frequent, the failure to implement climate-safe building standards poses a direct threat to public health and vulnerable populations.
Most English councils say they intend to include green infrastructure in new developments but only a quarter use a recognised tool to ensure this happens. Most English councils say they intend to include green infrastructure in new developments but only a quarter use a recognised tool to ensure this happens. Planning policy England risks building new ‘death traps’ as experts warn of overheating crisis Vulnerable people more at risk as research finds only half of local authority plans require cooling strategies
The article reports on expert findings and policy gaps without clear partisan framing, though it uses emotive language like 'death traps' to emphasize the urgency.
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