When 130 architects, engineers and developers gathered in a room in London this week, one man stood out among them.

The event, at the Royal Institute of British Architects, marked the launch of a Government-sponsored report on sustainable housebuilding.

The figure was Phil Hodkinson, group finance director at HBOS.

The housebuilding heavy-weight, which is on the verge of taking its investment in the industry to £4 billion, chose the moment to throw his support behind “greener” property development.

Mr Hodkinson’s presence has given heart to the industry that the intrusion by private equity will not mean that environmental innovations will be wound back.

He told the gathering: “HBOS has a very keen interest in the sustainability of UK housing. Our customers do, too, and this report shows that very clearly. The key finding here is that consumers want access to clear information on the envi-ronmental standards of homes they are buying.

“This will help to make it easier for homebuyers to make an informed choice when buying a property.”

One industry figure who attended said: “I was delighted to see him there and encouraged by what he had to say.”

The findings of the report, commissioned by the Sponge Network for Sustainability and conducted by Ipso Mori opinion pollers, are significant. Based on a survey of about 500 homeowners, it found that 80 per cent believed that sustainable housing could combat climate change.

The study called for a reduction in council tax as an incentive for owners to modify their homes.

A majority of those surveyed said that they would be prepared to pay at least £28 a month for modifications to make their homes more envi-ronmentally friendly and some would be willing to pay up to £200 per month.

Such modifications could include more convenient recycling and car pooling arrangements and an on-site “green” caretaker.

Crest Nicholson, the residential property developer, is at pains to point out that it has been applying sustainable initiatives to its developments since 2002.

It is currently in the race to find more renewable sources of energy to power homes, including the development of hydrogen cells.

Debbie Aplin, the managing director of Crest Nicholson regeneration, said: “We’re encouraged that it is on people’s agendas and that they are willing to look at financial incentives — and possibly paying more, although I do think we have to be very careful in terms of ensuring that these homes still have affordability.’’

Crest Nicholson is due to announce a trial in which a “sustainability officer” will remain on site at one of its developments in Bath to give advice on measures in the home.

Ms Aplin said: “We like to think we’re ahead in embracing the code by looking at carbon-neutral housing . . . there will be a lot more research done, but developers are stepping up to the mark,”

The Sponge survey revealed that 70 per cent of homeowners claimed to know little or nothing about sustainable homes. Roughly the same number of people wanted the Government to provide information.

Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning, agreed that “more and more people want to see action in their own home to tackle climate change”.

She added: “A quarter of all our carbon emissions are from our homes. That is why homebuyers should be entitled to proper energy efficiency ratings on existing homes as well.”

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