Thought leader interview with Craig Bell

What will be the biggest issue you hope to hear more on at Housing 2022? 

I want to hear about action! I’m fed-up hearing about concepts around decarbonisation. The industry needs to start to take action, even if it is baby steps, we simply aren’t going to hit our aims and objectives if we don’t start making progress. At Bell we have delivered some really exciting retrofit projects for our customers with some really successful outcomes, I hope the CiH Conference this year is a platform for us to share those outcomes and work towards delivering Energy Efficient Housing as a sector.

What will you be speaking about in your session? 

Our session will focus on the shift change in priorities caused by the fuel poverty crisis

Tell us a question for the Secretary of State?

Why are we still allowing houses to be built that won’t achieve the basic energy performance standards needed to meet the country’s net-zero targets?

What are you most looking forward to? 

To reflecting on all that has been said

Name the housing speaker of your dreams and why?

Neave Brown – Architect of Alexandria and Ainsworth Estate in Camden. This is my favourite Social Housing Scheme in the UK and sadly the Architect died without being recognised for the brilliance of the scheme. Spiralling construction costs on the Alexandria Estate meant Neave was never given the chance to design another scheme and was therefore never given the platform to discuss this project or take the lessons learnt and produce something even better.

Why is it vital the whole sector has a place to meet each year? 

The bonds that are built help to establish an environment of sharing concepts and ideas that inspire each of us to go away and rethink the norm and challenge our thinking to work with each other, but also to create an environment of healthy competition where we push each other to be better, and ultimately deliver fantastic homes for our communities.

Book for your ticket for Housing 2022 now.