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Professional Housebuilder & Property Developer is a business magazine for firms and individuals involved in all aspects of the building industry. The publishers and editor do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors, nor do they accept responsibility for any errors of translation in the subject matter in this publication. © 2022

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Drive to lower emissions

The Government’s desire to reduce emissions from the construction sector is well known and late last year it announced new Building Regulations designed to do just that. In December the Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities (DLUHC) unveiled new changes to the Building Regulations, perhaps most notably, with a target of lowering new build CO2 emissions by around 30%.

The new regulations will come into effect in June 2022.Transitional arrangements are in place, with the DLUHC noting, “if a building notice, initial notice, or full plans for building work are submitted to a local authority before 15 June 2022, then provided the building work commences by 15 June 2023, work on that individual building is permitted to continue under the previous standards.”

To achieve the newly required levels it is likely that designers and housebuilders will look more closely at energy efficiency measures along with low carbon technologies such as heat pumps and electricity generating solar panels. (In this issue we have information on both these solutions – turn to pages 24 and 16 respectively.)

New guidance on Ventilation (Part F) has also been unveiled with requirements to maintain indoor air quality.

Overheating is also being tackled, with a new regulation, Approved Document O, setting the standard for overheating in new residential buildings. There is also new guidance on the infrastructure required for charging electric vehicles in both residential and non-residential buildings: Approved Document S.

Housing Minister Eddie Hughes said: “Climate change is the greatest threat we face and we must act to protect our precious planet for future generations.

“The government is doing everything it can to deliver net zero and slashing CO2 emissions from homes and buildings is vital to achieving this commitment.

“The changes will significantly improve the energy efficiency of the buildings where we live, work and spend our free time and are an important step on our country’s journey towards a cleaner, greener built environment.”

The Government hopes that the new regulations will raise standards and be a step towards the Future Homes and Buildings Standard in 2025.

Whilst some housebuilders are already choosing to build ‘green’ or ‘eco’ homes –and marketing them accordingly to an ever more environmentally aware audience – it is likely that many will need time to consider and introduce the new requirements. However, the latest regulations once again demonstrate the direction of travel for the sector, towards a net-zero future.