COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (046) issued by The Government News Network
on 27 February 2008
The
Government's drive towards zero carbon housing took a major
step forward today with the announcement that all new homes are to
be rated on their green credentials from May 1st.
A rating against the Code for Sustainable Homes, which measures
nine categories of sustainable design including energy, water and
waste, will be required for all new homes. Homes which exceed the
sustainable standards in existing Building Regulations will be
awarded up to six stars. Those homes that have not been assessed
against the Code will score a nil-rating.
Speaking at the Eco Build 2008 conference today, Housing Minister
Caroline Flint said:
"We need to tackle climate change by improving how green and
energy efficient our homes are. New build housing will play an
important part in this, and we are already committed to all new
housing being zero carbon from 2016. These measures are essential
in tackling climate change.
"By requiring a rating for all new homes against the Code
for Sustainable Homes in the run up to 2016, we are making the
standards that different homes reach more transparent and are
creating an important incentive for house builders to provide
greener, more sustainable homes.
"Providing these ratings will also give buyers valuable
information about their home, allowing them to make an informed
choice and helping people to reduce their own household carbon emissions."
Welcoming today's announcement Paul King of the UK Green
Building Council said:
"The Code for Sustainable Homes will fundamentally change
the way we build and buy new homes in this country. Buyers of new
homes, for the first time, will see how green their home is - not
just on its carbon emissions, but on other vital issues such as
water consumption and impact on biodiversity. This will help
stimulate the market for green building as consumers demand more
sustainable homes that have lower energy bills, are built
producing less needless waste and that are great places to live.
"For industry, the Code plays a crucial role setting the
trajectory towards the target of all new homes emitting zero
carbon from 2016. This goal has brought about a fundamental change
in mindset, galvanising the construction sector and is already
producing really innovative design. We still have challenges to
overcome to bring sustainable homes genuinely into the mainstream,
not least in the existing stock, but this represents a vitally
important step and one for which Government should be congratulated."
Ashley Jones of Bramall Construction who have built homes to Code
level 4 said:
"Bramall Construction is committed to building sustainable
housing and is proud to have built the first saleable homes to the
Sustainable Code Level 4 standard. We have a number of additional
projects in the pipeline that will also be built to the Code. We
fully support the work that Communities and Local Government are
doing and hope to continue working with them."
Notes to Editors
1. The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for
the sustainable design and construction of new homes. It measures
the sustainability of a new home against nine categories of
sustainable design including energy, water and waste, and will
provide buyers and developers will have a common standard on
sustainability to inform homes that they buy and build
respectively. The Code also contains the standards for
constructing new homes to age friendly designs, as set out earlier
this week in the Department's Lifetime Homes, Lifetime
Neighbourhoods: A National Strategy for Housing In An Ageing Society
2. The Code is part of a package of measures aimed at improving
the sustainability of new homes, which includes:
* Major progressive tightening of the minimum energy performance
standards in building regulations - by 25% in 2010 and by 44% in
2013 - up to the zero carbon target in 2016. This will improve
the energy performance of all new homes, and encourage the use of
energy from renewable sources.
* Introducing new minimum standards in Building Regulations to
make new homes more water-efficient - it is estimated that by
installing low flush toilets and more water efficient taps in new
homes we could reduce household consumption by up to 20 per cent.
* The Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change, which puts
climate change at the heart of the planning system - by ensuring
that new communities are located and designed in a way which
reduces the need to travel and makes best use of low carbon and
renewable energy. The PPS will apply to all development, not just
homes and makes clear references to the Code for Sustainable Homes.
* The stamp duty exemption for zero carbon homes, which came into
effect on 1 October 2007 for houses will act as a further
incentive for developers to build zero carbon homes.
Additionally, every home being bought and sold already needs an
Energy Performance Certificate to show buyers how energy efficient
it is.
3. The government is committed to continuing to monitor uptake
against the Code and ensuring all those building new homes are
both aware of the requirement to provide a Code rating to buyers
and encourage them to build Code homes. To meet the initial
demand for assessments the government has ensured that there are
already enough trained and licensed Code assessors, and more will
be trained in the coming months.
4. Ratings will apply to those homes being newly designed and
built from April 2008, specifically when the builder reaches the
stage of submitting a building notice, a full plans application or
an initial notice for the purposes of building regulations after 6
April 2008. This will mean that builders can choose now to design
and build to the Code and give themselves time to do so, rather
than opting for a nil rating.
5. Uptake of the Code is being supported by our commitment that
all Government-funded new homes will be built to Code level 3 and
the Stamp Duty Land Tax exemption for zero carbon homes. At least
one major developer has already stated that all their new homes
will be reach a 3 star rating against the Code whilst others are
demonstrating that they can obtain a six star rating such as the
development at the Carbon Challenge site at Hanham Hall in
Bristol. See http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/carbonchallenge.htm
for further information.
News Releases: http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsroom