The Government has made a number of changes to its green housing rating system in order to simplify it for housebuilders and bring it into line with new building regulations.
The changes, which were expected, mean the
Code For Sustainable Homes will for the first time include a minimum fabric
energy efficiency standard, to encourage housebuilders to use materials and techniques that improve the energy savings of new homes. The Code will also be aligned with the changes to
Part L of the Building Regulations, which covers energy efficiency and which were introduced in October. Homes that reach Code Level Four, for example, will nee to be 25 per cent more energy efficient than the standards laid down in Part L.
The
Code has also been streamlined so that it does not duplicate existing
regulations, such as those covering site
waste management plans.
In the first three years, 8000 homes have been completed using the Code, a figure ministers think is too low partly because the system is too complicated and bureaucratic.
"Good building standards can only be effective if they are easy to understand, and only applied where they are appropriate," said Shapps, announcing the changes. "That's why the Code has been updated to iron out problems that have arisen over time, and streamlined so
building standards can be used in a sensible way that suits the local situation."
How the Code for Sustainable Homes works
The Code For Sustainable Homes, which was introduced in 2007, scores against a star rating system and measures sustainability against categories such as energy and CO2 emissions, water, materials, surface water run-off, waste, pollution, management, ecology, and health and well being.
A home is given a rating that ranges from one to six where Level One is a modest improvement on minimum regulatory standards and Level Six is a zero carbon home with an exemplary level of sustainability performance. It is not mandatory for all new homes to be built to the code, but each home must contain a rating against the code.
Future role of the Code
In addition to these latest changes, the Government has indicated that it is considering the future role of the Code alongside "a wider rationalisation of housing standards."
However, green building experts told
GreenWise today this was unlikely to mean the Code would be scrapped altogether.
"There have been no conversations about scrapping the Code," said Anna Surgenor, senior technical adviser at the UK Green Building Council. "Ministers have made it very clear that localism is a key part of the Coalition Government's agenda and these changes are all about simplification and flexibility for local authorities and developers."
Zero carbon homes
The changes to the Code do not have any bearing on the Government’s plans to make it mandatory for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016. A definition of a zero carbon home was due to be announced in the summer but has been delayed.
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