Code for Sustainable Homes Could Be Scrapped

The government has suggested the code for sustainable homes could be scrapped in a further bid to cut regulatory red tape for house builders. Under new proposals put out to consultation, the government said it was looking to use the Building Regulations to provide energy requirements for building, which could see them ‘wind down’ the code.  They promised to put transitional arrangements in place to protect contractual commitments under the code. Read more on Inside Housing.

HCA Chief Defends Code for Sustainable Homes 'Waivers'

Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) chief executive Pat Ritchie has defended recent criticism aimed at the organisation for allowing social housing developers to ignore national eco-standards for Government-funded homes. It's been reported that up to a third of schemes which received government grant between 2008/11 were granted 'waivers' freeing them from meeting code level three of the Code for Sustainable Homes. She said the criticism was unfounded, "It was basically unfounded because it failed to understand the difference between a genuine waiver and schemes which were never meant to meet Code Level 3 in the first place. We’ve issued just 14 genuine waivers in the whole of 2010/11 out of literally thousands of schemes. So we feel quite strongly that our delivery partners should be congratulated for taking their environmental responsibilities seriously rather than criticised for not doing something they were never meant to do in the first place.” Read more on 24dash.

Shapps Promises 'Flexible Approach' to Delivering New Zero-Carbon Homes

Councils and developers could be given much more flexibility to meet ambitious eco-standards to ensure all new homes are zero carbon from 2016, Housing Minister Grant Shapps has said. The Minister has said he will look at ways builders could make payments to fund community energy projects, such as wind farms and district heating schemes, to meet their obligations to reduce carbon emissions from new homes - this could give developers and councils more freedom and flexibility to decide how to meet their zero-carbon obligations. Minimum standards for energy efficiency measures such as cavity wall insulation will also be set through future revisions to building regulations. These will be based on those revisions outlined in a recent consultation on the Code for Sustainable Homes, which set key benchmarks for the sustainability of new homes. Read the full story on the CLG website.

Small Sites Could Meet Demand for Land

All housing need could be met without building on green belt land if smaller sites are used, according to a study. The report, by the London School of Economics and Political Science for the Federation of Master Builders, suggests using sites of less than two hectares. It states: ‘Small available sites of under two hectares within built up areas are rarely counted (this is a lot of new homes) and micro-sites of half an acre or less (one fifth of one hectare) are literally too numerous to count. ‘Yet it is estimated that even in inner London, where population density is highest and land scarcest, there are enough micro-sites to supply all the new homes we need.’ This must be done alongside upgrading existing buildings, reclaiming and remodelling empty buildings, and converting and upgrading homes, the report suggests. It also recommends a code for sustainable existing homes is devised. Read more of what the report says on the Inside Housing website.

Good Homes Alliance to Research 'Best Methods' of Sustainable Housebuilding

One of the most diverse monitoring and feedback programmes of new build dwellings in the United Kingdom to date has been launched by the Good Homes Alliance and its partners. Sponsored by the Energy Savings Trust and Communities and Local Government, the research findings will help inform the country’s sustainable housing agenda going forward. They will support the commitment of any future Government, no matter which party, to determine which build systems and approaches offer the best mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions and improve the sustainability of new homes. They will measure the energy performance of five dwellings over a 12 to 18 month period, including monitoring at point of completion and during occupation. The results will be published in full in autumn 2011 and provide the house building industry with the information needed to ensure that developments meet their design standards and continue to perform as intended once occupied. Read the full story on the 24 dash website.

Code for Sustainable Homes: A Cost Review

This report presents the findings of research in 2009 to update and enhance existing cost data for achieving different performance levels under the Code for Sustainable Homes (the Code). The report updates Cost Analysis of The Code for Sustainable Homes: Final Report, published July 2008, which reported on Code cost data research undertaken in 2007. Find a copy of the report on the CLG website.

“Visionary” Housing Development Biggest Of Its Kind in UK

Plans to build one of the UK’s biggest ever “Zero Carbon” social housing developments in Airedale in West Yorkshire, have been given the go ahead. Following the green light from Wakefield Council, Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) and construction partners Keepmoat announced that work would begin on the visionary £12 million, 91 home Park Dale estate in Airedale. Part-funded by the HCA, each of the homes will use a ground-breaking combination of energy-saving and carbon-reducing features that will make the new estate one of the biggest ever “Zero Carbon” or “Code 6” social housing schemes in the country. Every home will have mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems, photovoltaic panels that enable the landlord to sell power back to the National Grid, superior levels of internal air tightness and grey water recycling – in addition to many more energy-saving features. Homes in the new neighbourhood will draw heat from its own “Eco Centre” - a district biomass heating system that will be powered by renewable wood pellets produced in Yorkshire. Read more on the 24dash website.

The Code for Sustainable Homes: Case Studies

It takes approximately 18 months to design and build a home, therefore it is only now that Code Homes have been completed since the policies inception in 2007. This publication sets out a number of detailed case studies on actual Code Homes. The case studies show the different ways of achieving various levels of the Code and also highlights potential pit-falls for developers. Click on the CLG logo below to find the download to the Case Study and look out for the link to the second volume of Case Studies in the Related Documents section on the same page.

Derby Homes Leads Development Of New Council Homes

Derby ALMO, Derby Homes is working in partnership with Bramall Construction, Derby City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency to transform an area of city in need of regeneration. The new development, worth £2.65 million will see the construction of an environmentally friendly mix of 12 apartments and 13 homes built to Levels 4 and 5 of the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes. They will be the first Council homes to be built in Derby for over 30 years. The scheme is scheduled to be completed in summer 2011.

New Eco-Neighbourhood In Nottingham Starts On Site

A new sustainable housing development, Green Street in The Meadows, Nottingham, has started on site thanks to support from the HCA. The scheme, being delivered by developers Blueprint, will comprise 38 high quality three and four-bedroom homes in the Green Street/Fraser Road area adjacent to the Victoria Gardens on the Trent Embankment. The first 13 homes should be ready for occupation by autumn 2010 and the scheme should be complete by spring 2011. The homes will achieve level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) and Building for Life Gold standard. As sustainable low-energy homes, the Green Street houses will have levels of insulation and air tightness which far exceed current building regulations. All of the homes will have ground-level court yards and large roof terraces while most will also have balconies and private car ports/garages for parking. Read more details on the HCA website.

Code for Sustainable Homes Technical Guide: Consultation Version

This Consultation version of the Technical guide is part of the Sustainable New Homes: The Road to Zero Carbon: Consultation on the Code for Sustainable Homes and the Energy Efficiency standard for Zero Carbon Homes publication. The consultation closes on 24 March 2010. The purpose of this technical guide is to enable Code service providers and licensed assessors to deliver environmental assessments of new dwellings on the basis of the Code scheme requirements. The guide includes a list of issues associated with the building process which are known to impact on the environment, and for which performance measures to reduce their impacts can be objectively assessed, evaluated and delivered in a practical and cost effective way by the construction industry.

Consultation On The Code For Sustainable Homes

This consultation seeks views to changes to the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2010, to align with changes to Part L of the Building Regulations and the proposed approach to adopting the 2016 definition of zero carbon. Therefore the most significant changes are within the energy section of the Code. The consultation closes on 24 March 2010. For more details see the story immediately below this one and find the consultation document on the CLG website by clicking on the logo below.

Healey To Make Code For Sustainable Homes More 'Consumer-Friendly'

Housing Minister John Healey has pledged to overhaul the Code for Sustainable Homes to make the green-rating scheme more 'consumer friendly'. The Code for Sustainable Homes was introduced in April 2007 as a standard to improve the overall sustainability of new homes. The Code scores against a star rating system, using one to six stars depending on how the property performs against categories such as energy use, waste, materials and water. Mr Healey has now pledged to improve the Code so that it's easier for consumers, whether they are developers or individuals simply wanting to grade and track the sustainability of their properties. A consultation document will outline three areas for improvement. The consultation seeks views on the standard and on the interim standards that will apply from 2013. Read the full story on the 24dash website by clicking on the logo below. For details of the consultation see the post immediately above this one.

House Made Of Straw 'Passes Fire Test'

A house made of straw and hemp panels has passed a fire resistance test where it was exposed to temperatures over 1000°C. To reach the required standard the panel had to withstand the heat for more than 30 minutes. Over two hours later the panel had still not failed. The house is made from prefabricated cells of timber filled with straw or hemp, rendered with a lime-based coat. Read the full story on the 24dash website

£500bn: Cost Of Green Homes

It will cost half a trillion pounds to reduce carbon emissions from all existing homes by 60 per cent, Sir Bob Kerslake, head of the government’s housing agency has said. A spokesperson for the HCA said the consultation would unify the quality standards enforced by the agency’s predecessor bodies including making the code for sustainable homes a requirement on developments that it provides land or funds for. Find the full story on the Inside Housing website

Funding To Drive Use Of Renewable Materials

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is providing £5 million to increase the use of materials from renewable sources in affordable housing. To qualify homes will have to achieve level four or above of the Code for Sustainable Homes, start on site this financial year, and use a high proportion of materials from renewable sources. Find the full story on Inside Housing