Code for Sustainable Homes set for overhaul
The government is to revamp the Code for Sustainable Homes just two years after it was brought in.
The Code, which was introduced as a standard to improve the overall sustainability of new homes, involves scoring against a star rating system with properties measured on how they perform against categories such as energy use, waste, materials and water. A score of one is above the level of building regulations, while six means the property is exemplary in terms of sustainable development.
Although a voluntary standard for developers, the code is a condition of funding – at Code level 3 – for the Homes and Communities Agency’s national affordable housing programme. It is also used by local authorities when setting sustainability-based planning conditions on housing developments in their area.
Since May 2008, all new homes in England have had to be rated against the Code. In the first two years, more than 300,000 properties have been registered to build to Code standards.
However, Housing and Planning Minister John Healey said he wanted to make it easier for consumers to understand. “The Code has proved its worth but now is the time to make it a more user-friendly standard for consumers. In the future this will help drive uptake so people will save more money on bills and reduce the carbon footprint of new homes,” he added.
The Department for Communities and Local Government consultation paper points to potential improvement through:
- Alignment of the Code with the latest developments in the zero carbon homes policy;
- Streamlining the standard and processes, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy;
- Resolving problems that have arisen in use, balancing sustainable policy aims with the practicalities of house building in a recession.
In addition, the consultation addresses the Surface Water Run-Off The Flood and Water Management Bill, included in the Queen’s Speech last month. Central to these provisions is a duty for local authorities to adopt and maintain the new SUDS (sustainable drainage systems) that serve more than one property.
The consultation closes on 24 March 2010.
