Sustainable development and planning news

Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) launched! The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has been  launched this week following the success of the RHI for Non Domestic buildings launched in 2011. Homeowners applying for the scheme will require an EPC and Green Deal...

Code For Sustainable Homes Axed- It’s Official Yesterday, the government officially confirmed the scrapping of the Code for Sustainable Homes. This had been mooted as part of the wider Housing Standards Review Consultation undertaken over the last two years and forms...

New Data! Overheating risk for new homes on the run up to 2016 The risk of overheating  especially in new build flats after 2000, is placing vulnerable residents such as the elderly and infirm in danger of further health problems and even death, suggests a new report...

The Cost of Zero Carbon Homes First published in Building.co.uk, this article by Adam Mactavish of Sweett Group and Nicola O’Connor of Zero Carbon Hub presents the key findings of the Zero Carbon Hub’s recent cost analysis of the proposed standard. 01 / Introduction...

Energy Saving Trusts kick starts Retrofit in South West Alliance Homes has been offered nearly £2 million by the Energy Saving Trust from the Ready for Retrofit project, to upgrade the Bourneville Estate in Weston-Super-Mare. The funding will go towards external wall...

Green Deal Premise fails Golden Rule! With the publication of damning “In Use” analysis of the effect of energy efficiency measures on energy bills under the Green Deal and it’s take up figures of less than 500 after it’s first year, The Green Deal is desperate for a...

Allowable Solutions Plan set to backfire on Capital! Boris Johnson expressed concern last week over the well publicised Allowable Solutions plans under the Government’s commitment to Zero Carbon Homes by 2016. The Mayor of London urged the government to ensure that...

UK lags behind Europe in Sustainable Building Techniques. Enter CLT….. Britain is at risk of encountering a major skills gap in the construction industry if the sector does not catch up with sustainable building practices elsewhere in the world. As other European...

2014 Part L changes in practice The long awaited announcement relating to the implementation of the next Part L has indicated that it will be implemented from 6th April 2014 with an estimated 6% improvement over the current 2010 edition of part L. The Department of...

Current Building Regulations Part L Minimum Requirements So much consultation…....so much talk of new targets and requirements!  The potential to cause confusion in those on the periphery of the subject and even those specialist consultants, is clear. This news item...