The Government has use this year’s Queen’s Speech to announce plans to relax its ambitions regarding zero carbon homes.
The announcement at the state opening of parliament marks a realisation that, while the government is committed to implementing a zero carbon standard for new homes from 2016, it is not always technically feasible or cost effective for house builders to mitigate all emissions on site.
As a result, legislation is planned to set up a compromise ‘allowable solutions’ regime, enabling developers to offer payment to alternative green schemes when it is difficult to achieve reductions in CO2 emissions through design and construction.
The measures met with positive feedback from the National Federation of Builders and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), whose Chief Executive Brian Berry remarked: “The government clearly recognises that the cost implications for smaller developments are much higher than previously estimated and now accepts that it is not sensible to impose the same regulatory burden on SME house builders when at the same time urging them to build more new homes.”
Builders can help meet zero carbon standards by specifying Twinson premium cladding – a 100% recyclable combination of wood and PCV-U which can create an eye-catching design feature as well as improving the thermal insulation of external walls.