In his exclusive column, Tim Pollard takes a look at the Future Homes Standard and what it means for the industry:
I have been closely involved in the ongoing story of government policy for housing over the last 30 years.
The current government is setting mandatory housing targets for local authorities, reforming the National Planning Policy Framework, and establishing a National Housing Bank to accelerate housebuilding and attract private investment.
The stated goal is to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the current parliament in August 2029. This target of 300,000 homes per year has been elusive, and many think that it’s unlikely to be fulfilled.
To make the issue even more complicated, there are new regulations due to come into force over the next 12 months. The Government’s Future Homes Standard is aimed at ensuring that all new homes built from 2025 onwards are much more energy-efficient and thus produce significantly fewer carbon emissions compared to those built previously.
The new rules mean that homes built from 2025 must produce 75–80% fewer carbon emissions compared to those constructed under 2013 regulations.
Measures proposed include the inclusion of enhanced building materials and mandating low-carbon heating technologies such as Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs).
The phasing out of gas boilers in favour of more efficient technologies such as ASHPs has, of course, proved controversial.
Nonetheless, it appears to be the chosen line of action, especially in conjunction with an air-tightness level of below 5m³/h. m² @ 50 Pa and uprated windows and doors.
To meet the specifications set out in the standard, the Government updated Parts F and L of the current Building Regulations.
These specifications must be adhered to when constructing, extending, or renovating UK homes.
The question uppermost is, will the government stand by the proposals? Those of you who remember the ill-fated Code for Sustainable Homes, first introduced
in 2006, which was worked up in great detail, only to fail when it was suggested that many fewer homes would be constructed.
There are undoubtedly many challenges to building more and better homes, the biggest being a distinct shortfall of a suitably trained and experienced workforce. And I will never tire of saying that the success of any standard is entirely dependent on the enforcement and policing of that standard.
So, will the Future Homes Standard come to fruition and be enforced? Will we ramp up resources to build 300,000 homes a year, every year? Hold your breath and keep your eyes peeled.
Contributors
Tim Pollard (author)
Tim Pollard a well-known and respected voice in the heating, plumbing and electrical industries.
