Future Homes Standard

In October 2019 the government launched a consultation on stronger building regulations to help pave the way for a Future Homes Standard.

The Future Homes Standard: 2019 Consultation on changes to Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) and Part F (Ventilation) of the Building Regulations for new dwellings.

Views are being sought on how changes to building regulations can drive down the carbon footprint of homes built after 2025. This will include changes to the ventilation and efficiency requirements as well as the role of councils in getting the best energy standards from developers. Proposals involve technologies such as air source heat pumps and the latest generation of solar panels to help drive down the cost of keeping homes warm and tackle the threat of climate change. The Future Homes Standard will also see gas boilers and other fossil-fuel heating systems banned from new homes.

The government expects that an average home built the Future Homes Standard will have 75-80% lower carbon emissions than one built to Approved Document L 2013. They propose introducing a meaningful but achievable uplift to energy efficiency standards in 2020 as a stepping stone to the Future Homes Standard making new homes more energy efficient and future-proofing them in readiness for low-carbon heating systems.

The consultation document is the first stage of a two-part process that will also cover the wider impacts of Part L for new homes, including changes to Part F (ventilation) and its associated Approved Document, airtightness and improving the as-built performance of constructed homes.

The consultation was launched as part of a wider drive for a Green Housing Revolution that also includes:

• A national design guide to ensure developers ‘build beautiful, well-designed homes that people are proud to live in’.
• Plans to overhaul the planning system so that it becomes simpler, fairer, faster and works for everyone.

Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

"Building new homes isn’t just about bricks and mortar, I want to ensure everyone – including developers – do their bit to protect the environment and give the next generation beautiful, environmentally friendly homes that local communities can support.

"That’s why I am requiring carbon emissions are cut by up to 80% from 2025 for all new homes and have published a National Design Guide, setting out simply what we expect from new development.

"We are also reforming the planning system making it faster and more efficient for everyone, from households to large developers, alongside giving families greater freedom to extend their homes to meet their changing needs."

Gillian Charlesworth, Chief Executive of BRE Group said: "We share Government’s ambition to increase the supply of green, environmentally friendly homes that people want in their local communities. With the impacts of climate change already disrupting people’s homelife, through flooding and overheating, we must take every opportunity to ensure new homes have as little impact upon our climate whilst also addressing societies changing needs." Ref BRE response to the green housing revolution.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• BRE Group response to the Future Homes Standard consultation.
• BRE response to the green housing revolution.
• Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission interim report.
• Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.
• Green Housing Revolution.
• Home design prospects under the Future Homes Standard.
• National Design Guide.

Comments

While the press release for the Future Homes Standard states that it "will see polluting fossil fuel heating systems such as gas boilers banned from new homes by 2025", the Climate Change Committee has stated that "the proposed Future Homes Standard can be interpreted in such a way that onsite renewables like solar PV could act as an ‘offset’ to continued fossil fuel use".