Communities minister Andrew Stunell has committed the Government to a programme of work to improve the system of building regulation in England.
In a Parliamentary statement Stunell reaffirmed that that Building Regulations relating to the conservation of fuel and power will be revised. He also said he would examine how regulations might be used to ensure suitable toilet and changing facilities are offered for people with multiple and profound disabilities in new developments and explore further the rules might be used to improve the security of new homes.
In a separate but related development, departmental ministerial colleague Grant Shapps has confirmed that all new homes must be carbon zero by 2014 and that all new non-domestic buildings will be zero-carbon from 2019.
In a Parliamentary statement Shapps confirmed that Government was working on a final definition for zero carbon homes which would mean this could include ‘off-site’ measures which might involve contributing to a ‘community energy fund’ delivered via the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
Read the Commons Hansard report (20 December, column 146WS): LINK
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