{"id":17875,"date":"2018-01-21T16:43:54","date_gmt":"2018-01-21T16:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ihbconline.co.uk\/newsachive\/?p=17875"},"modified":"2018-01-21T16:43:54","modified_gmt":"2018-01-21T16:43:54","slug":"ihbc-co-signs-ministerial-letter-on-epcs-scotlands-traditional-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=17875","title":{"rendered":"IHBC co-signs ministerial letter on EPCs & Scotland\u2019s traditional homes\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A71<\/a>The IHBC \u2013with bodies that include BEFS and the CIOB \u2013 has co-signed a letter to Scotland\u2019s Minister for Local Government and Planning Kevin Stewart MSP, to voice sector-wide \u2018concerns over\u2026 the potential impact the use of the Energy Performance Certificate [EPC] will have on Scotland\u2019s stock of traditionally built homes\u2019.<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

The co-signatories write:<\/p>\n

\u2018We are writing to you to raise our concerns over current government proposals intended to improve the energy performance of Scotland\u2019s private rented housing stock – specifically the potential impact the use of the Energy Performance Certificate will have on Scotland\u2019s stock of traditionally built homes. We are a group of heritage professionals, responsible for assessing, planning and executing the maintenance and improvement of Scotland\u2019s built heritage.<\/p>\n

As a group, we strongly support the drive to improve the energy performance of Scotland\u2019s homes, including traditionally-built properties. The continued use of historic properties is the best guarantee of their survival. These properties form a fifth of Scotland\u2019s overall housing stock and they are a prominent part of Scotland\u2019s heritage, shaping the character of our towns and villages. These properties are also a disproportionately important part of rural housing stock.<\/p>\n

However, adverse or incorrect adaptations of traditionally-built properties can fail to improve their energy performance, and by limiting air circulation may degrade both occupants\u2019 health and the building fabric. We are also concerned that, if the phasing or cost estimates are not aligned with what is actually feasible, then housing stock will be taken out of rental use and may instead go to holiday home use, or fall out of use altogether. This would have the greatest impact on rural areas in Scotland, where there are already pressures on housing availability.<\/p>\n

In relation to the government\u2019s current proposals for minimum energy requirements in private-rented properties (and their potential extension to privately-owned properties) we have identified the following issues:<\/p>\n

Real-world baselines <\/strong>\u2013 the current EPC baselines for traditionally-built, stone-walled buildings do not reflect their real-world performance. There is therefore a risk of making unneeded interventions based on inaccurate data.<\/p>\n

Availability of assessor skills<\/strong> \u2013 to implement the proposals will require an adequate supply of assessors trained in how traditional buildings perform and how they can best be improved.<\/p>\n

Availability of installation skills <\/strong>and suitable materials \u2013 similarly, we will need to have suitably trained professionals and trades able to carry out the adaptations, and a supply chain to meet the demand. This can be developed, particularly if there is a strong market signal from government, from assessors and from owners, but may need time to grow.\u00a0 The government\u2019s regulator, Historic Environment Scotland, has previously raised concerns over the lack of professional and trades skills available to support the traditional building sector, including the capacity to meet the Government\u2019s commitments under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. [Historic Scotland (2011), \u2018Traditional Building Skills: A strategy for sustaining and developing traditional building skills in Scotland\u2019]<\/p>\n

Realistic timeframe<\/strong> \u2013 if the timeframe is too short for the assessor and installer skills to be developed and applied, we risk damaging interventions or stock being taken out of use.<\/p>\n

This is all entirely avoidable. With the correct policy prescription in place, traditional buildings are amongst the most sustainable of all building types, with embodied energy, durable materials, and capable of being adapted to a variety of uses.<\/p>\n

We believe that these problems can be avoided through:<\/p>\n