Council Leaders and Mayors Call for Powers on Zero Carbon Housebuilding

COUNCIL LEADERS AND MAYORS from across England have written to the government calling for powers over the efficiency of new homes to stay with local authorities.

The joint letter, co-ordinated by the UK Green Building Council, has been sent to Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick.

It calls for local authorities and elected mayors to be able to continue to impose higher standards of energy efficiency on new homes, something the consultation on Part L of the building regulations consultation looks to take away.

Local responsibility for climate change

The letter makes the case that “local leadership is absolutely central to achieving the Government’s commitment to net zero carbon.”

It reads: “The eyes of the world are on the UK as we gear up to host COP26, which will be a critical and defining moment in the global fight against climate change.

“As leaders of local authorities and city regions across England, we have made strong commitments to radical carbon reductions, including through declarations of Climate Emergency. We must now act urgently, together with Government, to bring forward the necessary strategies, policies and partnerships that will enable us to deliver against those commitments.”

It continues: “the MHCLG consultation on Part L of the Building Regulations proposes to “restrict local planning authorities from setting higher energy efficiency standards for dwellings”.

“Not only would this hold back those areas which want to be more ambitious than the national minimum, but it would also level down areas like London, where developers have successfully been building to a higher standard for several years.”

The letter is available in full here.