New Building Regulations Clamp Down on Carbon

NEW Building Regulations are published today and will come into effect from June 2022.

The new Building Regulations set the standards in England for the design, construction and alteration of buildings.

Under the new regulations, CO₂ emissions from new build homes must be around 30% lower than current standards. Emissions from other new buildings, including offices and shops, must be reduced by 27%.

Heating and powering buildings currently makes up 40% of the UK’s total energy use.

New Building Regulations

The new Regulations encourage installing low carbon technology, such as solar panels and heat pumps. They are designed to promote using materials in a more energy efficient way, helping to deliver the UK’s climate change ambitions.

All new residential buildings, including homes, care homes, student accommodation and children’s homes, must be designed to reduce overheating and improve ventilation. The government says they will support the safety of residents in newly-built homes and help prevent the spread of airborne viruses in new non-residential buildings.

The Regulations updates pave the way for the Future Homes and Buildings Standard in 2025, when the requirement for future homes to be net zero comes into force.

Housing Minister Eddie Hughes said, “Climate change is the greatest threat we face and we must act to protect our precious planet for future generations. The government is doing everything it can to deliver net zero and slashing CO₂ emissions from homes and buildings is vital to achieving this commitment.”

The latest figures show almost half (46%) of the homes in England are now rated C or above for energy efficiency, compared to 14% in 2010.

Approved Documents

The government has published five updated Approved Documents:

• Approved Document L, volume 1: dwellings
• Approved Document L, volume 2: buildings other than dwellings
• Approved Document F, volume 1: dwellings
• Approved Document F, volume 2: buildings other than dwellings
• and an entirely new Approved Document O covering overheating

Transitional Arrangements

The new regulations come into force on 15 June 2022. Transitional arrangements are in place which mean that if a building notice, initial notice, or full plans for building work are submitted to a local authority before 15 June 2022, then provided the building work commences by 15 June 2023, work on that individual building is permitted to continue under the previous standards.

A full technical consultation on the Future Buildings Standard will start in 2025.

>>Read more about standards and regulations in the news