The Government is determined to improve environmental protection alongside building new homes.
That is why the Government will be publishing a new Code for Sustainable Homes which builds on the approach of the EcoHomes standard and will set star ratings for home buyers on the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of new homes. The first star rating will be more comprehensive and demanding than current building regulations, and the highest star rating will require cutting edge technology to achieve carbon neutral development. This also builds on measures already taken to increase the energy efficiency of new homes by 40 per cent.
New publicly funded homes will be expected to reach level 3 on the star ratings system, significantly higher than current building regulation standards. Local authorities will also being encouraged to promote the use of the Code on public sector land and strategic sites. We intend that all other housing procured by the public sector should be built to Code standards. Our ambition is that there should be rapid take up of the Code by the private sector and we will monitor take up on an annual basis.
Yvette Cooper said:
"This shows that we can improve environmental protection and build new homes at the same time. By making more efficient use of water and materials and improving the environmental protections in the planning system we will ensure that the new homes we need are built in a more sustainable way."
