Ecobuild latest: Only 44,000 UK homes were Code for Sustainable Homes certified in 2012
Less than half of completed new homes were Code for Sustainable Homes certified in 2012, EC Harris鈥� head of residential Mark Farmer has told the Ecobuild conference.
Just 44,000 homes were certified under the code that year, according to figures Farmer obtained from government, which he said highlighted the industry was 鈥渘ot geared up for it鈥�.
The government consulted on a proposal to scrap the Code for Sustainable Homes last summer and Farmer said he expected 鈥渨e鈥檒l hear very shortly the government will scrap the code and incorporate it into building regulations鈥�.
The code provides nine measures for sustainable design and applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
According to the Office for National Statistics 115,620 new homes were completed in England alone in 2012. Figures for Wales and Northern Ireland are not readily available.
Farmer said there were 鈥渆xemplar鈥� low carbon residential projects 鈥渂ut at the moment they are the exception to the rule,鈥� adding: 鈥淭his is an industry that is loathe to change [鈥 If you鈥檙e honest the drivers for the housebuilding industry are 鈥榗an we return profits鈥�.鈥�
Bill Dunster, founder of sustainable design specialist ZEDfactory, argued the government 鈥渟houldn鈥檛 water the code down鈥�.
He said: 鈥淭he countries that adopt the highest standards will be global leaders鈥�.
Dunster added product manufacturers were 鈥渕ore than capable of delivering zero carbon homes today鈥� and urged delegates to 鈥渟top dealing with volume housebuilders 鈥� start dealing with suppliers direct to find solutions鈥�.
Debbie Aplin, managing director of Crest Nicholson Regeneration, called for greater certainty from government around the Code for sustainable homes.
She said: 鈥淭he key message is can we have some certainty please? So that we can put the training in place for people all the way down the line in our organisation.
鈥淭he biggest challenge we have is government indecision. At the moment we lose the confidence of the guys at the coal face because of the lack of certainty.鈥�
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