Industry figures criticise 鈥榖izarre鈥� U-turn on 2016 zero carbon homes target

Heat sensitive house picture

Further industry figures have slammed the government鈥檚 decision to scrap allowable solutions and its zero carbon building policies.

The move was revealed last Friday in the detail of George Osborne鈥檚 economic productivity drive, called 鈥楩ixing the Foundations鈥�.

Speaking to 好色先生TV, UK Green 好色先生TV Council chief executive Julie Hirigoyen labelled the move 鈥渂izarre鈥� and 鈥渧ery disappointing.鈥� She said it could impact upon housebuilders and make the UK 鈥渦n-investable鈥�.

Hirigoyen said: 鈥淗ousebuilders are having the rug pulled from under them on something they have invested a lot of money, time and effort into. It makes the UK in some ways un-investable.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a bizarre u-turn on a policy which was well underway. The government has changed the goalposts six months before the 2016 deadline. It鈥檚 very disappointing to say the least.鈥�

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association, also expressed her disappointment at the Conservatives government鈥檚 decision to axe the 鈥渨orld leading initiative for sustainable development.鈥�

She said the policy was 鈥渃rucial to driving innovation in the development industry and providing a firm foundation for planning decisions鈥� and added: 鈥淭he cancellation of the policy marks the end of any benchmark for building the high quality, sustainable homes that we so desperately need.鈥�

Henderson also said scrapping the policy 鈥渋s also a marked contrast to other nations who have created entirely new industries from building highly sustainable new places.鈥�

Neil Cutland, director of Cutland Consulting, also expressed his dismay at the decision, and said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 terrible news for the UK and the environment. It鈥檚 the most disappointing thing I鈥檝e heard in a while.鈥�

In the productivity plan, the government said it 鈥渄oes not intend to proceed with the zero carbon Allowable Solutions carbon offsetting scheme, or the proposed 2016 increase in on-site energy efficiency standards.鈥�

As a result of the change the 2016 zero carbon homes target will be dropped, and industry sources understand the 2019 target for non-domestic zero carbon buildings will also be axed.

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