Building Regs baby is thrown out with the bathwater.
Revisions to Part G of the Building Regulations, which covers water use, have been delayed at the 11th hour
The revised regulations were due to come into force on 1 October, but the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has confirmed that the delay could be up to six months.
Part G deals with sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency. The Building Regulations Approved Document which outlined the proposed changes has already been published. This document will now have to be amended.
An industry source claimed the delay was because of an objection raised by the European Commission. CLG refused to confirm this and the EC was unable to comment. But the claim was supported by Geoff Wilkinson, spokesman for the Association of Consultant Approved Inspectors.
He said he was alerted to the delay by contacts at the Building Regulatory Advisory Committee.
Wilkinson suggested the “significant issue” that led CLG to pull the document was an objection by an EU member state under the Technical Standards Directive. This meant the document was now at a three-month standstill and CLG was prohibited from introducing the revised Approved Document before 2 December.
“The language from CLG suggests that this is a barrier-to-trade issue,” he said. “That would suggest that one or other of the member states feels something within the document will prevent it from trading in the UK.”
Wilkinson said one possible reason for the objection was the new stipulation in the document which called for thermostatic controls on bath taps to keep the water temperature at less than 48C.
“When the consultation began, there were a range of options as to how we should control water use,” he said. “The view was to go down the route of water limitation via a water calculator method rather than by limiting the sale of fittings that didn’t comply. So if it is down to this issue of thermostatic controls, it’s very surprising.”
CLG was unable to say when the document would be updated. A spokeswoman said there was no set date as yet, but the short-term aim was to “resolve the issues raised and to issue a final Approved Document as far in advance” of the changes coming into force in the six-month window ending in April next year.
Although this leaves designers in a regulatory grey area until the issue is resolved, Wilkinson does not anticipate that the document will be much altered. He said: “The document will most likely go out as originally published, but it does make us wonder what it will in turn mean for the Part L consultation which is currently under way."
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British are "bored" with Climate Change
A new energy report suggests that British people are less environmentally conscious than they were five years ago.
4 out of 10 britons take no action at all to reduce their household carbon emissions, and twice as many people are now "bored" by talk of climate change as in 2005. Experts warn that green fatigue is one of the major reasons as to why there are more cars on the roads, more planes in the sky and no reductions in the mountain of packaging waste. The report reveals that too few people are making an effort to reduce their household CO2 emissions and environmentalists believe the recession is further undermining public commitment.
The report, by market researchers Mintel, shows that many of Britain's 26 million homes fail to make simple adjustments such as switching off lights, turning down thermostats, and switching off appliances rather than leaving them on standby. The findings also reveal that people are less willing to spend money on energy-efficient appliances than they were five years ago. Analysts believe the recession together with a backlash against "extreme" environmentalist pressure has reduced people's enthusiasm to combat climate change.
The report also found that resistance to saving the planet was greater among men; one in four said they think there is too much concern over the environment, compared with one in six women.
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More information on the 2016 definition of "Zero Carbon".
Housing Minister, Grant Shapps announced additional information about the new definition of "Zero Carbon".
The Government plans to investigate setting up a community energy fund which will be used to pay for district heating and renewable energy schemes.
Developers who pay into the fund will not have to install onsite renewables or microgeneration equipment. Many developers have welcomed the flexibility of paying into a fund rather than grappling with renewables on each site.
However, the full definition of 'zero-carbon' has once again been delayed. This is despite a pre-election promise to get the definition of zero carbon finalised “within weeks” of getting into office.
The new Government Housing Minister has recently announced that the coalition will review the level of on-site renewables required - before publishing the final definition of the standard, which all new homes will have to reach after 2016.
In the announcement, the Minister also re-affirmed his commitment to all new homes being zero-carbon from 2016 and confirmed the introduction of the ‘Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard' which requires a minimum standard in relation to insulation levels and air tightness and thermal bridging in buildings.
Zero carbon is required of all Code for Sustainable Homes level six homes. Clarification of what zero carbon will mean is still to be decided.
If you require assistance with your Code for Sustainable Homes level requirements, contact Ecowise - we are a fully accredited Code for Sustainable Homes assessment organisation.
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Pilot Tidal Energy Scheme for North Wales Coast
Conwy County Borough Council has backed plans for a pilot tidal energy scheme off the North Wales Coast.
The £150 million scheme at Llanddulas in North Wales would provide a testing facility for turbine designers and manufacturers, and assess the environmental impact of turbines.
The project was given approval by the council as part of a strategic regeneration strategy for the Conwy coast, prepared by consultant Capita Symonds.
Paul Terry, Capita Symonds, said: "Tidal power will play a key role in providing a sustainable energy source for future generations. The North Wales coast is an ideal place for such a scheme as it’s blessed with a good tidal range and suitable ocean depth." He added that the project could also help protect the coast from rising sea levels, storm surges and coastal erosion.
The regeneration strategy also calls for seven new visitor centres costing £30m should be built at key locations stretching from Conwy to Rhuddlan. But North Wales Tourism chairman Chris Jackson raised doubts over whether the proposals could realistically be funded in the current economic climate. The council’s approval now means that Capita Symonds will seek funding for feasibility studies and investigations to develop a business case for the scheme.
