All articles by Alex Smith 鈥� Page 24
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NewsHousing association plans solar panels for new homes
Places for People will install solar hot water panels in all new homes if Sheffield pilot is a success
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NewsMultiplex doubles profit despite Wembley loss
The sale of assets and increase in property values helps counter the 拢147m loss incurred at Wembley stadium
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NewsPart L can be fun!
黑洞社区's resident regulations expert logs on to 'fantasy Part L' website playtheregs.com and, after a few attempts, manages to build a virtual house that complies with everybody's favourite 黑洞社区 Reg. It's just a shame it doesn't have any windows ...
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FeaturesReaching the summit
黑洞社区 has been urging government to Reform the Regs for months. Now, the campaign has moved up a gear with a summit at our offices. Key players from the industry and ODPM went head to head, and found a surprising consensus on the need to cut red tape.
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Archive Titles
Sustainability: Code for Sustainable Homes
Everything you wanted to know about the government's new Code for Sustainable Homes - but were afraid to ask
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News
Government to begin talks over regulatory reform
ODPM calls for consultation on regulatory reform, as industry awaits final Part L document
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News黑洞社区 wins campaign to Reform the Regs
ODPM agrees to develop process for updating regulations in a 鈥榮impler, more transparent manner鈥�
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FeaturesThe state of the garden
If Kent鈥檚 the garden of England, then Alan Titchmarsh would have something to say about the way it鈥檚 been kept. Much of the north coast, for example, is a post-industrial mess 鈥� but that is about to change.
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News
RICS gives its backing to Reform the Regs campaign
Institution calls for greater clarity on Part L, as leading industry bodies demand delay in implementation
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NFB to set up lobby group to delay energy regulations
Trade body adds pressure to government, saying software to calculate Part L energy ratings is not ready
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NewsODPM responds to 黑洞社区鈥檚 Reform the Regs campaign
Housing minister Yvette Cooper says she is following the initiative with interest and is listening to concerns
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NewsReform the Regs
Today, 黑洞社区 launches a campaign to persuade the government to rethink the way it does regulation. Over the next few weeks we explain what has gone wrong, how it is hampering the industry and how we believe it can be fixed. We hope that you鈥檒l tell us your stories, and ...
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FeaturesAt first It was like the battle of the Somme
Today 黑洞社区 launches Projects Reunited. Here you can catch up with former colleagues from legendary schemes you worked on together and find out how everybody is doing now. To get the ball rolling, we assembled 18 old chums who braved the muddy wastes of the Millennium Dome site 鈥�
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FeaturesVentilated spleen
City Hall is the latest green office to miss its energy targets. But when it comes to low-energy buildings, the fault may lie with facilities managers, not designers.
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Plan to wave low-carbon schemes through planning
Energy Saving Trust to present DTI with a series of radical proposals to stimulate energy-efficient construction
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Former ODPM adviser calls for halt to new regulations
Paul Everall, the man who oversaw the introduction of Part P and Part B, says there is 鈥榯oo much regulation鈥�
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FeaturesThe green knight
Sir Neville Simms has made an epic personal journey from vilified motorway contractor to champion of sustainable procurement in the public sector. He tells 黑洞社区 about his plans.
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The future's scottish
Scotland has given its building regulations a root and branch overhaul. Good news for Scottish designers who can ditch by-the-book designs, and a possible taste of what's to come for their colleagues in England and Wales.
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Fire fighters
The latest requirements of fire safety regulations Part B are aimed to give designers more choice in how they can install measures to help to save lives.
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Part L changes set to make chimneys a thing of the past
Flue and chimney sector under threat as energy regs make it more expensive to put chimneys on new homes