黑洞社区

The UK Green 黑洞社区 Council and environmental campaigners have urged ministers not to drop sustainability requirements on new schools.

In a letter to education secretary Michael Gove, Paul King, UK Green 黑洞社区 Council chief executive and Peter Young, Aldersgate Group chairman, urged the government not to drop the requirement for schools to be built or refurbished using the BREEAM standard for environmental performance.

The letter, which was also copied to the prime minister, the deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and five other cabinet ministers, said the move to drop the BREEAM requirement for schools, which 黑洞社区 understands is being considered by the Department for Education, was 鈥渄eeply concerning鈥� and would send a 鈥渢errible message鈥� to the UK construction industry.

鈥淲e understand that you are considering dropping the requirement for schools to be built or refurbished using the 鈥楤REEAM鈥� standard for environmental performance. This is deeply concerning, with implications not just for the quality of the nation鈥檚 schools, but for the productivity of the construction and property sector more widely,鈥� the letter said.

鈥淏REEAM is well understood and widely recognised by the construction industry. Removing it would introduce enormous complexity for non-expert construction clients, arguably increasing bureaucracy and thereby causing delay in the design process and driving up costs.

鈥淩eneging on the commitment would also send a terrible message to the UK industry which frequently builds to BREEAM 鈥榚xcellent鈥� standards in commercial developments so they can be occupied by a public sector anchor-tenant,鈥�

Under the cancelled 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future programme, schools were required to meet a minimum BREEAM 鈥榲ery good鈥� standard.

But the James Review of education for DfE, published last April, singled out the BREEAM regulations for criticism, citing the excessive burden of regulation and guidance in procurement and high costs for carrying out pre-assessment of BREEAM for schools.

The review recommended DfE reduce the 鈥渂ureaucracy and prescription鈥� around BREEAM assessments as part of a wider move to remove 鈥渦nnecessary burdens鈥� on school construction.

The letter from UKGBC and the Aldersgate Group, an alliance of companies, environmental groups, NGOs, industry groups and trade unions, acknowledged that BREEAM was not without its problems and that improvements could be made, but said: 鈥淲e must not throw the baby out with the bathwater鈥�.

鈥淨uite simply, a school designed with BREEAM is much more likely to be a better quality building not just in terms of its efficient use of resources, but also its daylighting, building management systems, incorporation of biodiversity and access to public transport. All have very real value, financial and otherwise, to pupils and staff,鈥� the letter added.

The Department for Education said it was still considering recommedations made in the James Review, 鈥渋ncluding the recommendation on BREEAM鈥�.

鈥淲e will respond shortly,鈥� a DfE spokesperson said.