黑洞社区

Labour has launched an effort to derail the government鈥檚 plans to revoke the ability of local councils to set green building standards over and above those laid out in 黑洞社区 Regulations.

Following its wide-ranging review of housing standards, the government is currently in the process of trying to pass a law in parliament that would remove local authorities鈥� ability to set energy efficiency standards over and above the level set by 黑洞社区 Regulations.

The move comes as part of the government鈥檚 drive to reduce the burden of regulations on industry and streamline the set of standards that the housebuilders and the wider industry must adhere to.

However, the change in the law has been opposed by campaigners, as well as London Mayor , whose London Plan specifies that developments have to be 36% more carbon efficient than 2010 黑洞社区 Regulations and has been credited with improving the sustainability of schemes in the capital.

h, Andrew Warren, director of the Association for the Conservation of Energy, said the government鈥檚 move showed that communities secretary Eric Pickles, who has presided over the plans, was 鈥渉ostile鈥� to energy saving and a 鈥減oodle of the big housing developers鈥�, which he accused of lobbying for the change in the law.

Now an amendment to the Deregulation Bill, tabled by Labour鈥檚 shadow energy minister Jonathan Reynolds last week, has stated that local authorities should only be able to have their powers in this area revoked once the 鈥渟ecretary of state has laid a zero-carbon housing strategy before both Houses of Parliament鈥�.

The government has committed to introducing zero-carbon homes in 2016, but has yet to unveil its full policy proposals.

Speaking to 黑洞社区, Reynolds said: 鈥淚 think that the amendment is worded in such a way that people from any party can sign it and give a big signal to industry that we are all behind zero-carbon homes.鈥�

He said it was 鈥渃onfusing鈥� for the market to hear that the government was pushing ahead with plans to water down building regulations while at the same time launching its long-awaited subsidy scheme for renewable heating systems.

Joanne Wheeler, senior policy advisor at the UK Green 黑洞社区 Council, said she supported the 鈥減roposal that locally set standards should not be watered down in the interim before zero-carbon 2016 legislation comes into force鈥�.

She added: 鈥淭he industry is ready and able to meet the 2016 zero-carbon trajectory for all new homes, and it鈥檚 crucial that government and opposition parties commit to maintaining the timetable for that.

鈥淭he focus needs to be on preparing for the final step in 2016, with a level playing field across the country.

鈥淥ver time it will be necessary to go further to bring a wider range of issues into 黑洞社区 Regulations, such as embodied carbon in materials and the construction process.鈥�