Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper called on developers to refocus their efforts to deliver the eco homes of the future, as Communities and Local Government published revised guidance to help the construction industry respond to the challenge of meeting the zero carbon homes target.
The guidance, which responds to comments and feedback from industry, provides greater clarity in a number of areas including the future eligibility of different energy sources and the method for calculating anticipated water consumption.
Yvette Cooper said:
"We need to build more affordable homes but we also need to cut carbon emissions at the same time. That is why we are working with industry to meet the zero carbon challenge including through financial incentives."
"The ambition for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016 is a challenging one. We need to work in close co-operation with housebuilders and the green technology industry to achieve this."
HM Treasury will shortly lay draft regulations before Parliament, setting out definition of a zero carbon home for stamp duty land tax purposes. An exemption on stamp duty land tax for new zero carbon homes was announced by the then Chancellor Gordon Brown last December.
The Budget 2007 stated that from 1 October 2007 all new homes meeting the zero carbon standard costing up to £500,000 will pay no stamp duty, and zero-carbon homes costing in excess of £500,000 will receive a reduction in their stamp duty bill of £15,000. The exemption will be time limited for 5 years until 30 September 2012, but before the end of the time limit the Government will review the effectiveness of the relief and consider the case for an extension.
The key changes are: