Housing Minister Grant Shapps announced he is scrapping new proposals that could have cost developers thousands of pounds extra to build new homes, and pledged an overhaul of the complicated building standards that make it hard for developers to complete their projects.
The Government will not introduce a new set of building standards that were proposed for many of the homes built with Government funding or on public sector land, which would have cost developers an extra £8,000 for every home.
Ministers believe that the national building standards are sufficient to deliver high quality homes and it is an unfair and unnecessary expense for developers to require additional building standards for public buil -, at a time when the country desperately needs to build more homes.
Mr Shapps also pledged to end the 'alphabet soup' of local building standards and red tape that blight efforts to get developments started, and sweep away the bureaucratic assessment regimes that accompany them. He invited the industry to come forward and help develop a new system for local standards, so new development meets the needs of local communities, without placing an unnecessary strain on developers.
Currently, housebuilders face a complex mix of building standards and codes that are attached to planning permissions. Ministers believe these extra requirements are often unnecessary 'gold plating', which can be contradictory and place additional costs on developers, making their projects less viable.
In their place, housebuilders and councils will work together to develop a simple and transparent 'menu' of costed standards that will not place unrealistic burdens on developers.
This latest move is designed to make it easier for companies to build new developments where they are wanted, and follows the Government's pledge to match the council tax raised from new homes for the first six years through the New Homes Bonus. Councils that go for growth will build up rewards for their local area, and there will be a higher level of funding for building new affordable homes.
Proposals for new Core Standards for development funded or on land owned by the Homes and Communities Agency, which could on average have cost developers an additional £8,000 per home, will not be implemented.
In the meantime, to provide stability and protect delivery, the HCA will continue to use existing standards, but Mr Shapps confirmed in the longer term, the standards that apply to private and public housing should be the same.
As a start to this process, all centrally-imposed standards for houses built on surplus central government land will be removed, in a move expected to provide a boost to home builders.
ork will begin immediately on a new Local Standards Framework that will be developed and maintained by industry and councils. The Government will help its development, but industry and councils will develop the ideas themselves.
The new local framework will be implemented through the National Planning Policy Framework, which will be introduced by April 2012.
Mr Shapps also confirmed that the recent review of Building Regulations will be published shortly, and will keep the regulations as the mechanism to set national minimum standards.
A new report presented to the 2016 Zero Carbon Task Force predicts the future of housebuilding and calls for an urgent upskilling for all parts of the new homes industry to deal with a decade of change.
Home Building Skills 2020 is a joint initiative between NHBC, Zero Carbon Hub and ConstructionSkills, supported by the Home Builders Federation.
It was set up 18 months ago to investigate the likely changes affecting the new homes industry and to advise on how the various professional, trade and technical roles should prepare in terms of training and qualifications.
Following a year of research and consultation, the Home Building Skills report sets out a series of scenarios predicting the future of home building up to 2020.
Based on these scenarios, checklists have been drafted for eight key roles in the home building supply chain - from architects and planners to product suppliers, specialist trades and inspectors - outlining the likely core skills and knowledge that each role will require, and their Continuing Professional Development needs for the future.
The report calls for the industry to unite in defining and confronting the knowledge gaps that could hinder progress towards zero carbon homes and the other significant changes on the horizon.
NHBC, Zero Carbon Hub and ConstructionSkills are also pledging to launch a new online portal next year to help signpost employers and others to the training providers, colleges and universities that offer courses and qualifications to meet the industry’s future skills and knowledge needs.
The National EPC Company is warning homebuyers not to fall into the trap of presuming all new build properties are more energy efficient than their older counterparts. It says a fifth of UK homes are rated band F or G - properties with F and G ratings are the least energy efficient.
Reports earlier this year claimed ten% of new properties fail the energy efficiency test. Under Government plans, from 2016 all new homes will be built to a new zero carbon standard, and by 2050 the nation's entire housing stock will be virtually zero carbon.
In the opinion of Marc Blomfield, Managing Director of The National EPC Company, too many house builders aren't prepared for these targets. Also, that the age of a property and its energy efficiency standards don't always go hand in hand. He said:
"People think, when they are buying a new home they are buying a green home. This is not always the case."
"Ask the questions. Get the answers. Find out how energy efficient the property is. If I was buying a car I would ask how many miles to the gallon, this is regardless of whether it's brand new or an old banger. Houses should be considered in exactly the same way.
"Ensuring a property is compliant and cost and energy efficient is a key element in any investment decision.