Local authorities and Sustainability Standards

[AECB admin]

Let us have your comments on this Soapbox which can be found here – https://aecb.net/local-authorities-sustainability-standards/

[Adam Harper]

Tom makes some very valid points.
Further to this I put together a briefing paper back in 2016, with practical advice on sustainability standards for planners, Councillors and councils (see attachment) summarised here: http://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/blog-greener-planning-policy-passivhaus/

Ultimately though the withdrawal and reneging on the zero carbon buildings policy is a political issue. The Conservatives' ideology was and remains anti regulation and pro free market, which is the polar opposite of what is needed to produce the radical carbon savings we need to get to <80% emissions reductions by 2050.
My briefing paper makes suggestions as to what can be done under current planning constraints, but these are still not enough.
Ultimately building regs needs to take up passivhaus standards for new build (with a lead in period), but unless more radical/scientifically minded politicians are in government its not going to happen anytime soon.

[Philip Newbold]

What is becoming increasingly obvious from Tom’s article, the follow-up comment from Adam and from my own passive house planning refusal is that, owing to the absence of clear guidance from Government legislation, Local Councils do not have a clue what “sustainable” or “affordable” housing looks like. All I know is that the current guidance allows greedy housing developers to throw up leaky, Band D homes near a bus stop while a Band A passive house cannot be built 800m from a bus stop because the site is classed as “isolated” and the development is not “sustainable” as it “relies on car use” to access the site. This is environmental madness

[Author]

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