Whist it might be a little premature to announce an end to the Code for Sustainable Homes, signs are that it will either go; or be changed beyond recognition.
Love it or loathe it, the Code has been one of the principal drivers promoting sustainability for the built environment since its introduction in 2007. However, it has been rapidly overtaken by regulatory and policy developments; meaning that its significance has now diminished to a point where it is often seen as an administrative burden rather than a stimulus for change. This was highlighted by the Local Housing Delivery Group (a.k.a. the Harman Review), which identified the Code as one of a number of standards potentially requiring simplification.
The Government is also in a bind. It is publically committed to achieving “zero carbon” by the year 2016 for residential; however, this is at a time when construction has flat-lined and its resuscitation is perceived as fundamental to the recovery of the wider economy. The planned tightening of carbon targets through the 2013 update to Part L of the Building Regulations may therefore be politically difficult if concessions are not made elsewhere. In this context, sacrificing an outdated Code might seem logical.
However, the debate as to the future of the Code for Sustainable Homes is, on some levels, a red herring. A more important discussion relates to whether this is a matter that should be addressed at the planning stage; whether it should form a part of the pre-completion regulatory compliance check; or even whether it should be addressed at all.
The issues that the Code sought to rectify remain and buildings continue to have significant economic, social and environmental impacts. Strong political support therefore exists for developing sustainably and the abolition of existing commitments seems unlikely.
Therefore the balance as to what should be addressed by planning authorities and what should be addressed as straight-forward regulatory compliance will need to grapple with the strategic and design requirements of the existing National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), for which sustainable development is supposedly the “golden thread”. Furthermore, any solution will need to be careful to ensure that the pursuit of short-term gains does not lead to incoherent and potentially holistically more expensive solutions.
An announcement on the future of the Code for Sustainable Homes is due before the summer recess. However, irrespective of this decision, unless something elementary changes to the powers of local authorities, we may well end up with a continuation of the existing process; either working under the banner of a revised Code or to an alternative appraisal structure.
The Government has stated that it will propose a plan of action and public consultation imminently (i.e. late Spring 2013); which will allow interested parties to formally express views.