Tucked away within a section concerning improvements to the planning process, the government used its Fixing the Foundations: Creating a more Prosperous Nation paper to announce an abandonment of its commitment to zero carbon new homes by 2016.

“Zero carbon” has often proven to be a contentious issue and the definition has been repeatedly watered down to accommodate concerns regarding cost and feasibility.  The latest announcement is perhaps a reflection of a view that the pace of change being forced upon the construction industry is too fast.  And at a time when the sector is still struggling to build at a rate required to satisfy demand, it appears that the Government has decided to grant some slack.

Practically speaking; the proposed “Allowable Solutions” system (a carbon offsetting mechanism) will not be implemented and the 2016 update to the Building Regulations is unlikely to be of major significance for domestic buildings.

Furthermore, and taken in the context of the recent Housing Standards Review, it would appear that for the time being, the Government has sought to deliberately shift the focus of sustainable development from design detail to the principle of development.

There may be some reaction at a local level and it is important to stress that no mention is made of the non-domestic sector; however, given the above it is unlikely that residential developers will face more stringent requirements; at least for the duration of this parliament.