b5: changing expectations of standards and...
TRANSCRIPT
Sponsored by
B5: Changing expectations of
standards and design
Speakers: Simon Brown, Team Leader, Code for
Sustainable Homes and Local Standards,
Communities and Local Government
James McMillan, Assistant Director of
Development, Great Places Housing Group
Chair: Laura Kavanagh, Policy Officer,
National Housing Federation
HOUSING STANDARDS REVIEW
National Housing Federation 7th July 2014
Simon Brown
Building Regulations & Standards
DCLG
Background & Aims
2011-12: Harman Review established through HBF, LGA and NHBC.
Spring 2012: Housing and construction ‘Red Tape Challenge’. Strong interest from the Centre
October 2012: CLG Housing Standards Review launched. Consultation August - October 2013
Outcome announced - Prime Minister Jan 2013, and WMS March 2013.
Reduce bureaucracy and costs on house builders and others - supporting growth whilst delivering quality, sustainability, safety and accessibility.
Reform and simplify framework of building regulations, guidance, local codes and standards.
Make housebuilding process easier to navigate - reduce overlap and confusion between the Planning and Building Regulations regimes.
Reduce contradictions and overlap between standards, to simplify and improve compliance.
Allow local choice but within sensible parameters.
Resolving the untenable forest
Others also have views…
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Strategic Options & Review Process
Choice offered in consultation –
A – standards as standalone suite (NPPF ref to “Nationally described Standards”) alongside Building Regs and Planning.
B – standards as stepping stone en route to Building Regulations. Govt Preferred option.
C – move standards into Building Regs.
But not simple to move standards into Regs (One-In-Two-Out issues, Building Act considerations, strict tests, difficulties over “tiered” regulations – hence need for Primary Legislation).
Scope
The HSR standards ONLY include the technical or functional performance of dwellings; HSR does not cut across NPPF or other regimes.
Review is cross-tenure and applies to whole of England – technical aspects of HQIs included
Outcome accompanied by planning statement (to ensure additional standards are not added on by authorities, beyond those left after Review).
HSR does not stop market taking lead producing own standards – but LAs will not be able to require these through planning policies.
Propositions
• Energy – Baseline regulation (Part L) only. 2013 update. Queens speech -
allowable solutions and zero carbon from 2016.
• Water – Baseline regulation (Part G). Higher standard available (105lpd).
• Access – Baseline regulation (Part M). 2 additional areas (equivalent to LTH, and
wheelchair housing).
• Security – Single minimum level proposed. Doors / windows
• Space – new standalone proposal (ie not access dependent) – will remain within
planning sphere
• Other themes – materials, overheating, daylight, ventilation – no Regulations
proposed because case not established. But necessary research ongoing.
Process Issues
• Process – proposed system still to operate under planning powers – local plans set policies from suite, and apply through planning conditions.
• Needs and viability – planning to undertake rigorous need and viability test for any standard. “Necessary” test – not a “nice to do” test.
• Planning authorities can relax requirements and not apply conditions
• Building Control – to undertake compliance check of conditions. Skills are suited for this more technical function.
• For affordable sector –
a) NAHP 2015-18 bidding round “addendum” on technical standard. Govt considering next steps, post 2018.
b) b) S.106 units would be covered by planning policy as above
Summer Consultation Package
• Covering explanatory paper – sets context, transitional issues.
• Draft Approved Documents – ie the new sections setting “optional requirements” and space standard
• Draft of Planning statement
• Impact Assessment
• Deregulation Bill – now in the Lords – potential secondary legislation in draft.
Next steps
• Implementation from Royal Assent / end of year ?
ANY QUESTIONS?
Standards and resident expectations Impact of the housing standards review for housing
associations
James McMillan Assistant Director of Development
Great Places Housing Group
Government Standards review
the Red Tape Challenge 5 aspects considered….
• Energy and allowable solutions
• Security
• Water efficiency
• Accessibility Levels 1,2,3
• Space standards
Energy • Code for Sustainable Homes winds
down
• National minimum energy
performance levels in Building
Regulations (parliamentary process)
• Local planning policies on
renewables will be removed through
the planning and energy act.
• Allowable solutions yet to be defined
• Zero carbon 2016 looking unlikely
Beyond minimum requirements?
But what about?
• The performance gap
• Ventilation, air tightness and air quality
• Overheating solar gain
• Thermal mass
Security
• ACPO fighting for retention of SBD but may not
win out
• Single level of performance across all tenures
• Property based measures regarding spec.
Incorporated into new building regulations
approved document
• Planning to cover estate layout etc.
• What about insurance companies?
‘Natural’ security
Secured by design for who?
• Part G of regs already in place and working well
• Water stress maps to decide where we have a 110l level
• No requirement for grey water recycling
Water ‘But we live in the North West!’
actually there is an
awful lot of carbon in the
water distribution
network
Accessibility
Rationalise 30 wheelchair standards
Harmonise and consolidate
Update and simplify
• National cross tenure 3-tier accessibility Standard Level 1
based on Part M of the Building Regulations
• Level 2 based on Lifetime Homes (step free access, omits
bedspace at ground floor, through floor lift and hoists)
• Level 3 based on the Wheelchair Housing Design Guide
(enhanced requirements for bathrooms)
• Councils apply levels subject to local need
and viability.
• Lifetime neighbourhoods not homes?
• What about other minority groups such as
BME?
Accessibility
Adaptable verses Assessable
Space Standards • General consensus view apart from House
Builders Federation
• 3 Tiers of space requirements, level 2 is
current London space standards
• Not mandatory yet but if planners require
Space standards these are the ones they must
use
• Functionality is more important than purely size
• Consumer labelling may be the way forward to
drive developers to build to better standards
A national space standard • Standardised plans facilitate
Off site manufacture
• Volume procurement
• Standardised bathrooms and
kitchens
• Supply chain agreements
Standardisation and BIM
Functionality Developer 2B4P house 68m2
Great Places 2B4P house 74m2
Current minimum HQI 67m2
Level one requirement 77m2
Flexible Layouts
Alternative plan layouts from the same ‘shell’
Great Places 2B4P house 74m2
Tenant feedback 74m2 house
• Satisfaction with size of house 98%
Just right
Too Small
Tenant feedback 74m2 house
• Satisfaction with storage space 74%
Just right
Notenough
Space Standards
Level One 3B5P house
82m2
90m2
£8,000
Additional
cost
Energy • Code for Sustainable Homes winds
down
• National minimum energy
performance levels in Building
Regulations (parliamentary process)
• LA Planning policy on renewables
will be removed through the planning
and energy act.
• Allowable solutions yet to be defined
• Zero carbon 2016 looking unlikely
What does the HCA say?
HCA Standards to be abolished but reserves the right
to impose own standards later
No HQI requirements (sustainable neighbourhoods?)
Space – ‘benchmark’ against Tier 1 what about future
schemes?
Accessibility – Part M minimum
Security – PAS 24
Energy, water – as Building Regs
Code Casualties • Green Materials (embodied energy)
• Energy display devices
• Drying spaces
• White goods info
• Cycle storage
• Home office
• Rainwater recycling
• Site waste
• Composting
Implementation Winding down the Code, stepping up building regulations
Some other questions….
• Local Authority capacity?
• Who is looking at R&D and beyond
standards, aspirations for zero carbon?
• Allowable solutions?
• Performance gap?
• What about new regs? Who is the
gatekeeper?
• Performance labelling?
Performance Labelling We know much more about the performance of our cars or
even our TV than we do about our the houses we buy
Performance Labelling
Typical
house buying
website
compares
properties by
number of
bedrooms
Performance Labelling Simple set of metrics to allow easy comparison
Performance Labelling • If space standards are not compulsory this
would allow the customer to choose
• Running costs are related to predicted
thermal performance. If costs are higher
the home owner can challenge the
developer. Better build standards?
• Allows a homebuyer to consider daylight
and storage which they may not even think
about.
External design
Authentic Vernacular
Resident satisfaction with
external appearance?
100%!
So are we asking the
right questions or is every
scheme perfect?
Thanks for listening
James McMillan Assistant Director of Development
Great Places Housing Group
Sponsored by
B5: Changing expectations of
standards and design
Speakers: Simon Brown, Team Leader, Code for
Sustainable Homes and Local Standards,
Communities and Local Government
James McMillan, Assistant Director of
Development, Great Places Housing Group
Chair: Laura Kavanagh, Policy Officer,
National Housing Federation