Bates welcomes greening of building regulations (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

Bates welcomes greening of building regulations

May 7, 2009 12:00 AM

Shadow Minister for the Environment and Sustainability, Mick Bates AM, has welcomed the announcement by the Minister Jane Davidson that Wales will be the first part of the UK to set a national standard for sustainable buildings to be met through the planning system. However he warns that the Welsh Government must work with the industry to identify the environmental improvements that can be made in order to reach the new standards, if Wales is to seize the economic opportunities that this move will bring.

The Welsh Assembly Government planning policy sets a national standard for sustainability for most new buildings proposed in Wales from the 1st September 2009. Housing proposals will be expected to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3 and non domestic buildings will be expected to meet the BREEM 'Very Good' standard as a minimum.

Commenting Mick stated:

"The Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for Wales to seek power over building regulations and I am delighted that the Welsh Government is taking this long-awaited action to improve the environmental standards of our buildings in Wales. Action at the planning stage is key and I hope this policy will help us move forward towards greener housing in Wales, to reduce our carbon emissions from the housing sector so that each household can play a part in combating climate change.

"This announcement today is the first step, but there is still a long road ahead if we are to achieve the ambition of carbon neutral building in Wales. We must seize the opportunities that this announcement will bring, to ensure that Wales can move swiftly ahead on the low carbon agenda. Investment in the skills and industries that will be needed to implement greener building regulations will be crucial to ensure that Wales benefits economically as much as possible.

"Given the lower number of new houses being built in Wales at the moment, support for the construction industry is essential to ensure that building a more environmentally friendly and energy efficient home is not a burden that will drive investors and builders out of Wales. The Welsh Government must work with the industry immediately to help identify where environmental improvements and carbon savings can be made so that the industry is fully prepared when these regulations come into force.

"While the need for zero carbon housing stock is essential, also important is the existing housing stock. Over 90% of the homes in Wales today will still exist in 2020 so retrofitting and upgrading the existing housing stock to improve environmental performance will also play a vital role.

"We must take a strong policy lead on retrofitting if we are to increase the take up of micro-generation technologies and improve energy efficiency within the home. We need a Welsh grant fund system for the installation of domestic renewable technologies, so that people across Wales can afford to install these technologies and start to reduce their emissions from the home."

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