Proposals For ‘Consequential Improvements’ To Be Dropped?

Government plans to make it compulsory for some homeowners carrying out improvements – such as domestic extensions, loft conversions and garage conversions – to invest in energy efficiency improvements, are likely to be shelved.

The BBC have reported that Downing Street sources believe the plans will not go ahead.

The proposals, known as consequential improvements, were announced in January under the consultation on changes to Part L of the Building Regulations. Under these plans, some homeowners would have been required to spend an additional 10 per cent on top of the cost of the main works on energy-efficiency upgrades. The BWF submitted a response to government before the consultation period ended on 27th March 2012. In it we highlighted that although it is necessary to improve the energy efficiency of the existing building stock, making such measures compulsory would deter homeowners from undertaking construction projects when faced with the additional costs and hassle.

In the instance of a homeowner building a £15,000 new extension, an additional £1500 worth of energy efficiency measures, such as loft or cavity insulation, or a new boiler, would have to be installed. Some of this could be arranged through the Green Deal, but with 200,000 domestic extensions, loft conversions and integral garage conversions carried out each year, any financial burden would have a detrimental effect on the market.

The news came about as the government is struggling to convince thousands of homeowners to make their dwellings more energy efficient, whilst relying only on the incentive of long term savings made through the energy bills.

But with severe job cuts taking place within local authorities, there were fears that the proposals could become a further encumbrance on a planning and building control regime already struggling to enforce compliance with existing legislation.

BWF Chief Executive Iain McIlwee commented, “It was never an effective and workable solution and had real potential to deter improvement works in an already difficult time. It would also have been a fresh burden on already overstretched Building Control Bodies.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) could only confirm that the consultation period for the plans had ended and that it was currently considering the responses. Consequential improvements are already required for buildings over 1000m² which have an extension added, with similar arrangements for smaller works sometimes taking place on a local level.