BWF responds to Welsh Government on Part Q and sustainability

BWF responded to the Welsh Government consultation on the proposed incorporation of aspects of the Sustainable Building National Planning Policy into the Building Regulations in Wales.

This consultation contained proposals for:

– The introduction of Part Q – Residential Security – Unauthorised access
– Non-mandatory guidance on the content and presentation of information to householders for new dwellings
– Changes to the Approved Documents

BWF Technical Director Kevin Underwood commented on the BWF's response:

“This was an opportunity for BWF to feed in the views of members regarding the proposed introduction of the Part Q requirements to Wales. BWF members work hard to provide sustainable and high quality products so any cost impact on the industry must be thoroughly assessed, particularly for manufacturers who are unable to gain a broad scope for their security certification without extensive and costly testing.

“We were asked for our views on whether Part Q should be extended to replacement products. Feedback from members suggested that security in these instances should remain a purchaser’s choice and should not be forced upon the consumer. Older dwellings, many in conservation areas, do not always lend themselves to being fitted with modern styles of windows or doors incorporating security features.”

BWF Policy Executive Matt Mahony also commented,

“Sustainable materials should be rewarded and the Welsh Government needs to be bold to encourage the use of genuinely low impact materials that are appropriate to a project’s needs. Yet there must be a level playing field and any regulation must be able to work for SMEs, micro-businesses and national suppliers alike.

“Although LCA data can give manufacturers an opportunity to take account of current inefficiencies, the elephant in the room here is the performance gap issue – we need to ensure that the home is performing as designed and that site substitution of effective products, such as those manufactured by BWF members, cannot occur. In order to truly address the sustainability of construction products, it is also time for industry to fully account for embodied Carbon.”

All information related to Building Regulations is disseminated via our newsletter, at regional and technical working group meetings, at our Members Day and via webinars.  Specific information related to products is included in the Technical Woodworking Support section.