Government may ditch its own green standard for eco-towns

Building has seen draft guidance, written by external consultants for the communities department, that suggests that eco-town homes should instead be measured against a European model of energy output per square metre.

The draft guidance says that the code’s emphasis on using on-site renewables to make homes carbon neutral makes little sense in developments of the scale of eco-towns. It says: “The proposed size of the eco-towns would make district-wide renewable power significantly more viable than on-plot microgeneration, allowing the adoption of simpler and more consumer-orientated measurement.” The eco-towns are intended to include up to 20,000 homes.

However, the suggested level of output – 120kWh/m2 – means the homes would not actually reach zero carbon unless all of the electricity provided was from renewables.

The size of the eco-towns would make district-wide renewable power a more viable option

Draft Guidance

The news comes as communities department officials are being lobbied to look at alternatives to the Code for Sustainable Homes, which developers say will add unnecessary costs to development.

It also comes amid continuing delays to a consultation on how to define zero carbon within the Code for Sustainable Homes. Originally planned for the summer, sources suggest it is now unclear if it will be out before Christmas.