Council leaders and mayors from across the political spectrum are calling on the Government to abandon proposed restrictions on their ability to cut carbon emissions from housebuilding.
In an open letter to the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, Robert Jenrick, the group, which includes the mayors of London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, demand the freedom to set higher standards than Government is proposing nationally.
The letter urges the Government to scrap its recent proposal – part of the consultation on Part L of the Building Regulations and the Future Homes Standard - to restrict local planning authorities from setting higher energy efficiency standards for dwellings.
It makes the case that ‘local leadership is absolutely central to achieving the Government’s commitment to net zero carbon.’
The letter also emphasises that ‘there are many benefits of reducing carbon emissions from new homes, such as improved health and wellbeing, better design quality and support for advanced methods of construction.’
‘Yet the MHCLG consultation on Part L of the Building Regulations proposes to “restrict local planning authorities from setting higher energy efficiency standards for dwellings”,’ the letter continues.
‘Not only would this hold back those areas which want to be more ambitious than the national minimum, but it would also level down areas like London, where developers have successfully been building to a higher standard for several years.’
