The Code for Sustainable Homes
On the 27 February 2008 the Government confirmed that from 1 May 2008 it would be mandatory for all new homes to have a rating against the Code.
In April 2007 the Code for Sustainable Homes replaced Ecohomes for the assessment of new housing in England. The Code is an environmental assessment method for new homes based upon BRE’s Ecohomes and contains mandatory performance levels in 7 key areas. The Code aims to protect the environment by providing guidance on the construction of high performance homes built with sustainability in mind. BRE and CLG have worked closely together to ensure that the Code meets the latest regulatory requirements and addresses issues that emerged from an earlier industry wide consultation.
The Scope of the Code
Many house builders who currently use Ecohomes will find the credit system of the Code familiar. Users will notice that there are new mandatory minimum levels of performance that have been introduced across 7 key issues:
- Energy efficiency /CO2
- Water efficiency
- Surface water management
- Site Waste Management
- Household Waste Management
- Use of Materials
- Lifetime homes (applies to Code Level 6 only)
The Code Scoring System
The Code has a scoring system of six levels. The different levels are made up by achieving both the appropriate mandatory minimum standards together with a proportion of the ‘flexible’ standards.
Further information regarding the Code including a copy of the Code for Sustainable Homes: Setting the standard for sustainability in new homes can be downloaded from the CLG website.
Compliance with the Code
Code assessments are carried out in two phases:
- An initial assessment and interim certification is carried out at the design stage
- Final assessment and certification is carried out after construction, see below:
Design Stage Review
Based on design drawings, specifications and commitments – Results in interim certificate of compliance.
Post Construction Review
Based on the design stage review – Confirmation of compliance including site records and visual inspection.
Posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 12:02 pm under News articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
