CLG Code
for sustainable Homes: Technical guide - May 2009
This technical guidance manual underpins
the publication: The Code for Sustainable Homes: Setting the standard in sustainability
for new homes that was published on 27 February 2008, and sets out the requirements
for the Code, and the process by which a Code assessment is reached.
What is the Code for Sustainable Homes?
The Code measures the sustainability
of a home against nine design categories, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete
package. The design categories are:
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Energy and CO2 Emissions |
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Pollution |
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Water |
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Heath and Wellbeing |
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Materials |
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Management |
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Surface Water Run-off |
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Ecology |
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Waste |
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The Code offers a tool for home builders to demonstrate the sustainability performance
of their homes, and to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
The sustainability rating system
The Code uses a sustainability rating system – indicated by ‘stars’, to communicate
the overall sustainability performance of a home. A home can achieve a sustainability
rating from one to six stars depending on the extent to which it has achieved Code
standards. One star is the entry level – above the level of the Building Regulations;
and six stars is the highest level – reflecting exemplar development in sustainability
terms.
Achieving a sustainability rating
The sustainability rating which a home achieves represents its overall performance
across the nine Code design categories.
Minimum standards exist for a number of categories – these must be achieved to gain
a one star sustainability rating. Energy efficiency and water efficiency categories
also have minimum standards that must be achieved at every level of the Code, recognising
their importance to the sustainability of any home.
Mandatory ratings
From April 2008, all new social housing has been required to be built to a minimum
of Code level 3. The Code is voluntary for privately built housing. However, also
since May 2008 all new homes have been required to have a Code rating in the Home
Information Pack (HIP). This means that homes built to, and assessed against the
Code, must include the Code certificate within the HIP. Homes not assessed against
the Code must include a nil-rated certificate of non-assessment in the HIP. These
nil rated certificates are available for free from the HIPs website
www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk.
However, currently, apart from the minimum requirements under the Code, the Code
itself is completely flexible and allows developers to choose which and how many
standards they implement to obtain ‘credits’ under the Code in order to achieve
a higher sustainability rating. In order to be accredited they must be assessed
and certified by a licensed Code service provider.
Suppliers of Code services
The implementation of the Code is managed by BRE Global Ltd (formerly BRE Certification
Ltd) under contract to Communities and Local Government (CLG), and under arrangements
based on the EcoHomes operating systems. BRE Global is the main licence holder.
Under the terms of the agreement with CLG, BRE Global issues licences to both assessors
and other Code service providers.
Code service providers are licensed organisations offering Code services including
assessor training, registration and monitoring, quality assurance of assessments,
certification, investigation and resolution of complaints, and maintenance of records.
The May 2009 guidance aims
to make gaining a Code assessment as simple, transparent
and rigorous as possible.
Please visit:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/codeguide
for a copy of the guide which comes into effect on the 8 June 2009, therefore will
apply to homes registered on or after this date. The previous October 2008 version
of the guide applies to homes registered before this date.
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For More Information Contact:
Pav Jawanda
TPP Law Limited
53 Great Suffolk Street
London SE1 ODB
t 020 7620 0888
f 020 7620 0778
e info@tpplaw.co.uk
Email:
Pav
For a full printable version of this press release please
click here
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