Launch of new BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential
Since the deregulation of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) in 2015, broader sustainability certification requirements have largely been absent from planning policy for domestic properties. Instead, the focus has been on specific technical areas, primarily energy performance through required improvements over Part L Building Regulations.
This contrasts with non-domestic buildings, where most local authorities in London, and many across the UK, have planning policies for BREEAM certification, with required attainment levels gradually rising as sustainability priorities move higher up agendas.
The Home Quality Mark (HQM) was the nearest replacement to the CfSH, in that it was a sustainability accreditation for domestic buildings, but given its voluntary nature, was never driven through planning policy in the same way as its predecessor. However, an increasing number of local authorities are now including the HQM in their new local plans and core strategies, either as a requirement or as a strong encouragement to be used. This aligns with the increasing priority of sustainability and recognition that it encompasses a range of topics and is not focussed just on energy performance. In parallel, an increasing number of developers are using the HQM to assess their homes as a way of demonstrating their sustainability credentials.
Given all of the above, it is therefore a well-timed and positive step that the Home Quality Mark will, from 16th April, be renamed as BREEAM UK New Construction: Residential and will fall under the umbrella of all other BREEAM certifications that are widely recognised as a benchmark of sustainability performance.
In conjunction with the rebrand, a new version will be launched providing some significant improvements to some key credit areas, aligning the standard with industry methodologies. The most noteworthy of these is the building lifecycle assessment, with modelling now able to be undertaken at a building level (rather than dwelling level) and benchmarking in line with industry standards. This brings the methodology in line with that used by developers as part of planning and reporting, thereby ensuring greater comparability and benchmarking between projects.
