The UK government is under fire for proposals that would limit the ability of English local councils to enforce stricter standards for low-carbon housing, according to critics who say the changes favor the interests of the construction industry over climate goals.

Impact on Climate and Energy Standards

New planning guidance, currently under consultation, would restrict councils from requiring builders to construct homes to the highest energy efficiency standards. The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) are seen as a move that would bind local authorities’ hands, despite many of them declaring a ‘climate emergency.’

The proposed rules would effectively ensure that housebuilders across England face the same standards, reducing the variability in building quality. However, this could also prevent councils from pushing for more ambitious energy-efficient measures, such as requiring solar panels, heat pumps, or high-grade insulation.

According to a document seen by the Guardian, the government is focusing on ‘performance outcomes’ rather than mandating specific technologies under the Future Homes Standard (FHS). This approach, critics say, could allow builders to avoid installing key clean technologies, or install only minimal solar panels.

Concerns Over Hydrogen and Gas Grid Ties

There are also fears that the FHS may not go far enough in reducing carbon emissions from new homes. One concern is that builders might seek to connect new homes to the gas grid, citing ‘hydrogen ready’ boilers, despite scientific evidence showing hydrogen is not currently viable for domestic heating.

Experts warn that the combination of the proposed changes to the NPPF and the delayed FHS rules could create a ceiling on low-carbon building, preventing councils from mandating technologies that may not be included in the FHS. This includes measures like requiring batteries in addition to solar panels, which would increase costs for developers but save money for households in the long run.

Call for Stronger Local Standards

A coalition of over 60 organizations, including local authorities, businesses, and civil society groups, has written to Housing Secretary Steve Reed, urging him to reconsider the proposed planning policy changes. They argue that the rules would prevent local authorities from adopting more advanced energy efficiency standards, which are crucial for addressing fuel poverty and delivering truly zero-carbon homes.

Magnus Gallie, senior planner at Friends of the Earth, said the proposed changes would ‘effectively prevent local authorities from adopting advanced energy efficiency standards that go above and beyond the current, inadequate building regulations for greener homes.’

Gallie added: ‘With the climate crisis already a reality, we need our homes to be fit for the future, not planning policy watered down to appease developers.’

Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the FHS is a ‘real opportunity to ensure that new homes are better quality and cheaper to live in,’ but limiting the ability of local authorities to set higher standards could ‘stunt more ambitious projects.’

Ralston warned that the government’s approach might be ‘in thrall to the major housebuilders lobbying,’ and that households could suffer as a result of the weakened regulations.

Labour has set a target of building 1.5 million new homes, but the party is already falling behind schedule. Critics argue that the current planning rules and delays in implementing the FHS will make it even harder to meet this goal while ensuring homes are energy efficient and climate-friendly.

The government has not yet published the much-delayed FHS rules, and the consultation on the NPPF changes is ongoing. Environmental groups and local councils are calling for the government to reconsider the proposed changes and to allow local authorities greater flexibility in setting building standards.