WALES BUILDING REGULATIONS
W
ales is well known for its green countryside, and in future years the country may also become famed for its
green buildings, as the Welsh government focuses on sustainable development and the energy performance of buildings. Wales already has carbon targets for new domestic and non-domestic buildings, in addition to those detailed in Building Regulations Part L 2010. This is currently achieved through Welsh national planning policy. But the next major step on the road
to zero carbon buildings is close: on 31 December 2011, the Welsh government will receive the power to make Building Regulations; and the Welsh equivalent to Building Regulations Part L is due to come into force in 2013, following a year of consultations. From 2013 the new regulations are
expected to set even more challenging carbon emissions targets for new buildings in Wales than current national planning policy and Building Regulations. These regulations will impact not only on CIBSE members but everyone involved
in construction in Wales, be it clients, architects, quantity surveyors and contractors.
Code for dwellings But Welsh national planning policy is also facing a shake-up when it comes to environmental standards (rather than energy performance) of buildings. The existing framework for these standards is set out in Planning Policy Wales (PPW), which was introduced in 2009. Under PPW, each proposed new dwelling is expected to be assessed under the Code for Sustainable Homes or an equivalent standard, and a minimum rating achieved. The Code is the most commonly used
environmental assessment method to assess new dwellings. The method comprises a list of actions and standards separated by categories (such as energy and water), the successful application of which gains the award of credits. Credits within each category are worth varying percentages of the fi nal mark due to a ‘weighting’ based on the priority of the environmental issue. The minimum standard expected to be
A view over the River Tawe in Swansea, Wales. The country is to assume new powers to make its own Building Regulations
www.cibsejournal.com
October 2011 CIBSE Journal 39
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