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BESA urges government to act quickly on healthy buildings


T


he government must commit to a fully funded national programme of building retrofi ts that has human health and wellbeing at heart,


according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).


The Association, which represents fi rms working


across the residential and commercial building sectors, said improving standards in homes would help to drive economic growth in line with government targets, improve social outcomes, and create jobs.


It has backed a new mission paper launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Healthy Homes and Buildings (HHB). It sets out a series of policy changes and political strategies, including mandating minimum housing standards and investing in the regeneration of substandard homes. BESA said “an urgent commitment” to creating better buildings would reduce pressure on the NHS and cut crime. Embedding indoor air quality (IAQ) standards into housing policy would also help tackle the growing scandal of damp and mould, which is linked to a national epidemic of respiratory disease. It backed the APPG’s appeal for the government to include IAQ measures in energy performance certifi cates (EPCs) and emphasised how the work needed to decarbonise buildings would make them healthier.


“Putting high-quality, energy-effi cient homes at the heart of its growth agenda will help the government meet its net-zero targets and create tens of thousands of new ‘green’ jobs,” said BESA’s technical director, Kevin Morrissey.


BESA is one of the sponsors of the all-party group, whose ‘Mission for Change’ paper calls for urgent action to address “health inequalities and embed wellbeing principles in future legislation.” It said that 1 in 10 people lived in poor-quality housing, costing the NHS £1.4 billion annually. The


MPs who made up the group said the government needed to recognise the central importance of healthy homes and buildings to delivering its fi ve primary missions: stronger, safer communities, an NHS fi t for the future, breaking down barriers to opportunity, making Britain a clean energy superpower, and kickstarting economic growth. “Everyone has the right to live in a healthy home,” said the APPG chair, Lord Bethel. “The government must now take a holistic, joined-up approach that recognises the inextricable link between health and housing.


“Poor-quality homes contribute to worsening health outcomes, increased NHS costs, lower educational attainment and deeper social inequality,” he added.


The parliamentary group estimated that a national


retrofi t strategy would create 500,000 jobs and increase household disposable income by 2%. It added that healthier homes could save £600 million per year and generate a greener economy and a healthier, more skilled and productive workforce.


BESA also noted that “cold, damp, and mouldy homes had the worst impact on vulnerable groups, like the elderly and children” and cited the APPG’s fi nding that they would cost the NHS £136bn over the next 30 years in health and social care. The poor ventilation standards in many homes and buildings are a major health issue and have long been a source of concern for BESA and its members. The APPG claimed that 80% of ventilation systems did not comply with building regulations and best practices.


This will be a focus for BESA’s campaign to support national Clean Air Day, which includes two sponsored walks in support of the Ella Roberta Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness of air pollution and its impact on human health.


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