VIEWPOINT


HAVE NEW BUILDING REGULATIONS BEEN FULLY UNDERSTOOD?


Dan Love, Commercial Manager – Development & Innovation at Polypipe Building Products, asks, as new technologies emerge and understanding of decarbonisation grows, how will the manufacturing and supply sector navigate its way through what will be the biggest change house building materials in 40 years?


IT IS NOW more than six months since the long-awaited changes in building regulations came into force – and less than six months before the transition period closes.


The changes to parts F and L of the building regulations – and the introduction of part O – came into force in June – but manufacturers are concerned that there is still some apathy or confusion around the rules. Self-builders and those working in repair, maintenance, and improvement will already be working to the new regulations, but businesses which rely on new homes being built may well be surprised at the results of a recent industry survey.


According to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), 52% of small, local builders are not yet prepared or are not aware about the changes. The FMB states that this “puts builders at real risk of delivering new homes or projects that fall short of the new regulations”.


This may create some


uncertainty for trades which rely on new builds – especially for those who supply the products. Polypipe Building Products is asking builders merchants if their customers are ready for the changes.


What are the regulations?


The new building regulations, particularly Part L, are


environmental and sustainability measures which act as a steppingstone to the Future Homes Standard which will be enacted in 2025. The changes in 2022/3 are designed to ensure new homes built from


14


2022 produce 31% less carbon emissions compared to current standards.


However, there is going to be another big leap with the introduction of the Future Homes Standard, which will ensure that homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions.


Part O - Overheating Part O ensures that all new residential buildings, including large occupancy buildings such as care homes and student accommodation, are designed to reduce risk of overheating. It splits England into areas of ‘moderate risk’ and ‘high risk’ of overheating with urban areas being of higher risk.


The regulation sets standards based on whether the house is cross-ventilated, considers orientation of the building, and introduces a new standard for the maximum amount of glazing allowed in a room.


Part L – Conservation of Fuel and Power


Changes to Part L came into force on 15 June in the form of two new Approved Documents addressing conservation of fuel and power. As mentioned previously, CO2 emissions are to be reduced by 31% for homes and 27% for other buildings. The SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) has also changed to SAP 10.2. In this iteration, the carbon factors have been changed in the Target Emissions Rate calculations and electricity now has a significantly lower carbon factor than gas due to the vast improvements in decarbonisation of generation electricity.


Grid electricity is now


considered as producing a lower figure of 136 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour, whereas gas remains unchanged at 210 grams. This will make it much easier for electrically heated buildings to comply with regulations.


Part F – Ventilation


Part F is closely linked with Part L in that regulations are pushing for greater air tightness in new dwellings to further enhance carbon emission performance. Greater air tightness brings with it a greater emphasis on sufficient ventilation and clear air being available within the property.


Kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms and toilets all require minimum continuous extraction rates and all rooms added together must meet a minimum whole house extraction rate, which are much higher under new regulations. A 4-bedroomed dwelling is now required to have 37 litres per second of ventilation rather than 2 l/s before. On-site audits are mandatory under the new regulations, and


they must be evidenced with photographs and geolocation. These audits will be passed on to local building control bodies who will be able to assess compliance with the regulations.


The right date counts It is also important to note that regulations apply based on the date when a plot was started, not when the whole site was started – a departure from previously implemented building regulations.


Failure to provide sufficient evidence, or to comply with new regulations for projects may result in forced changes after completion, demolition of the offending work, or, in the worst instance, prosecution. Prosecution can be pursued for up to two years after completion of the work.


Polypipe Building Products is determined to help all of our customers and partners to prepare for more stringent building regulations, and towards the ultimate aim of net zero residential construction. BMJ


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2022


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