The Code for Sustainable Homes

This page gives you quick and easy access to information and background on the Code for Sustainable Homes, a new national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes. The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against nine categories of sustainable design and provides valuable information to home buyers and a tool for builders. We will update the page as and when further information becomes available.

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The Code for Sustainable Homes

This section gives the latest information on the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Publications

• Greener Homes for the Future (Communities and Local Government)
  This leaflet highlights what the Code for Sustainable Homes is, how it works and what it means to have a mandatory rating for new homes.
• Code for Sustainable Homes: Technical guide - April 2008 (Communities and Local Government)
  This technical guidance manual sets out the requirements for the Code and the process for a Code assessment. It aims to make gaining a Code assessment as simple, transparent and rigorous as possible, inspiring confidence in Code assessors, home builders, product manufacturers and consumers.
• The Code for Sustainable Homes: Setting the standard in sustainability for new homes (Communities and Local Government)
  This document sets out the assessment process and the performance standards required for the Code for Sustainable Homes. The Code will improve the overall sustainability of new homes by setting a single national standard within which the home building industry can design and construct homes to higher environmental standards.
• Assessing the Cost of Compliance with the Code for Sustainable Homes (Environment Agency)
  This report assesses the cost of compliance with the water use aspects of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
• Cracking the Code: How to achieve Code level three and above (Housing Corporation)
  This guide helps housing associations and developers to kick-start the process of attaining Code ratings and complements the formal Code for Sustainable Homes technical guidance.
• Sustainable Buildings Research Newsletter 2007-08 (Communities and Local Government)
  This newsletter contains details of the new projects in Communities and Local Government's sustainable building regulations research and development programme for 2007-08.

Related links

• Code for Sustainable Homes (Communities and Local Government)
  The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. It is a voluntary star rating system that shows the sustainability of a new home as a complete package. It is a flexible framework that enables developers to demonstrate the sustainability of new homes. For consumers it is a mark of quality, giving them information they can trust. It sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level and, within England, replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by the Building Research Establishment.
• Code for Sustainable Homes (Planning Portal)
  This page gives information on the Code for Sustainable Homes, which is a national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes. By integrating elements of this voluntary Code into new homes and obtaining assessments against the Code, developers will be able to obtain a star rating for any new home, which will demonstrate its environmental performance.
• The Code for Sustainable Homes: Code training and accreditation services - BRE (Guest contributor)
  This page gives information on BRE's accreditation role in the enforcement of the Code for Sustainable Homes. A Code assessment can only be carried out by a licensed and accredited Code assessor. This ensures the rating is independent and trustworthy.
• The Code for Sustainable Homes: Code training and accreditation services - Stroma (Guest contributor)
  This page gives information on Stroma's accreditation role in the enforcement of the Code for Sustainable Homes. A Code assessment can only be carried out by a licensed and accredited Code assessor. This ensures the rating is independent and trustworthy.
• The Code for Sustainable Homes: Videos (Communities and Local Government)
  This page links to two short films on the Code for Sustainable Homes. The first one explains what the Code is, its benefits and how it contributes to other policies, in particular zero carbon development. The second film features the first Code homes in the country and highlights some of the sustainability features that you can expect to see in homes built to Code standards.

News 

• Experts challenge developers to raise their game on eco-towns (Communities and Local Government)
• New housing and jobs for Yorkshire and Humber (Communities and Local Government)
  
  

Other useful information

This section gives background and other useful information by subject.

Beacon scheme

• Beacon Scheme Application Information (IdeA)
  This page gives information on applying to the Beacon scheme. It provides information on the round 10 themes, including Homes for the Future: how authorities are working to ensure that citizens have the opportunity to live in strong, safe communities with quality, sustainable and affordable housing (now and with new builds).

Developing the Code for Sustainable Homes

• The Future of the Code for Sustainable Homes: Making a rating mandatory - Summary of responses (Communities and Local Government)
  This document provides a summary of responses to a consultation on proposals for making it mandatory for new homes to be rated against the Code for Sustainable Homes. As a result of this consultation, the Government will be proceeding with the proposals for mandatory rating against the Code.
• The Future of the Code for Sustainable Homes: Making a rating mandatory (Communities and Local Government)
  This consultation follows on from an earlier consultation, Building a Greener Future: Towards zero carbon development, which asked if rating against the Code should be mandatory. It explores this question in more detail and seeks views on the connection between the Code and energy performance certificates.
• Proposals to Introduce a Code for Sustainable Homes: Regulatory impact assessment (Communities and Local Government)
  This regulatory impact assessment considers the potential impact of the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes in England. It fully considers the costs and benefits of introducing the Code as voluntary from April 2007.
• Code for Sustainable Homes: A step-change in sustainable home building practice (Planning Portal)
  This booklet explains what the Code for Sustainable Homes is and how it works. It also includes tables showing the criteria that assessors will use to measure achievement of sustainability performance under the Code.
• Code for Sustainable Homes: Sustainable Development Commission response (Sustainable Development Commission)
  This is the Sustainable Development Commission's response to the consultation on the Code for Sustainable Homes. It says that key environmental challenges, including climate change, water stress, materials use and waste, must be tackled if the proposed step change in housing supply is to be realised sustainably.
• Proposals for Introducing a Code for Sustainable Homes: A consultation paper (Communities and Local Government)
  This consultation seeks views on the Code for Sustainable Homes, which signals a new direction for building standards. Wherever practicable, the department intends to develop and introduce a system of sustainable building standards based on voluntary compliance.

Eco-towns

• Eco-towns: Living a greener future - Consultation paper (Communities and Local Government)
  Eco-towns offer the opportunity to achieve high standards of sustainable living while also maximising the potential for affordable housing. This consultation seeks the public's views on the vision for eco-towns and the shortlisted locations proposed.
• Eco-towns Prospectus (Communities and Local Government)
  This prospectus outlines the Government's eco-towns strategy. Eco-towns will be small new towns of at least 5,000 to 20,000 homes. They are intended to exploit the potential to create a complete new settlement to achieve zero-carbon development and more sustainable living using the best new design and architecture.
• Eco-towns Assessment Summaries (Communities and Local Government)
  This document summarises the assessments of several eco-town proposals, focusing on transport and environment issues.
• From Rust-belt to Eco-city (Improvement and Development Agency)
  Robin Hambleton, Professor of City Leadership in the Faculty of Environment and Technology at the University of the West of England, Bristol, examines the bold steps taken by Malmö, Sweden, to respond to the challenges of climate change. 

Energy and water efficiency

• Energy Performance of Buildings (Communities and Local Government)
  This page gives information on the Government's plans to improve energy efficiency and performance in all UK buildings through the use of energy performance certificates and an inspection regime. The plans are part of  the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
• Energy Assessor Qualification and Accreditation (Communities and Local Government)
  This page gives information on energy assessor qualification and accreditation. To protect consumers, accredited assessors must be suitably qualified or competent to produce energy assessments.
• Water Efficiency in New Buildings: A joint Defra and Communities and Local Government policy statement (Communities and Local Government and Defra)
  This document provides a brief summary of the key findings  coming out of the responses to the Government's consultation paper, Water Efficiency in New Buildings, published in December 2006. It sets out how the Government proposes to bring forward regulations to implement minimum standards of water efficiency for new buildings and key fittings.
• Building Regulations: Energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings - A forward look at what standards may be in 2010 and 2013 (Communities and Local Government)
  This pamphlet outlines the issues that will need to be addressed in the forthcoming review of the energy efficiency requirements for new dwellings in Part L of the building regulations to support the proposals outlined in the housing green paper for zero carbon and sustainable homes.
• Regulatory Impact Assessment: Energy Performance of Buildings Directive - Articles 7-10 (Amendment of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007) (Communities and Local Government)
  This regulatory impact assessment estimates the impact of the amendment to the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2007 necessary to align with changes to the implementation of home information packs.
• UK Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2007 (Defra)
  This document covers the Government's plan to improve energy efficiency across the household, non-household, public and transport sectors. 
• The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/991) (Communities and Local Government)
  This circular has been issued to local authorities and building control bodies to highlight new powers and obligations under the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) Regulations 2007 (SI/991).
• Mandating Water Efficiency in New Buildings: Consultation document (Communities and Local Government)
  This consultation document seeks views on the Government's proposals to make minimum standards of water efficiency performance mandatory in all new homes and new commercial developments. These standards will underpin those set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes. The document seeks opinions on various options, and sets out the costs and benefits (reduced consumer demand for water supply, carbon savings etc) that would result. This document is an important stepping stone towards a more sustainable building stock for the future.
• Impact Assessment: The next steps - Energy performance certificates and the establishment of the Green Homes Service (Communities and Local Government)
  This document looks at the impact of measures to widen access to energy performance certificate registers.
• Consultation: The next steps - Energy performance certificates and the establishment of the Green Homes Service (Communities and Local Government)
  This consultation seeks views on a number of practical steps for making energy performance certificates more accessible to help drive changes in behaviour.
• Energy Performance Certificates for Dwellings in the Social and Private Rented Sectors: A guide for landlords (Communities and Local Government)
  This publication provides guidance to landlords in the social and private rented sectors to help them understand their responsibility for making energy performance certificates available when renting a property.
• Buildings in England and Wales score an average ‘C’ energy rating (Communities and Local Government)

Home Information Packs

• Home Information Pack Website (Communities and Local Government)
  This website is designed to give those in the industry more information on the home information packs that are designed to improve the process of buying and selling a home. There are also useful details for home buyers and sellers.
• Home Information Packs: Information for Housing associations and local authorities (Communities and Local Government)
  From 1 August 2007 a residential property of four or more bedrooms being marketed to the public for sale with vacant possession will require a home information pack. This page gives information for housing associations and local authorities about their obligations, enforcement and the complaints procedure.
• Home Information Packs and Energy Performance Certificates (Communities and Local Government)
  This letter gives energy assessors and home inspectors further information on the introduction of home information packs and energy performance certificates.
• The Home Information Pack (Communities and Local Government)
  This page provides links to documents on the home information pack. The packs are being introduced to improve the process of buying and selling a home.

Household CO2 emissions

• News release: Green ratings to benefit all home buyers (Communities and Local Government)
  This link opens in a new window.
• Action in the UK: Tackling household carbon emissions (Defra)
  This page contains information about Government policies and programmes to reduce carbon emissions in the household sector.

Planning, building and the environment

• Impact Assessment of the Planning Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change (Communities and Local Government)
  This impact assessment examines the costs and benefits of the new planning policy statement on planning and climate change.
• Planning Policy Statement: Planning and climate change - Developing practice guidance (Communities and Local Government)
  This page gives information about the development of guidance based on the planning policy statement on climate change.
• Planning Policy Statement: Planning and climate change - Supplement to planning policy statement one (Communities and Local Government)
  This supplement sets out how planning, in providing for the new homes, jobs and infrastructure needed by communities, should help shape places with lower carbon emissions that are resilient to climate change.
• Planning Policy Statement: Planning and climate change (Communities and Local Government)
  This sets out how planning, in providing for new homes, jobs and infrastructure needed by communities, should help shape places that have lower carbon emissions and are resilient to climate change.

Sustainable development

• Sponge Sustainability Network (Guest contributor)
  This website gives information on Sponge, which is a network of individuals who share a particular interest in sustainable development. These individuals generally work on the development of the built environment.
• Building Sustainable Transport into New Developments: A menu of options for growth points and eco-towns (Department for Transport)
  This document is aimed at all those involved in the planning, design and construction of new housing developments. It sets out advice on how to build an effective sustainable transport system in new developments, from the planning to the implementation stage. It recommends a variety of transport options to integrate and adopt according to the location and needs of the individual development.
• Sustainable Construction (BERR)
  This page gives information on sustainable construction initiatives, including the strategy for sustainable construction consultation and the Code for Sustainable Homes.
• BERR: Sustainable development information (BERR)
  This page gives information about how to achieve sustainable development across a spectrum of business enterprises, including estate management, construction,  retail and transport. It also offers suggestions for sustainable energy use in the home.
• Building a Sustainable Future: UK home builders' progress in addressing sustainability (Housing Corporation)
  This review of the UK’s top 20 home builders, who are responsible for delivering more than 95,000 homes each year, aims to provide a detailed picture of how the sector is facing up to the challenge of building sustainable homes and communities.
• Sustainable Design, Climate Change and the Built Environment (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment)
  This briefing paper sets out what the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment will do to address the issues of sustainable design and climate change, and the action that is needed from the public and private sectors. It is intended for policy makers in central, regional and local government, public sector bodies, and key players in the construction and development industry.
• Homes for the Future: More affordable, more sustainable - Housing green paper (Communities and Local Government)
  The Government wants everyone to have access to a decent home at a price they can afford, in a place where they want to live and work. This green paper sets out its proposals to increase the supply of housing, and provide well-designed and greener homes that are supported by infrastructure and more affordable homes to buy or rent.
• Building a Greener Future: Consultation document (Communities and Local Government)
  This consultation document seeks views on the Government's proposals to reduce the carbon footprint of new housing development. It sets out the Government's views on the importance of moving towards zero carbon in new housing. It explores the relationship between the planning system, Code for Sustainable Homes and building regulations in delivering the Government's ambitions for zero carbon. It also proposes a timetable for revising the building regulations so as to reach zero carbon development in all new housing in England and Wales.
• A Guide for Developers (Environment Agency)
  These Environment Agency pages provide practical advice on making building developments better for people and the environment.
• The Green Home: Speech by Caroline Flint (Communities and Local Government)
  This is a transcript of the speech given by Housing Minister Caroline Flint at the opening of the Barratt Green House at the Building Research Establishment on 15 May 2008. She says that England is now a world leader in green building.
• Selling Sustainability: A report from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA)
  This report examines how the UK can bridge the gap between recognising responsibility and taking action on climate change, especially in the realm of the built environment.