Building Regulations

Old Regs

All sites for which Planning permission was granted before the first of April 2006 are required to comply with Building regulations Part L, the “old regulations”.

Under the old regulations there are three ways in which the efficiency and energy consumption of a building can be measured. The requirement is for the building to comply under any one of the three methods. These three methods are:

• Carbon Index Method
• Target U Value Method
• Elemental Method

If you are inheriting a site which has been passed under Old Regs, and you need any advice, please call us.

New Regs

L1A

Under the new regulations, compliance is ensured by one method. For each dwelling, the size and configuration automatically results in a target value being set according to clearly defined rules. This Target value, the Target Emission Rate, or TER, provides a static target for which we can aim.
By performing the calculations defined under the Building Regulations Part L1A, a value for the dwelling which is dependant upon many factors relating to the construction and design of the building can be produced. This is the Dwelling Emission Rate or DER. The DER must be less than or equal to the TER for compliance to be achieved.

L2A

Sites for which Planning Permission was granted after the first of April 2006 will need to comply with Building Regulations Part L1A, the “new regulations”.

Under the new regulations compliance is ensured by one method. For each dwelling, the size and configuration automatically results in a target value being set according to clearly defined rules. This Target value, the Target Emission Rate, or TER, provides a static target for which we can aim.

All New Buildings

Whether SAP assessments are required under Old Regulations or under New Regulations, there is a two stage process that needs to be performed:

a) Design SAPs - evaluating a proposed design based upon architects drawings and other information provided.

b) As-Built SAPs - when the build is complete, details are provided of any variations, agreed or otherwise, to the Design build specification so that the SAP can be updated to an As-Built, making it ready for production of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

Existing Buildings

There are two areas here, existing dwellings that will be changing hands without any building occurring; and refurbishments, conversion and extension.
The former involves an assessment called RdSAP, meaning Reduced Data SAP, and is the survey system that the UK Government has developed for Energy Performance Certificates in existing homes. It is a reduced data set from the SAP conventions as many SAP data items cannot be physically seen in an existing home.

Refurbishments, conversions and extensions to domestic residential buildings are covered by Building Regulations Part L1B.

Refurbishments, conversions and extensions to non domestic buildings are covered by Building Regulations Part L2B.

Future Build

At the present time Code Level 3 (see Code for Sustainable Homes) is a requirement for most Housing Association properties. This represents, among other issues, a SAP rating that gives a Carbon Dioxide Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) that is a 25% improvement over the Target Emission Rate (TER).

Additionally, ‘Set Aside’ schemes are being adopted across the country by Local Authorities, whereby certain percentages of new sites must be dedicated to Affordable Housing, Housing Associations, or other schemes that allow less advantaged people to get housing, or even to get onto the housing ladder.
Over the coming years the requirements are going to become more exacting with the eventual aim of Zero Carbon houses by the year 2016. This equates to Code level 6 under the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The proportion of ‘Set Aside’ is likely to increase as well, and within the next few years it will be these that set the standard for housing generally.
It is also envisaged that house prices will become tied in to, or at least strongly affected by, the performance of the house, those with greater quality of build as reflected in higher SAP ratings and lower running costs, attracting higher prices.