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Delivering a Sustainable Future
The Technical Housing Standards Review and the NPPF
An announcement from the Technical Housing Standards Review Panel is anticipated imminently which we hope will signal improvements to the relevance and compliance efficiency for the currently wide range of housing related standards. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published in March 2012. As we reported last month, the 12 month transitional arrangements formally ended [...]
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Tagged Assessments, BREEAM, Code, Environmental standards, Housing quality, Planning, Sustainability
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Nuisance Pluming from Flues
In addition to the emission of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), flue gases from modern single dwelling boilers and Energy Centres boiler flues can be very visible. Whilst not in itself harmful to humans, the visible nature of plumes may be of concern to residents and is therefore a customer care issue. Careful consideration of the [...]
Part F and drying clothes indoors
Many new homes, particularly flats, are being designed without adequate facilities for drying laundry. A study in Scotland, by the Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit, showed that 87% of households dry their clothes indoors during the heating season, with 64% drying laundry on or near heating sources. The average amount of moisture produced in [...]
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Tagged Air quality, Energy efficiency, Environmental standards, Housing quality, MVHR, Water
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Lifetime Homes – is it practical?
Lifetime Homes is a housing quality standard consisting of 16 design criteria. It was developed in the 1990s to set a range of principles for good housing design that maximises utility, independence and quality of life. The 16 design criteria consider ‘visit-ability’ of the property as well as the potential future needs of the homeowner. [...]
Affordable housing to meet Lifetime Homes criteria by 2011
The Department of Communities and Local Government has pledged an increase in the use of the Lifetime Homes standards to provide adaptable homes that match an individuals’ needs over their lifespan. The Government’s strategy ensures that by 2013 all homes are built to the standards, with the first batch of publicly funded housing to be [...]
Lifetime Homes and smaller dwellings
The 16 Lifetime Homes criteria have been set down to enable adaptable accommodation which will increase the longevity of tenure. However, it is hard for developments to comply where dwellings have limited space such as small studio/one bedroom or houses with narrow frontages. It is especially difficult for developers to meet criteria 7) and 10) [...]
