News archive for November, 2020
Home Quality Mark a successor to legacy Code for Sustainable Homes Requirements?
Posted on November 24th 2020
For developers keen to promote construction quality and sustainability standards, and potential benefiting from higher market values, the Home Quality Mark offers an up-to-date alternative to legacy planning conditions requiring Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) certification. Developments that received planning permission before 2015 may be required to achieve council-set levels of the CfSH Standard, especially if it was required through …
Thinking of connecting to an existing CHP network? Beware the spectre of new part L
Posted on November 24th 2020
The trajectory as set out in the New London Plan and consultation Part L 2020 is clear in relation to new gas Combined Heat & Power (CHP). It is heavily discouraged in the former and will not comply under the latter. But what of connections to networks with existing or already consented CHP? Well, until the release of the adopted …
Enhanced Acoustic Capability
Posted on November 24th 2020
We are pleased to announce that Colin Cobbing has joined us to lead the Hodkinson Acoustics Team. Colin is recognised as a leading expert in the UK in planning and noise and has significantly influenced and shaped best practice in the UK in noise assessment and sustainable design and has been closely involved in the production of many of the …
CIBSE Weather File vs. 2020
Posted on November 24th 2020
Our data shows that the summer of 2020 was hotter than the climate data used in overheating modelling. Good quality homes should be designed to last a lifetime, yet overheating mitigation strategies are currently developed using 2020s weather files. It could be argued that these weather files are now out of date, as we are coming towards the end of …