Technical newsletters about emerging issues & our latest research

When Developments Will Be Impacted by the Next Building Regulations

Posted on June 30th 2025

The Future Homes and Building Standards (FHS) are expected later this year, following recent Government updates. The charts below reflect the latest information and indicate whether your development must comply. Other than requirement for PV, none of the other requirements have been confirmed yet. The consultation also proposed to alter the definition of commencement, therefore tightening grandfathering rules. The proposal …

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Government Engaged in Improving Embodied Carbon Performance

Posted on June 30th 2025

The government is stepping in to assist construction and infrastructure projects that are already reducing their embodied carbon emissions. They have launched a consultation aimed at carbon labelling materials, starting with concrete and steel due to their greater associated emissions. Much like energy labels on white goods, they highlight that this will help simplify the procurement of lower-carbon products, supporting …

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The Next London Plan

Posted on June 30th 2025

The GLA have signalled that the next London Plan will continue to strengthen its focus on energy and sustainability.  The GLA has detailed that they are targeting adoption of the next London Plan in 2028, following a consultation on the detailed proposal in 2026 and submission to the Planning Inspectorate in 2027. Below is a summary of the energy and …

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Hodkinson Celebrates Awards

Posted on June 30th 2025

We are proud to announce that we have been formally recognised by Investors in People for our ongoing commitment to both employee experience and wellbeing. At the recent Invest in People Celebration Event, our Director of People and Culture, Zeta Stebbings, accepted two awards on behalf of the company: Gold Accreditation in We Invest in People Standard Accreditation in We …

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Progress in Reducing Emissions – But What about Timing?

Posted on May 30th 2025

We have been reflecting on our portfolio of CO₂ assessments and the general industry trajectory over the last couple of years, and found that: There is anecdotal evidence that embodied CO2e is lower today vs 2-3 years ago for new projects; There has been a reduction in regulated operational CO2 performance because of new Building Regulations and enhanced planning requirements; …

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SAP to Continue with HEM

Posted on May 30th 2025

The Government quietly announced this month that the Future Home Standard (FHS) will use an updated SAP alongside the Home Energy Model (HEM). The release of the FHS should be expected later this year. Retention of SAP should result in a smoother transition for developers, with less uncertainty of results and without the additional cost of procuring HEM calculations. It …

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Planning Success for Southbend

Posted on May 30th 2025

We are pleased to have supported AR18 in securing planning consent for their proposed new Warehouse in Kings Langley. The approved two-storey development is tailored to house their advanced warehouse, workshops, assembly areas and office space, all within a single, efficient site. Set into the sloping landscape, the building exemplifies environmental responsibility and innovative design. It is set to achieve …

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BREEAM Fees Set to Increase from May 2025

Posted on April 10th 2025

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has confirmed a new round of fee increases for BREEAM certification, set to take effect from 1st May 2025. While existing developments already registered under BREEAM will maintain the fees applicable at the time of registration, any new projects registered on or after 1st May will be subject to the revised charges. For developers and …

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Emerging inclusion of WLCA in Local Plans

Posted on April 9th 2025

Several local authorities are following London’s lead and requiring whole life cycle carbon assessments to be conducted for submission at planning. The table below shows the authorities that have adopted, or are considering, a requirement to conduct the assessment. Several of the adopted Local Plans introduce targets or benchmarks that require consideration alongside design. Whole life cycle carbon emission assessments …

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Landlords, Heat and Regulations

Posted on April 9th 2025

Proposed consumer protection regulations for the supply of heat will impact all new and existing heat suppliers, but landlords of residential properties will face some unique challenges that need to be considered early.  Current proposals include: “Unbundling” heat charges from rent or service charges; Limiting back-billing for heat consumption to 12 months; Banning heat suppliers from evicting customers due to …

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