BREEAM V7: What You Need To Know
Posted on November 27th 2025
BREEAM v7 is applicable from 27/01/26 and helps to embed current sustainability practices. Registrations for the current version close on 26.01.26, locking schemes in to v.6.1. There are several changes that developers and designers will need to consider, these include: • Mixed-Use Flexibility Assessments now have more flexibility and can include up to 5 different uses within a single New …
Developers Change Communities for the Better
Posted on November 27th 2025
The government has released the 2025 Indices of Deprivation (IoD), which provides an update to the most recent 2019 statistical release. Indices of deprivation measure relative deprivation in 33,755 small areas or neighbourhoods within England. They measure overall deprivation as well as deprivation of income, employment, education, health, crime, barriers to housing services, and the living environment. Redevelopments have the …
Don’t Let Gateway 2 Freeze Out Your BREEAM and HQM Credits
Posted on October 29th 2025
As Gateway 2 submissions approach, design freeze pressures can lead to missed sustainability opportunities. Elements like commercial refuse stores, cycle storage, and ecological enhancements, which are key for BREEAM and HQM credits, can often be overlooked or value-engineered out if not locked in early. Once Gateway 2 is passed, design changes become difficult and costly, risking the loss of credits …
Circular Economy: You’re Doing More Than You Think
Posted on October 29th 2025
Development teams already embed many circular principles, such as those below. Examples of further steps are illustrated in the image and can help ensure our buildings are resilient and retain long-term value. Designing out waste: Reuse of excavation waste on site, specification of materials with recycled content and, diverting construction waste from landfill, all feed into how you design out …
Retrofit Projects Are Not All Bad
Posted on October 29th 2025
Following the PAS 2035 standard for retrofit projects can help to avoid the impacts of “bad retrofit”, as recently reported following a National Audit Office (NAO) report. Done well, retrofit of existing homes can lead to significant reductions in residents energy bills as well as CO2 emissions from the dwelling. The NAO report found that 98% of retrofit projects that …
Defra Launch Consultation on Part G Water Efficiency Standards
Posted on October 29th 2025
In response to the growing challenge of water scarcity, DEFRA have launched a consultation on the Building Regulations Part G water efficiency standards. Water scarcity is already constraining house building within areas of water stress, such as the Sussex North Water Resource Zone and Cambridgeshire. Meeting the housing targets set by the government will require changes to water efficiency standards …
Heat Network Regulations: A Wake-Up Call For Landlords
Posted on September 30th 2025
From 27 January 2026, landlords operating heat networks and communal heating systems in England will be subject to formal regulation and enforcement by Ofgem. This marks a significant shift in the responsibilities of landlords, who will effectively become regulated energy suppliers under the new framework. The transition to regulation is not just a technical compliance issue – it represents a …
Hodkinson Consultancy a finalist in the Investors in People Awards 2025
Posted on September 30th 2025
Hodkinson Consultancy is delighted to announce that we have been named a finalist in the Investors in People Awards 2025, shortlisted in the Health and Wellbeing (up to 499 employees) category. Over the past few years, we have worked hard to strengthen our culture of health and wellbeing, making meaningful changes that support team of staff both inside and outside …
MEES C & New EPC Methodology
Posted on September 30th 2025
Incoming EPC reforms could increase the difficulty in achieving a ‘C’ rating, an expected requirement for both private and social rented homes from 2030. Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) are planned to be set at an EPC ‘C’ level from 2030. The Government prefers for this to be on a new fabric performance metric rather than the running cost measure …
BREEAM Excellent Limits Architecture
Posted on September 30th 2025
Planning policy in London typically requires larger commercial units to mandate reductions in space heating and cooling demand by achieving BREEAM Excellent. This requirement is demonstrated through the BREEAM ENE 01 credit and differs from other reported metrics at planning, such as CO2 reductions or energy use intensities (EUI). The ENE 01 performance requires a bespoke strategy, especially for units …