New building standards announced today will hinder the supply of new housing, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Reforms to Part L of the Building Regulations, to be implemented in 2014, will involve a new target for fabric energy efficiency and a 6% improvement on 2010 standards.

Brian Berry, the Chief Executive of the FMB, warned the new standards will hit smaller developers harder and faster than the rest of the industry. He said: "FMB surveys of house-builders indicate the cost implications for smaller developments will be significantly above those estimated by the Government's impact assessments.

-- Advertisement --

"In a still fragile housing market, in which homebuyers are not prepared to pay the extra for energy efficiency, these extra costs will continue to come off the bottom line of builders, threatening the viability of many developments and further hindering hopes of a boost in housing supply. Smaller house-builders without large banks of prior planning consents will be hit first by these changes."

Mr Berry added: "As well as increased costs, the new fabric energy-efficiency standard will involve complex calculations and a steep learning curve. For those small house-builders who have not been building recently, the barriers to re-entry will be raised again."

"The new standards will kick in next year, with a further change in standards already being planned for 2016. Yet very few homes in Britain have been built to the 2010 standards as it is. There is simply too little evidence of how current standards are working on which to base decisions about a further uplift in standards at this point."

(CD/JP)