The building regulations are constantly evolving. On the 24th March, the government announced the latest changes which will come in to force in March 2027. The changes mainly relate to the Future Homes Standard, which is the next step in progress towards zero carbon houses.
Some of the changes have been in the news. The changes are significant because they will change the way new dwellings are designed, both new build and conversion of existing buildings. Those changes which you might notice include:
Solar panels will be needed, at least 40% of the footprint
Fossil fuel boilers will not be allowed so heat pumps will become the standard for new dwellings
Higher targets for insulation levels will mean thicker external walls, roofs and floors; for conversions this will mean that some buildings can not be converted or that there is no longer enough headroom for a second floor
Dwellings will be better sealed so mechanical ventilation will become standard; this will mean deeper first floors
Designs will need to take account of potential overheating so may need fewer, and smaller, windows.
There will also be a lot of technical details which will change the way designs meet the regulations, increasing the amount of work involved in preparing and assessing them.
The changes are important because designs which are on the drawing board now may not get planning for some time, so they need to be flexible enough to meet the new regulations if needed.
Acorus will make sure that your designs, whether for a new build dwelling or for a conversion, will be capable of meeting the regulations as they stand and be flexible enough to meet the proposed changes so that you do not get planning permission for something which can not be built.
