Council leaders and mayors from across England have joined Sadiq Khan in urging the government to allow local authorities to set higher energy efficiency building standards than those in place nationwide.
In a cross-party letter, co-ordinated by the UK Green Building Council, the mayor of London and fellow local authority chiefs call on the government to scrap a move to restrict local planning authorities from setting higher energy efficiency standards for new homes.
As well as Khan, the letter’s signatories include Andy Burnham and Andy Street, who are mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands respectively, the two largest city-regions outside of London.
The restriction was proposed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of an update to building regulations, including the introduction of a Future Homes Standard, on which a consultation recently closed.
The letter to Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for housing and local government, states that councils must “act urgently” to deliver on carbon reduction targets.
Many local authorities have declared climate emergencies and set targets for their areas to become carbon neutral ahead of the UK as a whole.
“Local leadership is absolutely central to achieving the government’s commitment to net zero carbon,” the letter states. “Restricting local powers would be entirely out of keeping with this”
“Not only would this hold back those areas which want to be more ambitious than the national minimum, but it would also level down areas like London, where developers have successfully been building to a higher standard for several years.
“New building standards are undoubtedly needed – but they must level us up collectively, rather than levelling down.”
It acknowledges the concerns housebuilders may have about implementing different standards in different parts of the country but says the government should therefore publish a trajectory for future uplifts to building regulations.
“This would allow us as local authorities to set higher energy performance standards sooner but in line with future national requirements, with a strong degree of consistency, and offering a clear pathway to zero carbon.
“In other words, we would all be on track for net zero – albeit at slightly different speeds to accommodate our different local contexts.”