Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing legislation to make solar panels mandatory for all new house building projects except for in exceptional circumstances.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the noble Lady to the answer given to Question UIN 198649 on 19 September 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to consider introducing measures to ensure that no new housing developments are permitted in areas where the sewage system is already unable to prevent the discharge of raw sewage into neighbouring rivers.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The National Planning Policy Framework expects local planning authorities to plan for the development and infrastructure required in their area, including infrastructure for wastewater and utilities. They should work with other providers, such as sewage companies, to assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure and its ability to meet forecast demands
The Government has made a commitment, as part of its reform package under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, to consult on whether or not we should make water companies statutory consultees on certain planning applications, and if so, how best to do this. It will be important that water companies engage local planning authorities on the right applications at the right time so they can input effectively and not slow down the application process.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 4 July (HL16607), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what recent considerations they have given to making it a requirement that all new homes be fitted with solar panels.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have launched a consultation on options for a meaningful and achievable increase to the energy efficiency standards for new homes to be introduced through the Building Regulations in 2020, as a stepping stone to meeting our commitment to introduce a Future Homes Standard by 2025. Our preferred option for 2020 would achieve a 31% reduction in carbon emissions for an average home. We expect this would be achieved by homes being built with high fabric standards alongside the use of low-carbon heating, such as a heat-pump, or renewables technology, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
The Building Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for new homes and non-domestic buildings, but do not prescribe the technologies, materials or fuels to be used, allowing builders the flexibility to innovate and select the most practical and cost-effective solutions in particular circumstances. For example, many roofs are not suitable for solar PV panels because of visual amenity, age, strength, or orientation of the property. It would therefore be implausible for Government to enforce a blanket requirement to deploy solar PV panels on every new home.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent consideration they have given to making it a requirement that all new homes be fitted with solar panels.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Building Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for new homes and non-domestic buildings. They are deliberately couched in performance terms and do not prescribe the technologies, materials or fuels to be used. For example, many roofs are not suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels because of roof design, age, strength, or building orientation. It would therefore be implausible for a blanket requirement to deploy solar PV on every roof.
We are, however, planning to consult later this year on an uplift to the Building Regulations energy efficiency standards where there are safe, practical, cost-effective, and affordable opportunities to do so.