Enabling power for allowable solutions: final impact assessment
This impact assessment considers the costs and benefits of the enabling power in the Infrastructure Act for allowable solutions.
Applies to England
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Section 37 of the Infrastructure Act 2015 extends the scope of the Building Act 1984 to provide the power to enable Building Regulations to cover off-site carbon abatement measures and to provide the powers needed to implement the necessary delivery framework for allowable solutions through the Building Regulations.
The government is committed to implementing the zero carbon homes standard from 2016 but recognises that it may not be technically feasible or cost effective to meet the standard just through measures on or directly connected to the building.
The government therefore intends to set a minimum on-site energy performance standard for new homes through the Building Regulations and for the remainder of the zero carbon homes standard to be met by house builders supporting off-site carbon abatement measures, doing more on-site measures or a combination of both – these are termed ‘allowable solutions’.