HBF: Environmental standards may raise homebuilding costs
Date posted: 02 Sep 2009
New housing developments could be jeopardised by the extra cost of environmental measures, according to one trade body.
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) believes that new-build houses may face added costs of between £5,000 and £7,000 to meet the government's environmental standards.
Steve Turner, the HBF's head of communications, believes that ministerial plans to improve the sustainability of future homes may put some developers off house building projects.
New housing developments could be jeopardised by the extra cost of environmental measures, according to one trade body.
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) believes that new-build houses may face added costs of between £5,000 and £7,000 to meet the government''s environmental standards.
Steve Turner, the HBF''s head of communications, believes that ministerial plans to improve the sustainability of future homes may put some developers off house building projects.
He commented: "It is more of a threat to development viability as opposed to a threat to the end user, because you cannot just pass all the costs onto the end user.
"People are struggling to get mortgages now and they will not be able to afford that increase in cost."
He added that proposed house building projects may face a range of regulatory costs over the coming years as the government seeks to cut the UK''s carbon footprint.
The government this week announced plans to lower the country''s carbon emissions by ten per cent by the year 2010, focusing on how homes and businesses can install energy efficient measures.
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