Member

Turning to Amendment 116, on developments with five or more houses incorporating a communal ground source heat pump, the Government agree with the principle of increasing the deployment of low-carbon heating in new developments. However, the amendment would be likely to limit developers and local authorities to the use of only one technology type in communal developments, restricting consumer choice and potentially limiting innovation of emerging technologies. The building regulations set the energy efficiency and carbon emissions requirements for designing and constructing new homes. They are currently set in performance terms, without prescribing the specific technologies. This means that housebuilders have the flexibility they need to innovate and to select the most cost-effective solutions.