Housebuilders in Wales have raised concerns that the decision of the Welsh Assembly Government  (WAG) to introduce a target for all  new homes built by 2011 to be carbon neutral – as part of a wider policy to combat climate change in the principality – could undermine the Welsh house-building industry, because the target is being introduced in Wales five years before England.

The One Wales coalition agreement between Labour, and nationalist party Plaid Cymru, last year,  established the aim of meeting the ambitious sustainable building target by 2011, based on a combination of more sustainable building materials, much better  insulation and energy efficient innovations, including microgeneration.

However, a WAG spokesman commented: “We have made a One Wales commitment to pursue the devolution of Building Regulations and are taking part in ongoing discussions with the UK Government to achieve this.”

u http://www.assemblywales.org