The House of Commons will resume its scrutiny of the final Parliamentary stages of the Planning Bill, on 2 June, when its returns from the Whitsun recess.

The 2002 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is currently being revised by the European Commission which is holding a public consultation on the options. The EPBD has been responsible in the UK for substantial increases in building standards and also for energy certification.

Both responses to the disastrous summer 2007 floods and Government plans to tackle flooding have been criticised as inadequate by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee report into flooding* and by Council leaders, potentially calling into question many aspects of its crash programme on new housing and eco-towns. The most serious weakness EFRA finds is that “the 2007 floods revealed that, to date, most organisations – including Government – have focussed almost exclusively on river and coastal flooding, and much less so on surface water and groundwater flooding”.

The International Council of Shopping Centers has decided to work with BREEAM to produce a pan-European version of the standard.

The Planning and Energy Bill received its Report Stage and Third Reading in the House of Commons on 9 May. Michael Fallon’s Private Member’s Bill now goes to the House of Lords.

Business leaders called for improved tax incentives and tightened building regulations at a parliamentary inquiry in early May.

Friends of the Earth has welcomed the 1 August introduction of the much derided home information packs and energy performance certificates.

The government is not enforcing Part L of the Building Regulations, according to John Miller president of the HVCA.

On 1 August, residential energy performance certificates finally came into force,  along with Home Information Packs, in Britain.....

The Government used the 1 August introduction of home information packs to announce new Energy Efficiency Commitment measures for householders.