Senior staff at New Build Group have undertaken intensive training in the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Housing – whose provisions are becoming an ever more important factor in winning planning approvals.

The Code was launched as a voluntary standard in England in 2007 to compliment the system of Energy Performance Certificates demanded by the European Union’s Performance of Buildings directive.

It awards new homes a star rating of 1 – 6 based on their energy efficiency against nine key sustainability criteria.

Assessment can be a complex and costly process, but many planning authorities now require Code 3 as a minimum for granting permission. It follows that applications for houses achieving Code 4 or above have a significantly enhanced chance of winning approval.

New Build Group can offer accurate information on the performance of the houses we supply – thus minimising assessment costs - and free expert advice on how to score highly under the code.