Dave Sheridan, executive chairman at ilke Homes, comments:
“Today’s figures reveal that housebuilding is bouncing back and this is great to see.
“However, with the pressing need to decarbonise our built environment means that the majority of homes delivered by housebuilders today will have to be retrofitted in a few years to meet the UK’s zero carbon targets.
“This matters because every year that homes are built with old technology, the bill for upgrading these properties grows by tens of millions of pounds, while the cost to the environment also skyrockets. The Committee on Climate Changes has estimated that this could cost upwards of £33,000 per home, meaning that delays in introducing tougher energy efficiency standards will prove costly to taxpayers, homeowners and investors later down the line.
“Therefore, we need a step change in how we deliver homes in the UK. The modular housing sector is delivering homes that are net-zero carbon in use, today, so while we welcome the government’s ambition to increase housing delivery, we urge the housing secretary to bring forward new, green building regulations in the near future to ensure that homes built today are fit for the future.”