Memorandum submitted by the Steel Homes
Group
I should like to comment on behalf of the Steel
Homes Group in response to your recent invitation.
The Steel Homes Group is the representative
organisation for 13 of the major systems suppliers for steel framed
residential construction. It is hosted by the Steel Construction
Institute and further details of the companies can be found through
the website www.steelhomesgroup.com. Our comments are related
to two of the headings for the issues under consideration.
A. THE CODE
FOR SUSTAINABLE
BUILDINGS
1. It is doubtful whether a voluntary code
on its own will deliver the degree of change needed due to the
cost conscious commercial world of construction. Legal measures
or imperative pressures from clients or funders will be necessary.
2. There is very little awareness of the
code outside the narrow range of people involved. This may be
because although the planned date of enforcement is April 2006,
there seems to be slow progress in producing a draft for the public
domain. The delay is worrying if the code is to be enforced by
whatever means from April 2006 as suppliers will need to prepare
compliant designs. The effect of the code will be diminished if
it is unenforceable due to lack of preparedness.
3. We would welcome fiscal measures to encourage
adoption.
B. LPS 2020
We are not aware of any Government consultation
on LPS 2020 but this could be because it is a BRE document.
We have been involved in a consultation workshop with BRE some
12 months ago and await the next draft.
November 2005
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