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More green buildings warnings for developers and councils

Poorly performing properties could be hit with vehicle excise duty style levies, a leading property chief warned today.

Speaking at the SCORe conference run by refurbishment specialists Overbury, Matt Fulford, head of sustainability at EC Harris, also said warned that even those buildings that meet all Part L building regulations will only achieve a grade C energy performance certificate (EPC).

Most current commercial properties can only expect a low F or G rating under the recently introduced EPC scheme.

Meanwhile, the BPF’s chief executive Liz Peace added that “the property industry should not be expected to run power stations”, in regard to increasing renewable energy commitments. Ms Peace asserted the need for a clear measurement system, adding that on-site renewable targets were not the answer.

Mr Fulford added that "up to 35pc of carbon savings could be made with little or no cost", meaning that property owners should look at tenants’ behaviour before engaging on costly refurbishments. But he said that "the difference between C and F rated buildings was £18 per m2 per year in additional costs", adding a potentially massive burden to business.

Matt Fulford, head of sustainability at EC Harris said:

"The future for properties could be like vehicle excise duty, perhaps linked to business rates or stamp duty. We know there is a showroom tax on high polluting cars and this is very similar to stamp duty."

Taking the opportunity to criticise inefficient on-site renewables targets, he added:

"In central urban environments it's really problematic and might not even pay back the carbon cost, let alone the cost. Particularly in central London, it is unfeasible. The key is to put on-site renewables where they can best work."

Liz Peace, chief executive of the BPF said the Merton rule was "a cock-eyed way of getting a result".

She said: "It's one of the daftest ideas anyone could ever come up with. It's not practical to put on-site renewables in city offices. It needs a much more grown up approach.

"The industry should not be running power stations, although it could probably finance them."

The All Party Urban Development Group, a cross-party committee of MPs and peers, will publish the first ever parliamentary report on existing buildings on 16 July, making hard-hitting recommendations for the government to minimize the environmental impact of property.

It is estimated that around half of the UK’s carbon emissions are connected with buildings.

For more information on the forthcoming All Party Group report and for advance interviews and briefings, please contact Andrew Teacher at the BPF on 07968 124545, 020 7802 0113, ateacher@bpf.org.uk