Weekly Policy Update |
up to Friday 5th September 2025
Information provided by National Constructing Excellence
National Infrastructure Strategy Roundtable Summary
Constructing Excellence partnered with Pinsent Masons to convene a group of senior industry stakeholders to discuss and highlight a number of key issues critical to the delivery of the government’s new 10-year Infrastructure Strategy, which are summarised on our website: National Infrastructure Strategy Roundtable Summary – Constructing Excellence
Policy Update
Announcements expected this autumn
As Parliamentary summer recess comes to an end on Monday 1 September, we’re expecting plenty of policydevelopments in the coming weeks including announcements such as:
- A new UK government circularity strategy with a focus on six sectors, including construction.
- The long-awaited Future Homes and Building Standard (originally consulted on in 2023) – the next iteration of energy/carbon and related building standards for England.
- Publication of the Warm Homes Plan: the government programme for improving home energy efficiency, and plans for the next phase of ECO – the £1bn a year obligation on energy suppliers to retrofit homes. See BRE commentary on the Warm Homes Plan here.
- Further decisions on devolution arrangements and local government reform in England.
Government Office for Science: research and technology needed to reach net zero by 2050
The Net Zero Technology Outlook report sets out the Government Office for Science’s view of the research, development and demonstration measures to support the development of critical technologies for net zero. The report includes a chapter on technologies for heat and buildings, of relevance for colleagues concerned with research and innovation. (For example, it’s notable that hydrogen does not feature in the list of “low and zero carbon heating solutions”.)
New Home Accelerator Update
The government reported this week that its New Homes Accelerator programme, which provides local areas with additional planning capacity and support to overcome regulatory hurdles for larger development sites, has helped “unlock and accelerate the development of nearly 100,000 homes across England.”
Consultations on energy efficiency regulations in Scotland
Consultations closed this week on two elements of new energy efficiency regulations in Scotland:
- Proposals to introduce Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations in private rented homes, requiring “reaching reformed Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) Heat Retention Rating (HRR) band C from 2028 for new tenancies and by 2033 for all privately rented homes.”
- The scope of a Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEESTA): This would be a government-authorised and approved process, beyond the EPC, for conducting bespoke assessments of buildings to confirm which energy efficiency and clean heat measures would be technically appropriate. This would, for example, be used when landlords complying with MEES want to confirm EPC-recommended measures are right for their property.
Impact assessment of proposed 2025 updates to Welsh building regulations
The Welsh government has published an impact assessment for its planned changes to Part L (energy/carbon standards) in building regulations.
MHCLG launches consultation on streamlining infrastructure planning
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s consultation is seeking views on changes to guidance, public sector services and secondary legislation to streamline infrastructure consenting for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
DESNZ publishes evaluation report for Wave 2.1 of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund
DESNZ has commissioned IFF Research alongside Technopolis and BRE to evaluate Wave 2.1 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, a scheme for social housing landlords to install energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures in social homes in England.
LGA calls for supported housing investment to reduce impact on health sector
Inside Housing reports that the Local Government Association is pressing the government to reform its rules on subsidies for supported housing and increase investment to ease pressure on health services.
Scottish government to invest up to £4.9bn to deliver 36,000 affordable homes by 2030
Inside Housing reports that Mairi McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Housing, confirmed the Scottish Government plans to invest up to £4.9bn over the next four years in a bid to deliver 36,000 affordable homes by 2030. The homes will be provided through a mixture of public and privately leveraged investment.
Consultation Published on streamlining infrastructure Consenting for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation about how infrastructure consenting for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects could be streamlined.
This consultation seeks views on changes to guidance, services operated by the public sector, and secondary legislation to streamline the infrastructure planning process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
This consultation closes at 11:59pm on 27 October 2025
More information can be found at: Consultation on streamlining infrastructure planning – GOV.UK
In the news
Is the UK’s giant new nuclear power station ‘unbuildable’?
London councils spend £120m on new homes that are on pause – BBC News
Half of construction SMEs report losses or lower profits in new survey – Construction Management
30,000 homes held back by sewage capacity concerns, HBF claims | News | Building
Balancing growth with sustainability in the North-west | In partnership | Building
BSR chair warns of ‘lost confidence’ if backlog not slashed by December | Construction News
Making British homes affordable again, FT
Interim chief construction adviser appointment ‘expected’ this month – Construction Management