Thursday, January 04, 2007
Lib Dem Cynical Claim of the Week
On their website the Lib Dems want us to save money on our household heating bills - and save the planet. Wow, I just wish someone had thought of that earlier.
Actually, they have. There's something called the BREEAM (Building REsearch Environmental Assessment Measure) Rating that applies to buildings as an internationally agreed standard. There's one for nwe-build homes too called the Code for Sustyainable Homes. You can download it here: The code is voluntary, but it provides an excellent guideline for planners as to what they SHOULD be diong to ensure that newly built homes are sustainable, energy efficient, and have a low or even zero carbon footprint on the environment.
Of course the advice on the Lib Dem website is commendable, but next time they come knocking on your door canvassing it might be worth asking them exactly how far they go beyond giving advice on how to lag your boiler into actually implementing the BREAM standard, which is after all doing something about sustainable development and not just giving the impression you are doing something on a website.
As for me, if elected, I'll be doing all I can to esnure that new homes are planned to consider the highest BREEAM rating that is affordable, and that new commercial developments comply as fully as the design process allows. In other words I'll work towards raising the standards of sustainable buildings (being a professional Facilities Manager and involved in large scale building projects this is what I spend my professional life doing) to protect the environment rather than just putting up a few hints. I'll also be looking to introduce into the planning sycle a erquirement for constructors to minimise waste materials which have a huge net effect on a building's carbon footprint. Almost 40% of all materials taken onto a building site are packaging that just gets disposed of into landfill. I'll aim to focus the planning process into ensuring that a high percentage of packaging materials are recovered for recycling and not sent to fill a hole in the ground. I can assuer you that the Lib Dems haven't thought that far ahead!
Actually, they have. There's something called the BREEAM (Building REsearch Environmental Assessment Measure) Rating that applies to buildings as an internationally agreed standard. There's one for nwe-build homes too called the Code for Sustyainable Homes. You can download it here: The code is voluntary, but it provides an excellent guideline for planners as to what they SHOULD be diong to ensure that newly built homes are sustainable, energy efficient, and have a low or even zero carbon footprint on the environment.
Of course the advice on the Lib Dem website is commendable, but next time they come knocking on your door canvassing it might be worth asking them exactly how far they go beyond giving advice on how to lag your boiler into actually implementing the BREAM standard, which is after all doing something about sustainable development and not just giving the impression you are doing something on a website.
As for me, if elected, I'll be doing all I can to esnure that new homes are planned to consider the highest BREEAM rating that is affordable, and that new commercial developments comply as fully as the design process allows. In other words I'll work towards raising the standards of sustainable buildings (being a professional Facilities Manager and involved in large scale building projects this is what I spend my professional life doing) to protect the environment rather than just putting up a few hints. I'll also be looking to introduce into the planning sycle a erquirement for constructors to minimise waste materials which have a huge net effect on a building's carbon footprint. Almost 40% of all materials taken onto a building site are packaging that just gets disposed of into landfill. I'll aim to focus the planning process into ensuring that a high percentage of packaging materials are recovered for recycling and not sent to fill a hole in the ground. I can assuer you that the Lib Dems haven't thought that far ahead!
# posted by Sherington Tory @ 2:00 PM 
Comments:
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BREEAM is the Building Research Establishment Environmental Method. It is covers buildings in England and Wales, although some Scottish and Irish buildings have also been assessed using the method. It is not an internationally agreed standard, but has been used in the Middle East as an alternative to LEED (the US standard). Other standards include CASBEE in Japan, GreenGlobes in the US and various BREEAM and LEED spin-offs in countries around the world. If you're interested in waste, take a look at the WRAP scheme which covers what you talk about here.
# posted by 
: 2:33 PM
: 2:33 PM
I'll defeer to your knowledge on the BREEAM acronym. I have actually seen it used interchangeably with Measure (in my defence).
I do a lot of work with a number of construction companies as part of my job, and many of them are involved in the WRAP scheme, Kier being one of the more influential of the alliance I manage, which is why I'm quite keen to see it developed. From my (professional) perspective I'm interested in influencing efficient use of workspace management at the strategic briefing stage rather than at practical completion/pre-fit out which is where it is most commonly considered (especially in speculative developments rather than besopke commissions). Once way of encouraging this is through the planning process, something that hasn't had much thought in some local government's.
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I do a lot of work with a number of construction companies as part of my job, and many of them are involved in the WRAP scheme, Kier being one of the more influential of the alliance I manage, which is why I'm quite keen to see it developed. From my (professional) perspective I'm interested in influencing efficient use of workspace management at the strategic briefing stage rather than at practical completion/pre-fit out which is where it is most commonly considered (especially in speculative developments rather than besopke commissions). Once way of encouraging this is through the planning process, something that hasn't had much thought in some local government's.
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