The Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) was introduced by Government in 2007 as the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. The Code aimed to reduce carbon emissions and promote higher standards of sustainable design above the minimum standards required by Building Regulations.
The content and need for the Code were reviewed and consulted upon as part of the Government’s Housing Standards Review. In 2015, the Review concluded that the multitude of local and national standards was over-complex and there was some unhelpful duplication in the many guidance documents and Local Plan requirements. The Review therefore recommended that essential standards such as access, security, energy, water, and waste were consolidated at a national level into Building Regulations and that Internal Space requirements were specified at a national level within Planning Practice Guidance. These new and amended standards were termed the National Technical Standards.
Elaine Cresswell CMLI has prepared LI Technical Note 06/15 which explains the New Homes Standards.