Over the past eight years of Conservative government, housebuilders and property developers have gained billions of pounds in benefits due to delays in low-carbon building regulations
The delays could cause a substantial financial burden on homeowners and taxpayers, requiring tens of billions of pounds to retrofit newly constructed homes to meet low-carbon standards. They have also led to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and higher energy bills for residents.
A recent study has shown that 10% of Conservative party donations since 2010 come from construction industry connections, including property developers and real estate figures.
Abandoning net-zero policies and green regulations
The government has announced further delays in green regulations following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s recent rollback of net-zero policies, benefiting housebuilders even more.
The analysis reveals that housebuilders, developers, and real estate figures have donated nearly £40m to the Conservative party since 2010, when the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition came to power.
The analysis also shows that addressing the oversights in achieving the UK’s net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 could cost as much as £45bn.
Since 2015, the Conservative government has backtracked on a number of green objectives. These decisions include the refusal to mandate the use of heat pumps over gas boilers in new homes, leading to most new homes being connected to the gas grid.
New homes have not been required to have solar panels, as recommended. There have also been delays in enforcing stricter building regulations related to insulation and a postponement of the “future homes standard,” designed to ensure new homes are net-zero carbon.
Despite expert warnings regarding its cost and feasibility, support for hydrogen for home heating continues. There have also been attempts to eliminate nutrient regulations that would have compelled housebuilders to address watercourse pollution.
Retrofit v Housebuilding
Constructing new low-carbon homes costs much less than retrofitting existing ones, estimated at £8,500 for new builds versus £33,000 for retrofits. The cost difference is due to easier integration of green technologies during initial construction.
Public support is strong for renewables like solar panels and heat pumps, making it a cost-effective choice for all homes. In 2015, the government scrapped regulations requiring new homes to be low-carbon, resulting in 1.5 million non-compliant homes.
The Conservative Party received significant donations (£27.1m) from real estate and construction firms since 2010, with individuals connected to these companies contributing £11.2m. Tory MPs received over £850,000 from construction-related entities.
Prominent donors include Countywide Developments (£4.3m ), John Bloor (£3.1m), Bridgemere UK (£1.6m), and Thakeham Homes (£966,440).
Individual donors include Roger Orf (£628,000), Nicholas Candy (£271,000), and Laurence S Geller (£444,000).
The Conservative party has reiterated its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 without imposing higher costs on households, citing the “future homes standard” and existing energy efficiency standards.
