Celia Davis of the Town and Country Planning Association said overheating risk in new homes in England can no longer be treated as a side issue, warning that builders could still create homes that trap dangerous heat. She said: "This is a matter of life and death" and "We need to avoid building death traps."
The warning comes as only about half of local plans being drawn up by councils and local authorities require new buildings to have a cooling or ventilation strategy to prevent overheating. That gap leaves planning decisions uneven across England just as the future homes standard is due to govern how houses are built from 2028.
Celia Davis and local plans
Davis also said: "There is a gap between what they say they want and what they achieve" when she described the way local authorities approach heat planning. The Town and Country Planning Association said the problem is not only the building itself but whether a development has enough shade, trees and green space around it to reduce heat inside homes.
Dan Slade of the Royal Town Planning Institute said: "The future homes standard is not enough because you also have to consider the surrounding area" and added: "If there are not enough trees or shading or green space, that will affect the heat these homes experience." The rules do not require new homes to have the louvres and shutters recommended by experts to block out heat.
England councils and green space
The RTPI's Local Plans and the Climate Crisis report found a split between intention and delivery. Nearly all English councils say they intend to include green infrastructure in new housing developments, but only about a quarter use a recognised tool that would ensure green infrastructure is included. In practice, that means many plans mention shade and planting without using a method that makes those features more likely to be built in.
That matters for homes built under permitted development rights, where dwellings can be created from converted offices without the regulations that apply to other homes. A survey in London found that 14% of such homes had no windows that could be opened, and there are about 120,000 such homes already in London.
Future homes standard and heat
Ministers unveiled the future homes standard earlier this year. It will cover how houses are built from 2028 and includes provisions for keeping homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer, but it will not apply to schools, hospitals or care homes.
The wider picture is already stark. The Woodland Trust said more than 11 million people in the UK live in areas where less than 10% of land gets shade from trees, while England has an average tree cover of 17.5% and only a third of people in English towns and cities enjoy tree cover at the minimum recommended levels. The group said people on low incomes are worst affected.
This week, research suggested that 2,700 people had died in the May and June heatwaves in England and Wales. With that toll in view, the unresolved question is whether the future homes standard and local planning rules will be strong enough to stop new housing from baking in the next heatwave.
