The first Annual Review of Cornwall CLT’s Construction Standards has been completed.  New Board Member and local Architect Nigel Stock tells us more.

It’s hard to believe that twelve months have passed since Cornwall CLT published the first version of its Charter of Construction Standards.

While much has happened in that time, the pressing issues of Climate Change have endured and as we enter the consultation phase of Cornwall Council’s Climate Change Development Plan Document and as Biodiversity Net Gain becomes an established cornerstone of development in The Duchy, Cornwall CLT has carried out its own review of the Standards and has released an updated version for 2020-2021.

Board member and local Architect Nigel Stock has led this year’s review and says:

“CCLT’s approach is to inform and empower Community Groups and help them work through the sometimes daunting series of decisions required to achieve their primary goal of high quality homes that are affordable to build and to live in.  Amongst those decisions, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of Community-Led Affordable Housing within an achievable budget will become increasingly important.  Starting from strategic decisions about how a site is used and ending up with decisions around products and materials, the CCLT Construction Standards provide a basic toolkit that can be adapted for each project we work on.

“Doing the right thing in relation to the Climate Change Emergency does not have to mean significant additional cost and that thinking strategically about your proposed site from the feasibility stage (or even when searching for a suitable site) can make an enormous difference. Provision of measures that save energy will result in lower running costs over the life of the building as well as engendering an active, healthy and sustainable lifestyle.”

Cornwall CLT has worked to incorporate the latest standards in the planning application recently lodged for 15 new homes at Lanivet.

CCLT welcomes the recent government funding items such as Air Source Heat Pumps which are being installed into the new homes at Ruan Minor.  CCLT is also investigating ways of improving biodiversity on this project.

Improvements to the ambitions within the latest standards include:

• Biodiversity net gain on all projects including schemes of less than 10 homes
• Net zero carbon with maximum possible renewable on-site energy sources
• Monitoring of energy use
• Reduction in embodied carbon in building materials
• More exploration of alternative modes of living such as co-housing
• More exploration of district heating

Cornwall CLT welcomes Cornwall Council’s Climate Change Development Plan Document and will be submitting a response to the Consultation later in the year.

Cornwall CLT’s updated Construction Standards are available on request