Tony Clark, Regional Director for the Midlands at Seddon Housing Partnerships, has written for the Centre for the New Midlands about the Future Homes Standard. He argues that the region must now focus on creating the conditions to deliver it well.

New homes built to the standard are intended to produce at least 75 per cent lower carbon emissions than those built to 2013 standards. Low-carbon heating is becoming the norm, solar PV is moving from an optional extra to an expected feature, and fabric standards, ventilation, commissioning and energy modelling are all coming under greater scrutiny.

Tony welcomes the standards as long overdue. Poorly performing homes create long-term costs for residents, landlords, local authorities and the wider public.

“How often have we made the case during recent challenges over the state of our housing that we have ‘the oldest and coldest’ housing stock in Europe. If we are still using that line a generation from now, we have all failed,” said Tony.

However, the article warns of a gap between setting a higher standard and being ready to deliver it. Design teams will need earlier input from sustainability specialists, ventilation strategies will need more space and coordination, and build quality will have to improve to achieve airtightness targets consistently.

“None of this is impossible. But it does mean the sector has to stop thinking about compliance as something that can be checked at the end. Performance starts much earlier,” said Tony.

Seddon’s experience of delivering low-carbon homes across the country has shown that success depends on early collaboration, detailed design coordination, build quality on site and maintaining performance intent through to handover. That starts with practical decisions, such as building shape and orientation, glazing, and whether enough space has been allowed for ductwork, plant and maintenance access.

Across the Midlands, there is a pressing need for more affordable homes, lower running costs for residents and progress on carbon reduction. But Tony notes that delivery still depends on local planning capacity, supply chains, skills and the ability of teams to work together from the outset.

For affordable housing providers in particular, the challenge is sharp. Higher standards can reduce energy bills and improve comfort over the long term, but they can also increase upfront costs at a time when the sector already faces financial pressures on multiple fronts.

“Policymakers and the industry need to be honest about what delivery requires. If expectations rise while funding, programmes and procurement models remain unchanged, pressure builds quickly,” said Tony.

The article also calls for a systems approach to delivery, where fabric, ventilation, heating, layout, controls and resident understanding all work together. Residents living with new heating and ventilation systems need intuitive homes and clear guidance at handover.

“A simpler home delivered well will often outperform a more complex one delivered badly,” said Tony.

He also highlights the need for earlier design certainty, a stronger focus on build quality, and more attention on commissioning and verification, so that systems are properly tested, balanced and handed over.

Finally, Tony raises a wider regional question about whether the Midlands’ skills base, subcontractor network and local authority capacity are keeping pace with the new standard.

“Are we prepared today to deliver at that level the new standards actually demand? Catching up on any gap will take time. And time is already ticking away. Policy has moved ahead. Delivery systems now need to catch up,” said Tony.