New government examines ‘stupid’ rules that encourage builders to install smaller windows in their homes
As the blog Money reveals, the new government is considering repealing health and safety regulations that force builders to reduce the size of windows or install bars to prevent falls.
The regulations introduced by the Conservative government in December 2021 are primarily intended to protect against “unwanted solar gains” – or in other words, against overheating of homes as a result of global warming.
Critics say this leads to builders installing smaller windows in new buildings.
However, builders must also consider safety. For example, upper-floor windows in new buildings must now be at least 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) above the floor.
Former minister Michael Gove launched a review of the rules – consultations were completed before the Tories lost power in July.
A decision by the new government is still pending.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government told the Money blog: “We have completed the evidence taking on the building regulations and are considering the responses before making our decision.”
Nicholas Boys Smith, chairman of urban planning think tank Create Street, told the Telegraph earlier this year that the “stupid” regulations had “encouraged the construction of extremely small windows”.
“People can’t look out the window when they’re sitting,” he said.
“This means that in a normal-sized suburban house, the rooms on the ground floor are darker and less pleasant.
“It makes it almost impossible to build houses that match their 20th century predecessors, Edwardian, Georgian or Victorian. The majority of England’s most popular buildings would violate these regulations.”
