Written question WQ99701
- Asked by
- Dan ThomasReform
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 9 days
Question
What plans does the Welsh Government have to ensure all new social and private housing is equipped with air conditioning?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning (Siân Gwenllian)
Our Building Regulations, applicable to all new dwellings, set requirements to mitigate the risk of overheating in new build residential buildings. Part O (Overheating) of the Building Regulations has applied since 2022. The Part O statutory guidance requires that passive measures such as solar shading are prioritised before active measures such as air conditioning in order to mitigate the overheating risk.
In addition, new social housing funded by the Welsh Government must also meet the Welsh Development Quality Requirements 2021 (WDQR 2021). These requirements encourage homes to be designed to reduce the risk of overheating, with designers considering overheating guidance and assessment tools from the earliest stages of the design process.
Whether in new builds or improving thermal comfort in existing homes, air-to-air heat pumps, which are capable of cooling as well as heating, offer an option where passive measures do not provide adequate protection from overheating.