NEWS
Government suspends 39 solid wall insulation firms
I nvestigations by TrustMark have led to the government banning 39 solid wall insulation specialists from installing new insulation in people’s homes. Routine checks by the quality watchdog TrustMark revealed the poor-quality wall insulation in homes. The government is cracking down on firms that have fitted insulation panels since 2022 under the Energy Company Obligation 4 and Great British Insulation Scheme. The consequences for bad work will require installers to provide remedial work free of charge to homeowners – and they will face a continued ban from installing new solid wall insulation until they rectify their previous work.
Ofgem is contacting affected households notifying them of inspections to determine the quality of work delivered under the two schemes. Minister for Energy Consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “I know this news will be concerning for people who have had external or internal wall insulation fitted through either scheme we have inherited. “That is why we are taking action to put this right, forcing installers to fix any poor-quality installations as soon as possible and at their own expense. It is clear the existing system of protections for consumers we inherited is in dire need of reform. This will be front and centre of our Warm Homes Plan, as we work to make sure no households are let down in this way again.”
Most developers avoid BNG rules T hree-quarters of non- householder planning applications have claimed exemptions from biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements since inception in February last year. The aim of the new BNG rules is to make developers mitigate environmental harm and habitat loss. Research by TerraQuest, the provider of Planning Portal, shows the requirement that applies to most planning applications is not being consistently carried out. One of the eight exceptions from BNG is known as ‘de minimis’, which claims the developments do not affect a priority habitat. Between August and December 2024, the number of ‘de minimis’ claims rose by 47 per cent to 76 per cent. TerraQuest Chief Executive Geoff Keal said: “Since the launch of the biodiversity net gain policy, there has been an ongoing industry discussion about its implementation. Our latest report adds to this debate, highlighting key trends in the data — including a higher-than- expected use of exemptions.”
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