|
News – Week Commencing 27th May 2008
Shift in Conservative position on HIPs
The twilight zone that is English Politics 2008 has revealed a change in attitude towards HIPs by the Conservative party. Grant Schapps, the shadow housing minister, has been describing the “positive spin-offs from the introduction of HIPs” and that any future government would be “mad to do away with anything that has been helpful … there is no dogma about this whole thing at all as far as I am concerned”. This monumental shift may cause consternation amongst anti-HIP campaigners who have been ticking off the days to a Conservative government. After years of campaigning against their introduction it appears that to opposition politicians, maybe HIPs are not the guaranteed vote-loser that they had originally envisaged.
Newbuilds
There appears to be continued confusion about HIPs for newbuilds. Although since April, all newly marketed properties irrespective of their build status require a HIP, there is still questions about the use of Predicted Energy Assessments (PEAs) and full Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). Fundamentally, if a building is incomplete, it will need a PEA that is derived from the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) ratings available for all new buildings, calculations that are available from the developer. The PEA can be calculated from these figures without requiring a visit to the property. However, when the building is complete, a full EPC must still be produced, but this does not require an assessor to re-visit the property and is calculated off-site.
About our News Provider:
The Partnership is an independent HIP provider working with leading estate agents including Strutt & Parker, Knight & Frank and Savills. The company focuses on a complete HIP service including consultancy and advice, with a particular specialisation in providing HIPs for the prestige housing market.
|
