36 C O N T E X T 1 2 4 : M A Y 2 0 1 2 amounting to up to 25 per cent of the stock. • The risk of inappropriate and counterproductive works to such buildings, and consequent wastage of public money. • Total overlooking of both conservation legislation and the special consideration for historic buildings under the building regulations. • Legal risks being left entirely on the building owner, not on the assessor and provider. • The risks of assessors and installers understanding only specific building types and systems. • Lack of any competence requirements relating to traditional buildings. • Failure to take into account the way traditional buildings breathe. All the above are very significant, the last particularly so because the government sees solid wall insulation as a high priority ‘low hanging fruit’ for the Green Deal. The potential impacts of external insulation on the character and fabric of historic buildings and places have been overlooked. These issues, and many more, were raised at COTAC’s conference ‘Improving thermal performance in traditional buildings’ in November 2011. Two key points raised during the day were, first, the SPAB research evidence for performance of solid wall buildings, which shows that they perform better than SAP ratings suggest (so reducing the potential claimed Green Deal benefits, and undermining the case for damaging works); and, second, the vital importance of ensuring that buildings are in good repair before applying insulation or other retrofit measures. I urge readers to seek out the speakers’ presentations at www.cotac.org.uk/conf_2011.htm.The SPAB research reports (Report 1, U-values in traditional buildings; Report 2, The SPAB Building Performance Survey: interim report) are at www.spab.org.uk/advice/ energy-efficiency. I can not recall any previous event at which speakers on the platform and in the hall came together with such expertise and unanimity.The conference concluded with agreement on a press release (see www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news) issued jointly by COTAC, the IHBC and SPAB. The IHBC supporting paper to the press release included case studies supplied by IHBCmembers (and now used to illustrate this paper). It was tabled by David McDonald at a DECC-convened Green Deal working group on which he is representing the IHBC. While the IHBC’s message is now being heard within the DECC, and the newly-formed SustainableTraditional Buildings Alliance was asked (at very short notice) to provide case studies of traditional building retrofits, the DECC has been silent on the need for buildings to be put into good repair before applying Green Deal measures, if the latter are to be of value.With a broader vision, the Green Deal might have been the best opportunity in many years to promote traditional building skills within a construction industry focused on new build.The timing was propitious; last year ConstructionSkills consulted on a new skills strategy, with a strong focus on Green Deal skills (it was this consultation which first alerted me to the Green Deal). ConstructionSkills’ February 2012 follow-up consultation on draft recommendations did respond to the comments of the IHBC and others, but nothing like strongly enough to deliver traditional skills on the scale needed. Meanwhile, the Green Deal juggernaut has rumbled on. AssetSkills (the sector skills council also leading on skills for the Green Deal) has published draft ‘Common Minimum Technical Competences’, which show little if any change from the PAS2030 approach.The United KingdomAccreditation Service (UKAS) is developing a pilot project for certification bodies. ConstructionSkills is promoting the Green Deal on its www.cutcarbon.info website (see, for example, http://cutcarbon.info/training/ green-deal). It is frightening to think that with only six months to go before the planned start of the Green Deal, the issues relating to historic and traditional buildings, and the competence of those who will advise and work on them, remain unresolved. As I write, the juggernaut appears to have stalled temporarily (due to the DECC failing to resolve concerns with the energy companies), but it is on its way. Be prepared, be very prepared. John Preston is the IHBC’s education secretary. The shape of things to come? 1970s external insulation in Cambridge (Photo: John Preston) A council-led thermal upgrading system was applied to this Edwardian terrace house about two years ago.The house has since suffered from internal damp problems that were never there before, to the point where plaster is disintegrating from off of internal walls. (Photo: Stacey Sykes)
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