The government’s response to the environmental audit committee report on the CSH and the Housing Standards Review – released today – rejected the committee’s recommendation that the CSH assessment should be maintained.
The government is instead suggesting the construction industry should be self-policed.
"Cutting the Code for Sustainable Homes and leaving a void relating to material choice is an utterly retrograde step," said British Woodworking Federation chief executive Iain McIlwee, speaking on behalf of the Timber Industry Accord.
"Reliance on voluntary, self-policed standards is a cop out and will leave us lagging behind the rest of Europe."
Mr McIlwee had earlier spelled out the consequences of such a move in a letter he penned to prime minister David Cameron last week.
"The removal of a sustainable materials standard could lead to a race to the bottom driven by optimising land value and profit in the housebuilding sector," he added.
"In turn, this could have a devastating effect on the timber market, impacting upon investment now and ensuring that, when the EU regulation drives necessary change, it will be the importers of manufactured wood products who will benefit."
