Thanks to Dottie, once more for alerting me to this:

In the Guardian today:

England risks constructing a new generation of “death trap” buildings that can fatally overheat unless the government tightens standards and prioritises climate safeguards, planning experts have said.

Fears are growing about the plight of vulnerable people in heatwaves, with research this week suggesting that 2,700 people had died in the May and June heatwaves in England and Wales. Yet only about half of local plans being drawn up by councils and local authorities require new buildings to have a cooling or ventilation strategy to prevent overheating, according to findings from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA).

While nearly all English councils say they intend to include green infrastructure in new housing developments – such as trees that can cool streets or provision of access to waterways – only about a quarter of them use a recognised tool that would ensure this.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/15/england-risks-building-death-traps-overheating-crisis-plans

You could put your house on there be no mention of Scotland and there is, no mention. Well that won’t matter up there in Chilly Jockoland, will it Jeremy?

STV last year, in a lesser heatwave did claim ‘at least 60’ had died from it that year. https://news.stv.tv/scotland/at-least-60-people-in-scotland-died-from-climate-driven-heat-this-summer-scientists-

So, has that SNP Government been working on this?

Yes, Scotland has implemented stronger, mandatory building regulations specifically addressing overheating risks in new dwellings, which go beyond what the Guardian article describes for England.

Key Scottish Measures

Scotland introduced Standard 3.28 (in Section 3 of the Building Standards Technical Handbooks) effective from 1 February 2023. It requires that every new dwelling must be designed and constructed to limit the risk of summertime overheating to protect occupant health. https://www.pilkington.com/en-gb/uk/architects/standards-and-regs/building-regulations/scotland/conservation-of-fuel-and-power/overheating-in-new-domestic-buildings

Mandatory assessment for all new residential buildings (not just some or optional).

Focus on passive measures: limiting solar gains through glazing (e.g., via shading like external shutters/louvres or lower g-value glass) and providing adequate ventilation for cooling. https://www.pilkington.com/en-gb/uk/architects/standards-and-regs/building-regulations/scotland/conservation-of-fuel-and-power/overheating-in-new-domestic-buildings

Two compliance methods: Simple method: Specifies minimum measures (e.g., shading if glazing >20% of floor area). Detailed thermal modelling: More advanced calculation of overheating risk. https://www.pilkington.com/en-gb/uk/architects/standards-and-regs/building-regulations/scotland/conservation-of-fuel-and-power/overheating-in-new-domestic-buildings

This was informed by research showing that, while overheating risk is generally lower in Scotland than in England (due to cooler climate), it still exists—especially in flats or highly glazed buildings—and passive steps should be taken. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-building-regulations-proposed-changes-energy-standards-associated-topics/pages/5/

These changes were part of broader 2022 updates to energy standards (Section 6), ventilation, and sustainability. Overheating was moved out of SAP assessments into this dedicated standard for better room-level focus. https://erscltd.co.uk/changes-to-the-scottish-building-standards-section-6/

Comparison to England

The Guardian article highlights gaps in England:

• Only about half of local plans require cooling/ventilation strategies.
• Future Homes Standard (from 2028) has limitations (e.g., doesn’t fully cover non-homes like schools/hospitals, or conversions; lacks strong shading requirements).
• Weak enforcement of green infrastructure. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/15/england-risks-building-death-traps-overheating-crisis-plans