HIPs Introduction To Be Delayed
In an alarming U-turn, the UK Government have been forced to “delay†the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) although they have also relaxed the requirements - paving the way for a total withdrawal in due course?
Originally due to be introduced in England and Wales on the 1 June, the packs will now be available from the 1 August, but there is only a requirement to show a pack has been initiated, not produced, prior to marketing any property. Under new rules, many smaller properties will not require a HIPs at all, although the details have yet to be clarified by the Government.
It appears that the delay has been a direct result of pending legal challenges from a number of parties who have expressed dismay that the Government had not even consulted the industry prior to forcing through the introduction of the packs. In what is quickly turning into a farce, there is speculation the packs will be scrapped before the 1 August even though the authorities have been working on these for the last 10 years!
Immediate concerns surround not only the information required, and the relevance to third parties, but also a lack of Energy Inspectors to provide the focal point of the packs, the energy certificates. There is also speculation regarding more legal challenges, as many operators in the market have invested significant amounts of money in the new system - which may yet prove to be a waste of both time and money.
Quite where the government go from here remains to be seen, but the market is fast losing confidence in ministers and the Government.
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