'Tough rules on conservatories a good thing if it stops overheating and cuts emissions'

Nothing says Middle England more than a conservatory.

Nearly six million households in Britain have one but my childhood experience is ours was freezing in winter, yet stifling in summer.

But now the sliding patio door is slowly closing, as new rules for housing developers mean they will need to show the popular sun-traps will not create “unwanted solar gain”, as global warming increases.

The National Federation of Builders said the regulations, due to come into force in June, could make conservatories a premium product, with some firms put off building new ones that would ramp up overall costs.

Some could be exempt from rules if they’re unheated and are separated from a house with exterior doors and walls.

The Climate Change Committee warned last year that a hot summer like that of 2018 was likely to occur every other year by 2050 (AFP via Getty Images)

The rules seek to cut carbon emissions from new homes by 30% via improved energy efficiency. They also aim to reduce the risk of overheating, especially during heatwaves, which are predicted to become more frequent.

The Climate Change Committee warned last year that a hot summer like that of 2018 was likely to occur every other year by 2050 and ­heat-related deaths could more than triple from about 2,000 a year to 7,000.

It advised that the risk could be reduced by ensuring new homes are designed not to overheat.

Making our houses fit for the future by reducing the risk of overheating and flooding, as well as finding ways to efficiently heat them from green energy sources, is essential.

So if that means stopping some new conservatories from being built, which will act like a furnace for the rest of the house, then surely it is sensible?

Instead, those who shouted loudest about a ban on diesel cars in certain sections of the media have called the plans eco-activist clap-trap and are peddling nonsense about their ­glass-houses being torn down.

Having a pop at scientists explaining on breakfast TV why the new rules will protect us, is also unhelpful.

If the UK experiences the 40C summers the Met Office has predicted if emission curbs are not met, I will want to spend my retirement as far away from a conservatory as possible.