England risks building new ‘death traps’ as experts warn of overheating crisis
Planning experts have warned that England could continue building homes and other buildings that dangerously overheat during heatwaves unless planning rules are strengthened and climate protections are prioritised. The concern matters because overheating poses a direct risk to health, especially for older and vulnerable people, and comes as research suggests about 2,700 people died during the May and June heatwaves in England and Wales. The warning also highlights a gap between councils’ stated ambitions on climate adaptation and what is actually being required in local development plans.
The Royal Town Planning Institute and the Town and Country Planning Association found that only about half of local plans require cooling or ventilation strategies for new buildings, and only around a quarter of councils use a recognised tool to secure green infrastructure such as trees and waterways. Experts said the government’s future homes standard, due to apply from 2028, may not go far enough because it does not cover buildings such as schools, hospitals and care homes and does not require features like external shading. They also raised concerns about office-to-home conversions under permitted development rights, noting that a London survey found 14% of roughly 120,000 such homes had no openable windows, while a separate Woodland Trust report said more than 11 million people in the UK live in areas with less than 10% tree shade.
In short
- Experts say England is still planning overheating-prone buildings
- Only half of local plans require cooling strategies
- Weak shading and tree cover could worsen heat risks
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The evidence of overheating risks is serious—2,700 deaths during recent heatwaves and widespread gaps in current planning requirements demonstrate a genuine public health crisis, particularly affecting older and vulnerable people. Building climate resilience through stronger requirements for ventilation, cooling, green infrastructure and external shading is more humane and cost-effective than retrofitting existing structures, and represents necessary proactive adaptation to intensifying climate hazards.
The case against
Whilst climate adaptation is important, further strengthening planning rules risks aggravating England's severe housing shortage by increasing construction costs and slowing development when supply is critically constrained and affordability is acute. Existing regulations and the 2028 future homes standard may prove adequate; imposing additional requirements without clear evidence they are insufficient could ultimately harm vulnerable people most through reduced housing supply and higher costs.
Explained simply
Buildings in England are often constructed without proper cooling systems or ventilation, which causes them to become dangerously hot during summer heatwaves. This poses serious health risks, particularly for elderly and vulnerable people, and research shows that approximately 2,700 people died during May and June heatwaves in England and Wales. Overheating in buildings is therefore an important consideration for climate adaptation and public health.
Planning rules currently do not consistently require all new buildings to incorporate cooling strategies or adequate ventilation. A survey of local councils found that only about half of their development plans require these measures, and just a quarter use recognised methods to incorporate green features such as trees and water features that help keep areas cooler. This reveals a gap between councils' stated commitments to climate adaptation and what they actually enforce when approving new developments.
The government plans to introduce a future homes standard in 2028 that will set stricter requirements for new buildings. However, experts have raised concerns that this standard does not cover important buildings such as schools, hospitals and care homes, and does not mandate features like external shading. Office-to-home conversions, which can happen without full planning approval, have also been flagged as problematic, with some London properties reported to lack openable windows.
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