A draft version of the long awaited new Part L building regulation will be announced within the next couple of weeks according to the ODPM. Speaking at the Sustainability in Housebuilding conference at Housebuilding 2005 the ODPM’s head of technical policy in its buildings division Simon Barnes said: “Part L 2006 will represent a 20% to 25% improvement over the 2002 version. An interim approved document will be out in the next couple weeks. I expect an announcement over the next few days.” Speaking at the Housing Market Intelligence conference Dave Baker, chief executive of Robust Details, said that although we have been told Part L will be implemented in January 2006 “the buzz on the grapevine is that it will be April now.” There were calls for the government to synchronise its regulatory plans and its code for sustainable buildings. Baker said: “The industry has sensibly asked to get them all done at the same time.”