NEARLY a 3rd of Scotland’s workplace area might quickly be rendered unusable if the Scottish Authorities follows the Minimal Vitality Effectivity Requirements (MEES).
Below guidelines introduced in on April 1st 2023 in England and Wales, non-domestic properties that fail to satisfy sure effectivity requirements can’t be let to an occupier.
If the requirements that apply to England and Wales are introduced into impact in Scotland, the overwhelming majority (79%) may very well be unlettable by 2030, in keeping with evaluation from actual property firm Knight Frank.
The MEES guidelines can be tightened additional within the coming years.
From April 2027, industrial properties will want a minimum of an EPC score of C to be lettable, whereas in 2030 this can rise once more to solely buildings that obtain an A or a B score.
The unbiased industrial property consultancy discovered that 29% of Scotland’s workplace inventory has an Vitality Efficiency Certificates (EPC) score of E or beneath.
If Scotland follows an identical path, greater than half – 55% – of workplace area will have to be introduced as much as a C score or higher.
Only one-fifth, 21%, of present workplace area in Scotland is rated B or above – with 8% attaining A or A+.
Edinburgh has the very best share of properties rated C or higher of Scotland’s three largest cities, with 53%. In the meantime, Aberdeen has the very best share of area with an A or B score at 24%.
Toby Withall, workplace company companion at Knight Frank, stated: “It appears inevitable that there can be some type of laws coming in Scotland that displays what the UK Authorities has sought to do with MEES.
“With the Scottish Authorities setting an earlier web zero goal and the constructed setting recognized to account for a big share of emissions, it’s only a matter of time earlier than constructing homeowners should take motion.
“Even within the absence of legislative strain, many company occupiers have their very own web zero targets and won’t contemplate area with an EPC score beneath B.”
These new targets may very well be adopted because the Scottish Authorities is aiming for the nation to be web zero by 2045 – 5 years forward of the remainder of the UK.