14 April 2026 Matt Green - Director of Architecture
Salmon's Director of Architecture, Matt Green, welcomes changes to the much-anticipated Future Homes Standard (FHS) which will finally come into force on 24 March 2027. This new standard marks a turning point in how new dwellings in the UK will be designed, specified, and delivered.
Here at Salmon our practice has already been building homes that meet (and exceed) these expectations. We’ve been working with these principles for years, so the Future Homes Standard feels like a natural extension of what we already do. Clients who have worked with us will recognise many of the features that are now becoming mandatory.
Greater emphasis will, in future, be placed on delivering dramatically lower-carbon, better-performing homes.
Gas boilers are out, and heat pumps and solar panels are in.
Ultimately the new standard means anyone building a new home will end up with a house that is warmer, cheaper to run, healthier to live in, and far better prepared for the future. Rather than adding complexity, it raises the baseline. High-performance, low-energy homes will become the norm rather than the exception.
The changes are designed to make new homes far more energy-efficient from day one. For a future homeowner, the most noticeable impacts will be:
For most clients, the biggest surprise is that these improvements won't necessarily mean a more complicated home - just a better-performing one.
Here at Salmon our practice has already been building homes that meet (and exceed) these expectations which include:
In short, the Future Homes Standard doesn’t change our philosophy - it validates it. It can require a rather scientific approach to house design, but with positive goals.
The new regulations aren’t legally required just yet - there is a 12-month implementation period that runs until 24 March 2027, followed by a 12-month transitional period whereby homes designed to meet current regulatory requirements can be built, provided notice is given prior to March 2027.
With our combined expertise in planning strategy and architectural design, Salmon Planning + Architecture is ideally placed to guide clients through this evolving landscape - ensuring proposals are robust, responsive and ready to withstand scrutiny.
We operate across the South West with offices in Somerset and Devon. Please do not hesitate to make contact to discuss the issues outlined above.
5.0 rating of 17 reviews
Salmon Planning have secured planning permission for me for both holiday lodges and a new build pub and restaurant as well as for a new dwelling. The Salmon Planning team’s skill at handling complex planning applications and securing successful outcomes has been excellent. I would happily recommend their planning and architectural design teams.
Excellent end-to-end experience and advice for our listed property in Brighton. Would highly recommend
Excellent all round service from Nigel and his knowledgeable and experienced team. I have recommended them to many people in the past and will continue to do so in the future as they listen, understand and work with clients to deliver achievable results.
Prompt, professional and client-focused. Would highly recommend Salmon Planning, thank you!
The Salmon Planning Team assisted me with an assessment of development potential in the Conservation Area of a rural Oxfordshire village. The advice I received was extremely helpful both in its decisiveness and clarity and backed up by a very useful written report. I would be happy to recommend the company for those looking for a very experienced and professional planning-led team. I wish I had contacted a planning-led architectural firm first off rather than having expensive plans drawn up by an architect and then refused by the Local Authority! It would have been a much cheaper exercise.
Dan and the rest of his team at Salmon Planning were consumate professionals, dealing with every aspect of a sensitive, high profile, listed, town centre development, in a conservation area. Always available for every question I had … and I had a lot.I would, without a doubt ,call upon them for any future planning projects and would have no reservation whatsoever in recommending. Unquestionably 5 star - thank you.
I regularly contact Nigel Salmon for information and advice. He, and his colleagues, are always friendly and rapidly provide excellent advice and services. As a Chartered Surveyor myself, I appreciate the professionalism of this firm.
I was very pleased with the services and advice provided by Salmon Planning. I also thought the in-house architecture / drawing service worked well - saving costs, time and generally making things far more efficient. We managed to easily secure consent for something that I thought might be fraught with issues. Nigel is also very well informed on local / Somerset matters. Highly recommend!
It has been a real pleasure working with Matt and the team at Salmon Planning + Architecture. Throughout the process they have been consistently professional, prompt to respond, and genuinely helpful at every stage. A great team to work with, which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
I have found Salmon Planning to be a well-run, professional planning company who have always strived to go above and beyond to help their clients achieve their objectives.I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone.
I’ve been using Dan Foster and his team for over 2 years now on my property developments, the level of service, support, and professionalism of each member forever seems to impress! They have saved me many times, highlighting (potentially expensive) issues I had missed and always listen to my ideas and questions with great patience . I cannot recommend this company more highly , if you need reliable advice/designs from a team for your projects definitely give Salmon Planning a call. They will tell you everything in black and white and explain all you need to know regarding the complete planning process from start to finish.
We worked with Dan and Matt at Salmon Planning Company to secure planning permission for a double garage, workshop, and gym/yoga room. From start to finish, they were incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. Their advice on both the planning and design stages was excellent, and they made the whole process smooth and stress-free. Highly recommend their services!
We had the pleasure of working with Matt and Dan from Salmon planning recently. They dealt with our planning application for a wrap around kitchen extension from idea to submission. They listened and came up with very helpful input. They are a useful mix of knowledgeable, practical and creative. They made the process straightforward, seamless and enjoyable. They dealt with all the laborious paperwork and liaised with other relevant bodies, leaving us to just contribute to the ideas and design. They are both extremely amiable and a pleasure to deal with. The process was affordable and I feel I got great value for money. Use them, you will be pleased you did.
I was extremely pleased by the service provided by Dan Foster at Salmon Planning Company. He provided advice in relation to securing planning approval for the conversion of a barn to a residential annexe, leading to a swift and successful outcome. His advice was timely, thorough and well reasoned and his effective communication with the planning authority led to an outcome which would not otherwise have been likely. The support provided proved to be money well spent.
