Industry gathers as Cleaner Safer Group opens The Building Performance Hub

09 July 2026, UK: Cleaner Safer Group (CSG), the not-for-profit parent organisation to brands including HETAS and Woodsure, opened the doors to its specialist development and audit facility, and training and education centre, The Building Performance Hub at a special event attended by over 50 industry professionals, suppliers and manufacturers, and sector leaders.

The open day brought together experts from the CSG brands, partners and the industry’s wider network across the heating, air tightness, sound insulation, and ventilation testing sectors. Discussions led on the direction of the UK’s built environment and domestic heating, including opportunities and challenges around the Government’s Future Homes Standard and Defra’s consultation on solid fuel burning.

The Future Homes Standards is a major update to England's Building Regulations which comes into force next year and introduces new requirements designed to lower the carbon footprint of new homes.

The biomass and solid fuel industry is also awaiting the outcome of Defra's consultation expected later this summer/autumn, which proposes stricter emission limits for new stoves, mandatory warning labels on appliances and fuels, and the possibility of increased fines.

Attendees - which included brands Recoheat, Chimella, Wohler, Rodstation, Flue and Ducting, NoMorePly, Concept Engineering, Rotary Power Sweeping and Svantek - explored how these upcoming regulatory changes will impact their industries, the need for greater collaboration among stakeholders, and the increasing role The Building Performance Hub will play in helping drive higher standards and future-proofing supply chains.

The hub based in High Wycombe supports professionals and organisations working across the UK’s built environment sectors to deliver competent, quality and consistent expertise, services and products. The hub's testing and training facilities include a purpose-built demonstration bungalow, designed to showcase real-world testing, installation and assessment environments.

Barry Copy, CEO of Cleaner Safer Group said: "It was fantastic to welcome so many professionals, partners and industry leaders to The Building Performance Hub and to showcase the opportunities this facility will create for the sector. The enthusiasm and engagement we saw throughout the day reinforced our belief in the need for greater collaboration and shared expertise across building performance, heating, and fuel quality as new regulations and enforcements come into play."

CSG now comprises five specialist brands, including HETAS and Woodsure, which operate certification schemes such as the Cleaner Choice appliance standards for manufacturers and Competent Persons Scheme for installers and technicians, as well as managing government schemes including Defra’s Ready to Burn and DESNZ’s Biomass Suppliers List.

Following its merger with the BCTA earlier this year, the group has also expanded to include ATTMA (Air Tightness Testing & Measurement Association), the professional body and Competent Persons Scheme for air tightness testing in residential and commercial buildings, and SITMA, the certification scheme for sound insulation testers that supports compliance with UK Building Regulations.

Cope added: "Cleaner Safer Group was established with a clear strategic purpose, to diversify into adjacent areas of the built environment, renewables, and energy efficiency. The Hub represents a significant investment in the future of our industries. By bringing together specialist knowledge from across HETAS, Woodsure, ATTMA and SITMA, we are creating a centre that will help drive higher standards, support competence and ultimately deliver better outcomes for businesses, professionals and consumers alike. The success of the open day demonstrates the appetite across the sector to work together to achieve those goals."

Ends

Editors notes

Cleaner Safer Group is a company limited by guarantee without share capital, and has a purpose of working together for a cleaner, safer, more sustainable environment.

The group is made up of HETAS and Woodsure, with both organisations specialising in certification schemes in the solid fuel and biomass sector.

Both organisations operate their own specialist certification schemes and run contracted schemes on behalf of government, including the Ready to Burn certification schemes for wood and manufactured solid fuels, the Biomass Suppliers List and smoke control exemption for appliances.