I HAVE no problem with the design of the carbon-zero house at Acomb Green because I believe there should be room in York for all forms of architectural expression (Letters, July 17).

Anyone wishing to pursue innovation should be allowed to do so; but equally it should not be compulsory.

My concern is with the proposed mandatory requirement of the flawed Code for Sustainable Homes which is contrived, illogical and, at level six, prohibitively expensive. There is supposed to be a desire to bring down housing costs but imposing carbon-zero as a mandatory requirement from 2016 will effectively kill off any resurgence in speculative house-building.

There is no need for it. We already have very tough regulations and any home built today has such good insulation standards the energy needed to heat it is minimal. However, the resources and carbon-input required to cut down further this energy consumption is out of all proportion to the benefits gained. So rather than achieving carbon-zero homes the ill-considered policies are more likely to produce just zero new homes.

Matthew Laverack, Architect of this parish, Former house-builder, Lord Mayor’s Walk, York.