SISCo project closing conference

Workshop session 2a

Delivering Sustainability through Planning in the UK

University of Southampton

24th November 2011

Delivering Sustainability through Planning in the UK

Dev. strategy, planning conditions, developer contributions

Main planning factor = Development Plan

• South East Plan

• Core Strategy/Local Plan

Other ‘Material Considerations’

• Government Guidance

• South Hampshire Partnership Working

• Supplementary Planning Documents

• Development Briefs

How much weight?

How recent? How local? Relates to a legal requirement?

How much public consultation was involved?

?

Government Guidance

PPS1 places sustainability at core of planning and later supplement requires development to mitigate and adapt to climate change

PPS22 requires development and councils to consider opportunities to incorporate renewable energy in all development.

PPS7 (sustainable dev. in rural areas)

PPS9 (biodiversity)

PPS10 (waste)

PPS23 (pollution and sustainable drainage)

Climate Change Bill (2008): targets for reducing CO2 up to 2050

TO B

E W

ITH

DR

AWN

!

REDUCED

‘…Development that is sustainable should go ahead, without delay…’

South East Plan (2008)

Policies CC1& 2 Sustainable Development & Climate Change

Mitigation :More carbon efficient new and existing bdgs.Influence residents’ behaviourReduce need to travel, support sustainable transportPromote carbon sink land useEncourage renewablesReduce biodegradable waste to landfill

Adaption:Reduce water consumptionMinimise development in flood risk zonesImprove resilience of new and existing bdgs

Policy CC4 Sustainable Design & Construction

Policy SH8

South Hampshire Authorities to develop common env. sustainable policies

WIT

HD

RAW

N!

South Hampshire Sub-regional Coordination

PUSH Green Infrastructure Strategy

Sustainability Policy Framework  

Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH)

Core Strategy/Local Plan

Policies for next 18 years, incl. on sustainable topics, e.g.:

• Where to develop

• Green Infrastructure

• Sustainable Transport

• Biodiversity

• Sustainable Development

Must provide evidence to justify local requirements going further than national standards for sustainable development

Adopting the PUSH policy

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs)

ESD 1 Minimum Code For Sustainable Homes & BREEAM Requirements ESD 2 Rainwater Harvesting or Greywater Recycling (not houses)ESD 3 External Water ConsumptionESD 4 Sustainable DrainageESD 5 Passive Solar Heat Gain ESD 6 Carbon Dioxide Reduction (small scale zero/low carbon technologies)ESD 7 Green Roofs ESD 8 Trees

Development Briefs

All dwellings must achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 and all non–residential development must meet BREEAM ‘excellent’ certification together with other environmentally sustainable requirements

Benefits :

Standards• Nationally recognised standards• Future-proofed• Rising scale of sustainable performance• Mandatory emissions and water consumption standards • Standards go beyond energy and water

Assessment• Independently assessed• Assessment funded by developer• Confidence in assessment

Ease of use by planners• Compliance based on certificates• Avoids need for technical expertise by planners• Annual monitoring

Plus….BREEAM/Code credits can be used for more specific/prescriptive requirements

9 sustainable categories:• Energy/CO2• Water• Materials• Surface Water Runoff• Waste• Pollution• Health and Wellbeing• Management• Ecology

36 issues each with variable no. of credits

Code/BREEAM

Implementation

“As it stands, I am not persuaded that either development meets with the Council’s requirements for environmentally sustainable development as set out in the SPD, or that they accord with Local Plan policy 34.ES……

………For the reasons given above, I conclude that both the appeals should bedismissed.”

Isobel McCrettonINSPECTOR 8 February 2011

Care home: 3Commercial: 10Hotel: 2Hotel & retail: 1Residential: 30Residential & retail: 1Total: 47

Development applications where SPD applied by Nov 2011

The Future

g). For all developments over 250 dwellings or 10,000 sq m, fund a postoccupancy evaluation to assess the true sustainable performance ofthe building between 1 and 2 years after occupation; and

h). For all developments over 500 dwellings, undertake a BREEAMCommunities assessment at the master-plan stage with a requirementthat at least a BREEAM ‘excellent’ standard (or equivalent) beachieved;

Policy DM29, Environmentally Sustainable Development

a)-f) builds on SPD and updates policies….

Eastleigh

UK National Planning Policy Framework due Spring 2012

Will set the context for all future local plan policies

Heavy lobbying from major housebuilders