Councils and developers fight climate change

The statement, called Planning and Climate Change, suggests how planning should contribute to stabilising and reducing emissions whilst taking into account the unavoidable consequences of the global warming process. It further highlights that planning has a role in ‘supporting the delivery of the timetable for reducing carbon emissions from domestic and non-domestic buildings’.

Government ministers believe the potential for development sites to be linked into local power generation schemes should be considered to the same extent as current considerations, for example the prioritising of Brownfield sites and those areas that are accessible for public transport, for future development.

This need for full collaboration between developers and local authorities, could include simple steps such as locating developments on sites that catch the sun to more complex steps, including locating developments over aquifers for ground source heating. Developers are also encouraged through this statement, to link residential and commercial property; residential property located near business and industrial development should take advantage of the surplus heat produced by large office developments.

The government has set some ambitious targets including the need for all new build residential properties to be carbon neutral by 2016. In order to meet these targets, fully integrated local power generation schemes are to be encouraged to support not just new homes, but also commercial and retail properties as well.

For further information please contact James Holbrook-Bull on 01905 453 275

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