Agenda item

This report sets out the issues which the new Local Plan will need to address in relation to sustainability and sets out the policy wording to be contained within the new Local Plan.

There are five separate sustainability policies referenced within this report and are set out within Appendices 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Appendix 6 provides background and details of why and how these policies have been produced which is further summarised within this report.

Recommendation:

1.       That the Local Plan Sub-Committee notes the contents of this report and recommends to the Policy and Resources Committee the following draft policies:

·          X A - Net Zero Operational Carbon in New Residential Development

·          X B - Net Zero Operational Carbon in New Build Non-Residential Development

·          X C - Climate-adapted Design and Construction

·          X D - Embodied Carbon and Waste

·          X E - Reducing Carbon Emissions in Existing Buildings

2.       That the Local Plan Sub-Committee recommends to the Policy and Resources Committee that delegated authority be granted to the Head of Planning Policy & Conservation in consultation with the portfolio holder to make minor changes to the draft policies.

The Sub-Committee received a report which set out the issues which the new Local Plan would need to address in relation to sustainability and which set out the policy wording to be contained within the new Local Plan.

Committee members asked questions and sought clarification on the policies which were responded to by officers.

Councillor Jon Tankard spoke on the item and it was agreed that his comments would be passed to officers for consideration.

Members’ comments and suggested changes included:

·        Policy X E should be amended to clarify that it also included the process of replacing dwellings.

·        Some committee members commented that the cost implications associated with the policies needed to be understood and that requiring performance in excess of Part L did not warrant the associated financial burden.  Officers responded that there was some cost analysis in the evidence, but that it would be further looked at as part of the viability work.  Once the viability work was completed, choices would need to be made with regard to where the Council’s priorities lay.  Other committee members commented that the additional costs associated with carbon reduction initiatives needed to be balanced against the cost savings in reduced energy use; that they could be achieved at relatively little cost; and that the Council had shown a commitment to achieving Net Zero and which would inevitably involve some cost.

·        Officers were asked to check whether the energy offset figure of £2.31/kWh in paragraph 14 of Policy X A – Net Zero Operation in New Build Residential Development should be £2.31 per kW of capacity.  A committee member recommended that the figure be removed from the policy.

·        In response to a question about whether the fact that the policies would require performance in excess of national standards could result in the Plan being found unsound at examination, officers advised that the approach taken represented a middle ground in terms of the options the Council had considered.  Whilst some modifications may be needed, it was not considered that it would result in the Plan being found to be unsound.  If the very safest approach had been taken, the Council would be unlikely to achieve its Climate Emergency Declaration and Net Zero targets.

·        A committee member suggested that paragraph 1 with A1.1 of Policy X A should be replaced with ‘development is strongly encouraged to improve on the relevant Target Emissions Rate standard set out in the building regulations Part L as applied at the time of development’.  Officers undertook to consider this.

·        A committee member suggested that the wording of paragraph 13 in Policy X A should be amended with the wording up to ‘net zero’ being replaced with ‘Where it is technically or financially unviable to achieve on-site…’.  Officers undertook to consider this.

·        A committee member suggested that the first paragraph of Policy X A should be amended to ’All new build dwellings (use class C3 and C4) except householder applications are required to meet the following requirements:’ and that householder applications should be excepted across all of the policies except for substantial demolition of a building.  Officers undertook to give consideration to clarifying which policies were applicable to householder applications and which were not.

·        A committee member suggested the following amendment to Policy X E: ‘Buildings can be demolished where the building makes a negative contribution to a Conservation Area or otherwise does harm to a heritage site and where demolition would reduce that harm.’  On being put to the vote this proposal fell.

RESOLVED:

1.       That the Local Plan Sub-Committee notes the contents of the report and recommends to the Policy and Resources Committee the following draft policies, subject to the amendments and comments noted above:

·          X A - Net Zero Operational Carbon in New Residential Development

·          X B - Net Zero Operational Carbon in New Build Non-Residential Development

·          X C - Climate-adapted Design and Construction

·          X D - Embodied Carbon and Waste

·          X E - Reducing Carbon Emissions in Existing Buildings

2.     That the Local Plan Sub-Committee recommends to the Policy and Resources Committee that delegated authority be granted to the Head of Planning Policy & Conservation in consultation with the portfolio holder to make minor changes to the draft policies.