Planning document will make it easier to ‘green’ new developments
Formal approval has been granted for a planning document to make new developments in Nottingham more environmentally-friendly.
Senior councillors on the city council’s Executive Board gave the green light to the Reduction of Carbon in New Development Supplementary Planning Document (Carbon SPD) yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 17 June).
SPDs add further detail to policies in Nottingham’s Local Plan. They can be used to provide guidance for development on specific sites or on particular issues, and are a material consideration in planning decisions but not part of the statutory Local Plan.
The aim of the one approved yesterday, which was created in partnership with Broxtowe Borough Council, is to promote the reduction of carbon in new developments at the earliest design stage when this can be of no cost, or low cost, to developers.
It will help the council to raise profile of the global climate crisis and encourage those companies building in Nottingham to support lower carbon use and long-term costs.
In 2019, both councils declared climate emergencies and underscored their commitment to addressing climate change.
Nottingham City Council has set an ambitious goal to become the UK’s first carbon-neutral city by 2028, a target known as Carbon-Neutral Nottingham 2028 (CN28). Similarly, Broxtowe Borough Council has outlined its carbon reduction priorities through the Climate Change and Green Futures Strategy.
The Carbon SPD forms part of ongoing efforts to reduce energy demand, improve energy efficiency and enhance the use of renewables in new developments.
It explains how new developments can meet these requirements through:
- Energy and carbon reduction: strategies include passive design and passive cooling (which minimise energy consumption and reduce heat gain), incorporation of green and blue infrastructure (how natural and semi-natural areas are connected), enhancing building energy efficiency, utilising low-carbon heat sources and technologies, and integrating renewable energy
- Sustainable construction: Emphasis is placed on the prudent use of materials, including the reuse and recycling of materials, sustainable material selection, reducing embodied carbon, and promoting building reuse and retrofit
Councillor Jay Hayes, Executive Member for Housing and Planning at Nottingham City Council, said: “This is a really important document that officers have worked on jointly with colleagues at Broxtowe and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to approve it today at Executive Board.
“We’ve made a commitment as a city to jointly deliver carbon neutrality by 2028 and have been clear from the outset that’s not something that the council can do by itself. We need local organisations and industries to help – and developers are key to that.
“It can be a complex area for them to navigate but the Carbon SPD will help developers explain to our Planning Committee how they will be reducing carbon use during and after construction.
“This is a win-win situation really because it allows developers to showcase their environmental credentials and understanding of how traditional building methods must change and adapt. At the same time, it helps both ourselves and Broxtowe work towards our carbon-neutral aims.”
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