Agenda item

This report provides members with the number of options to developing planning policy guidance and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) aimed at improving the sustainability of developments compared to the current position. This follows from the Motion agreed at Full Council on 20 July 2019.

            At the meeting of Full Council on 17 July 2019, the following Motion was agreed which the Planning Policy Subcommittee was requested to consider:-

“This Council supports the principle of developing supplementary planning guidance to improve the level of sustainability of all developments in comparison to the current position.

Officers are asked to prepare a report for the consideration of the Planning Policy Sub Committee on how this might be achieved including reference to the following, and the likely costs and benefits thereof.

1)    Guidance on renewable energy (both passive & active) for individual homes.

2)    Improved standards for insulation, heat recovery and water usage.

3)    Guidance for community renewable energy schemes.

4)    Guidance on designs for waste/recycling storage facilities.

5)    Guidance on the planting of woodland which can be both a mitigating and resilience action in terms of carbon sequestration and reducing the rate of surface water run - off and thereby reducing the flooding impact of severe rainfall.

6)    Improved and more rigorous standards for the prevention of flooding.

The Sub Committee is also asked to make recommendations as to whether Arun DC should look at declaring a Climate Change Emergency and the implications of creating a framework for moving towards a Carbon Neutral District and whether the Council should consider engaging the services of an energy agency to provide community retrofit advice and support and explore the potential retro-fitting of solar panels on all appropriate Council assets.”

            In presenting the report, the Planning Policy Team Leader advised that the Director of Services would also be presenting a complementary report to the Environment & Leisure Working Group at its meeting on 7 November 2019 which would

·      Scope out the feasibility of, and make recommendation on, setting an appropriate zero-carbon target for Arun District by 2030; and

·      Identify the corporate service and other joint stakeholder initiatives and actions needed outside of but complementary to the planning system supported by a consultancy budget.

            The Subcommittee participated in a comprehensive debate on the matter which, in summary, encompassed the following issues: -

o  Policy E CC SP2 Energy and Climate Change Mitigation – a question was asked with regard to what was decentralised energy and a response was given by the Planning Policy Team Leader that it was, in essence, stand alone schemes, e.g. a factory powered independently of the national electricity grid or could be powered by private wire from a biomass scheme generating energy. It was suggested that other options to be looked at could be combined heat and power plants and centralised energy.  In addition, energy sources near to where people lived should not be overlooked.

o  The Planning Policy Team Leader advised that through the Future Homes Standards, the Government had already launched a better energy performance target and the building regulations regime was being changed.  The building industry needed to be pushed forward collectively.  However, the downside of Government intervention was that it would restrict the ability of local authorities to set their own standards.

o  Concern was expressed that the construction industry’s reaction to the changes in standards could have a negative and detrimental impact on the District’s housing targets which had been set and must be delivered.  A Member response was made that it was important to work with developers as it was felt that they were keen to do the right thing as everyone wanted to get climate change under control.

o  It was acknowledged that there were ethical developers working within the industry who were working on greater resilience housing and that, in due course, would become the norm.  It was suggested and agreed by Members that a good start could be with the Council taking the lead when building up their own stock of new Council houses in the future (Members were reminded that that was in fact outside the purview of the Subcommittee).

o  Comment was made around the viability of development in the future to ensure it was environmentally friendly as it was recognised that there was a fine balance because houses were needed in the District.  In addition, developments had to be viable to ensure that infrastructure could be provided.

In the course of the debate it was acknowledged that this was a good report, but a concern was expressed that a number of other authorities were doing the same work and so a strategic approach should be taken to undertake studies and research to share costs.  It was suggested that the Coastal West Sussex Strategic Planning Board should be involved as, in the past, that had provided cost effective and better quality responses to issues at a sub-regional level.  

There was a general view from Members that time was of the essence and that there was a need to act urgently so, yes, a climate emergency should be declared.

The Group Head of Planning cautioned Members that what was before them was, at this stage, a scoping report and a route would have to be followed to implement changes.

Following debate, the Subcommittee

RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL ON 13 NOVEMBER 2019 – That

(1)    A climate emergency be agreed by the Environment & Leisure Working Group and declared by the Council;

(2)    Should a climate emergency be declared, officers to investigate the scope of evidence necessary to test the feasibility and viability of achieving higher standards of sustainable design and adopting a zero-carbon target by 2030 where achievable; and

(3)    Following consideration of this evidence and testing, officers to prepare a review of the development management policies in the Local Plan or a Supplementary Planning Document.