Nottingham City Council is taking steps towards reducing carbon emissions in new developments across the city, by launching a consultation on a draft planning guide for residential and commercial developments.
Nottingham City Council has made the commitment to become a carbon neutral city by 2028. This means cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from direct and indirect sources that arise from the use of energy within the city to near zero and offsetting those emissions that cannot be eliminated.
Traditional buildings consume around 40% of the total fossil fuel energy in the UK and are significant contributors of greenhouse gases.
The draft Planning Guidance recognises the contribution that reducing carbon in new developments can make to tackling Climate Change and outlines a range of measures possible to help reduce carbon in new residential and commercial developments.
In the draft proposals, all future planning applications of ten or more homes or commercial developments of 1,000 m2 and above will need to be supported by a Carbon Reduction/Energy Statement. The statement must show how the development will contribute towards the City Council’s carbon neutral pledge and how the new buildings will use energy. The Statement will cover energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable design and construction.
If approved and then adopted by the council, the informal guidance can be taken into consideration by planning officers and members of the planning committee, along with other local and national planning policy documents, when determining major planning applications.
The guide represents the first step towards a more comprehensive planning document and will help outline what the council expects from future developments. It will also help developers to prepare ahead of any future changes in local and national planning policy.
Councillor Linda Woodings Portfolio Holder for Planning, Housing and Heritage at Nottingham City Council said: “It is part of our planning policy approach to radically reduce carbon emissions from new developments, which will not only help the city achieve its carbon neutral ambitions for 2028, but is becoming increasingly necessary, as the world faces a climate emergency.
“The informal guidance helps promote a range of measures that developers can start to take to help reduce carbon in their residential and commercial developments.
“This is just the first step in our planning ambitions, as we work on plans to introduce new local planning polices and look for steer from Government on National Planning Guidance to help drive real change in the construction and development industry.”
The City Council is encouraging everyone, including residents, businesses and developers to have their say on the guidance, until the consultation closes on Monday 29 November (5pm) 2021. More information can be found by visiting:
www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/carbon-ipg