Sustainable Futures Wright & Wright - Flipbook - Page 17
Strategies for sustainable planning
Catherine Slessor
‘Planning
mechanisms need
to be seen in the
wider context of
recent government
policy initiatives
to promote
sustainability’
A key aim of the planning system is to
enable sustainable development, which
can be broadly summarised as meeting
the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Within the context of economic,
environmental and social objectives,
all plans should promote a sustainable
pattern of development that seeks to
address the needs of their area, align
growth and infrastructure, improve the
environment, mitigate climate change,
through effective urban land use, and
adapt to its effects.
Planning mechanisms need to be
seen in the wider context of recent
government policy initiatives. At the end
of last year, Energy Secretary David
Miliband set out the government’s ‘clean
power 2030 plan’, described as ‘the most
ambitious reforms to the country’s
energy system in generations’. The aim
is to reduce the country’s dependence
on fossil fuels, which was thrown into
sharp relief when Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine impacted negatively on the
British energy bills.
It includes wide-ranging measures
to speed up planning decisions on clean
energy projects and unblock the queue
of projects waiting to connect to the
national electricity grid, which has
grown tenfold over five years and is
currently managed on a ‘first come, first
served’ basis. The reforms will enable
the most viable projects to jump the
queue, with stalled or slow-moving
projects pushed back. This would result
in crucial infrastructure, from housing
to gigafactories and data centres,
connecting more quickly to the grid.
The Energy Secretary will also be
empowered to have the final approval
on major infrastructure projects such as
giant onshore wind farms. Boosting the
delivery of renewable energy is seen as
vital to meet the Government’s
commitment to reaching zero carbon
electricity generation by 2030. Onshore
wind and solar technologies are cheap,
Strategies for sustainable planning
efficient and quick to build, currently
accounting for over half the UK’s
renewable generating capacity.
The concept of biodiversity net gain
(BNG) – leaving biodiversity in a
measurably better state than prior to
development – will also be increasingly
important in future planning strategies.
From February 2024, BNG became a
mandatory requirement in England as
part of the 2021 Environment Act, with
stringent criteria for its evaluation and
measurement. From the outset,
developers are encouraged to avoid
causing biodiversity impacts, but if this
cannot be avoided, then they will be
obliged to compensate for any loss or
damage. Habitat is used as proxy for
biodiversity and developers must
deliver a 10% habitat uplift, with losses
and gains measured via the statutory
biodiversity metric.
Boosting the resilience of sites is
another key consideration, especially
in respect of water management, which
can reduce flood risk, improve habitats
and provide scope for recreational
activities. More generally, early
integration of green infrastructure with
other aspects of design, such as public
open space, highways and biodiversity
provision can help to ensure a more
resilient and sustainable outcome.
Planning decisions need information,
which is currently devolved to a large
number of different organisations, so it
is costly to gather and use. Making this
date available nationally will speed up
and diversify participation in planning,
transforming the places in which people
live, work, study and relax.
High energy efficiency standards are
also critical, and can be incorporated
into local plans and design codes.
These might also include guidance on
principles of sustainable construction,
such as encouraging offsite fabrication
and modular forms of design, to
improve building performance and
productivity and reduce waste as part
of the wider circular economy.
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