Sustainable development is a core principle of the planning system that governs development in Ashford. At the heart of sustainable development is the simple idea of ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for future generations.

It is therefore important that new developments facilitate sustainable development. Ideally, all new buildings should be designed to take account of their impact on the environment. Delivering more sustainable forms of development can help to tackle the causes and effects of climate change.

It is essential that we tackle the environmental performance of new developments and buildings now. New settlements, neighbourhoods, infrastructure and buildings built today will be with us for years to come. We need to make sure that we consider the environmental impact at the earliest opportunity.

Our Commitment

We have signed up to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change which is a public commitment to develop plans to progressively address the causes and impacts of climate change.

In planning for now and in the future we are also strongly committed to ensuring that all new developments positively address their environmental impact, such as the efficient use of natural resources, and tackle the causes and effects of climate change. This is essential to delivering sustainable communities in Ashford. This is why we have set out standards for major development in our Core Strategy.

What standards do I have to meet?

In November 2006 we submitted the Core Strategy Development Plan Document. Within the Core Strategy, policy CS10 Sustainable Design and Construction sets out standards for new major developments based on the BREEAM environmental rating for non-residential buildings and the Code for Sustainable Homes for residential buildings, and to reduce the predicted carbon emissions of their development through on site sustainable energy. Detailed guidance on the implementation of these standards will be prepared as part of the Sustainable Design and Construction SPD. However an Interim Guidance Note had been prepared to provide guidance until the SPD is published.

We made some pre-examination changes to the Core Strategy to reflect the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

• Interim Guidance Note on CS10 Sustainable Design and Construction - 49Kb PDF

Delivering sustainable buildings and developments

We encourage all developers to consider their environmental impact within the design of the development and with the environmental performance of buildings. This includes the consideration of:

• Environmental Impacts: Impacts may include unnecessary carbon emissions from a development, or impacts on health as a result of the development.
• Resource Efficiency: Making the best use of natural resources such as energy, water and waste.
• Mitigation: To mitigate against the effects of climate change buildings can reduce their emissions of Greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to the effects of climate change, carbon dioxide emissions is one of the key GHG emissions
• Adaptation: Buildings and places can be designed to adapt to the predicted effects of climate change such as managing high temperature, managing flood risks and ground conditions.

Further Information

• Adapting to Climate Change
• Biodiversity
• Energy
• Materials
• Water
• Waste
• Sustainability Appraisal
• Tools for assessing sustainability
• Useful Websites

For more information on sustainable development please email Katy Wiseman or telephone 01233 330229.