Climate Change Adaption,
a service perspective –
the role of Land Use
Planning
Barry Wyatt, Strategic Head of
Development services Stroud DC
Adaptation or Mitigation
• Mitigation – Actions to reduce CO2
emissions.
• Adaptation - Actions to respond to the
inevitable consequences of climate
change.
• Adaptation, Mitigation and Resilience
- Decentralised renewable energy
How Can Planning Influence
Adaptation ?
• Reacting to development proposals via the
Development Control process, refuse or grant
permission but on policy grounds!
• Requiring specified standards or assessment
criteria to be met.
• Proactively allocating land to promote specific
uses, functions and structures.
• Protecting existing uses and structures
Challenges of the Local
Development Framework LDF
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Core Strategy, LDDs, SPDs, DPDs
Regional Spatial Strategy
Inter boundary issues
Skills and evidence base
Policy Lag
Policy
• Plethora of documents
• Zero Carbon via the following CO2 reductions
targets:25% improvement in 2010CSH energy level 3
44% improvement in 2013CSH energy level 4
Zero carbon by 2016 CSH energy level 6
Climate Change Impacts
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Rise in sea level
Wetter winters
Higher temperatures
Dryer summers
Warmer winters
Increased frequency of extreme
weather events
Rise In Sea Level
and Wetter Winters
• Level 1 Strategic and local flood risk
assessments informing the LDF and
subsequent DPDs.
• Level 2 flood risk assessments
• Surface Water Management Plans
• Flood mitigation measures (SUDS and
beyond! Potential EA conflict)
• Strategies for relocating the un-defendable,
and the socio economic impacts!
• Perceived risks and insurance
Higher temperatures
• Impact on living space environment - Layout and
location of developments to keep cool.
• Increased energy demand for cooling – new designs,
energy assessments and renewable provision. (HIPs,
EPCs, Changes to the Building Regulations)
• Agricultural change and landscape impact –
protecting valuable landscapes and biodiversity
(nature map and corridors)
• Pressures from recreation and tourism – enabling
polices
Dryer summers
• Soil shrinkage – structural problems
resulting in high redevelopment churn
rates.
• Increased demand for water –
decentralised supply to support new
development at a site and community
level.
Warmer winters
• Impact on biodiversity and the need for
planning to respond – protection of sites
from development, Impact assessments
• Impact on choice of building materials
Extreme Weather Events
• Disruption to transport – minimising the need
to travel through the location of development.
• Disruption to services – decentralised
provision of energy and water supplies.
• Flooding (river) – location of development
and development type
• Flooding (surface) – SWMPs, attenuation and
resilient drainage
Can We Deliver
• Increased development costs and competing
planning objectives, need to balance with delivery
(Para 32 PPS1)
• Renewables on or off site
• Technical challenges
• Skills and capacity gap
• Capacity of the market to support Councils
• Knowledge and understanding of both officers and
members
• Is the market driving change?
• New forms, following new functions
Planning and Building Control
• Para 33 PPS1 (supplement) ‘Planning
authorities and those responsible for
implementing the building regulations should
work closely to ensure integrated and timely
decisions under complimentary regimes.
• What future for Building Control
• Approved Inspectors
• Enforcement practicalities
• New Focus on Building Regulations,
performance trading, whole house calcs
And finally…..