Planning application
Land Design Contracting Construction Refurb End of life
It is at the planning application stage that local government has the power to intervene and require alterations to land and building design and make demands for economic, social and environmental contributions from the developer for the benefit the community at large (e.g. Section 106 agreements). This stage is a critical juncture for decision-making on sustainable development.
Planning policy and development control officers execute spatial strategies and deliver community visions on behalf of their respective Councils. Most local governments will follow sustainable development guidance intended to shape and regulate construction activities on land and for buildings within their authority. Developers rely on planning authorities to provide direction and criteria for achieving sustainable development. It is important that submission of planning applications to planning departments are aligned with existing requirements, guidance and development plans for the area.
Moreover, because planning serves as a bridge between public and private interests, planners’ roles also include facilitating participation amongst a variety of stakeholders, such as local community groups, designers, and developers. Involvement of a broad group of stakeholders in the site selection and design stages should be carried out well in advance of applications made to planning authorities.
The Birmingham Eastside case study provides an example of weak sustainable development guidance by local and regional government planning authorities. The result was that achievement of sustainable credentials for the £6 billion regeneration scheme had to rely more on voluntary actions by the developer than on legally binding agreements within decision-making / planning processes.
Key considerations
1. What local requirements are in place?
Many local authorities are now imposing their own specific sustainability requirements, such as incorporation of renewables in developments. Local authority sustainability requirements are supplementary to Government planning policies (described below), for example, supplement development plan policies in Local Development Frameworks. Unlike Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG), Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) have statutory status, but are not part of the statutory development plan. However, existing SPGs did not lose their status immediately on enactment of the system of SPDs. It is important to check with local planning authorities as to what supplementary guidance and documents apply. Local authority sustainability requirements can also take the form of, for example, Local Agenda 21s (LA21), local environmental plans, and sustainability checklists. An example of a sustainability checklist may be found in the Ealing 2004 plan for the environment (Unitary Development Plan), Supplementary Planning Guidance 1 (SPG1).
Government Planning Policy Statements (PPSs) explain statutory provisions and provide guidance to local authorities and others on planning policy and the relationship between planning policies and other policies, which have an important bearing on issues of development and land use, including sustainable development. Local authorities must take PPS content into account in preparing their development plans. Similarly, the impact of building regulations and polluter pays policies (e.g. Climate Change Levy and increasing taxation of material removed to landfill sites) should also be considered at the planning application stage.
The local planning authority should be consulted at an early stage to know what is expected of the proposal submission. Example issues to consider in discussion with the planning authority include the following.
- Environmental Impact Assessments
- Health Impact Assessments
- Sustainable Communities
The case study of Arup’s Integrated Resource Modelling system illustrates use of an analysis tool that adopts a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach and applies this to regional or town/city masterplans, or at the project-specific development level.
A preliminary list of Planning application FAQs regarding sustainable development at this stage has been provided to stimulate thinking.
2. Which stakeholders are involved at the planning stage?
The role of planners includes facilitating participation amongst a variety of stakeholders, of which the following are common
- Local community groups
- Developer
- Design stage participants
- Environmental impact assessors
- Surveyors
- Local Council
Are there key considerations we haven’t included? If so, please let us know.
The following are a set of questions you should be asking yourself at this stage of the construction process.
- What do the Planning Policy Statements (PPS) require?
- What is the attitude of the local planning authority towards sustainability?
What does the Local Development Framework Say?
Are there specific environmental and sustainability issues in the community?
Should voluntary and community groups be involved in planning?
Will the planning process be quicker if sustainability is built in from the start? - When should the local planning authority be involved?
What planning obligations will be considered by the local authority and how can developers plan for these to save resources and manage the programme?
How is contact made between developer/designer and the local planning authority?
Should a professional planning consultant be involved? - How should planners, developers and designers work together?
How do planners collaborate with developers and designers to minimise transport impacts?
How can developers and designers work with policy planners to maximise sustainability returns to the community?
How will development control officers make decisions to approve planning applications and how can this be taken into account before submission of the planning application? - How can construction and infrastructure development be coordinated so that the users are supported by sustainable infrastructure from day one?