Council launches new sustainability guidance » Local Government » 24dash.com

A new web-based resource is helping developers in Sheffield to tackle climate change to ensure that new houses, shops and offices are as green as possible and are fit for the future.

New guidance provided by Sheffield Council gives the latest information and links for sustainable construction and developers of major schemes in Sheffield need to provide a Sustainability Statement with their planning applications.

The new resource was launched by the Council's Planning Service dealing with everything from sustainable drainage and biodiversity to renewable energy and building performance.

Developers get clear advice on what is expected to be included in planning applications in Sheffield.

It draws attention to local planning requirements and emerging regional and Sheffield Development Framework policies, and explains the planning vision for a sustainable Sheffield, showing how all developers can contribute.

The details may be found on the Council's web site at www.sheffield.gov.uk/in-your-area/planning-and-city-development-control/makingHYPERLINK "http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/in-your-area/planning-and-city-development-control/making" -an-application/sustainability-guidance

Councillor Mary Lea, the Council's Cabinet member for Sustainable Environment commented: "It is important that all new development is sustainable and meets the challenges of climate change."

"We aim to ensure that Sheffield will be an even greener city in the future and want to work closely with developers and other partners across the city to achieve this."

Although all developments should be sustainable, it is considered reasonable to require applications for major developments to be supported by a more detailed explanation of how sustainable they are.

It should be self-apparent for smaller-scale developments, whereas larger-scale developments often raise more complex issues and can provide bigger opportunities for sustainable features.

The requirement to support major applications with a Sustainability Statement, was introduced for applications validated since 2 July 2007.

The Government's definition of a 'major application' has been adopted by the Council and this is set out in the Sustainability Statement Guidance on the Council's web site.

Small-scale renewable energy equipment on houses, such as wind turbines or solar panels, will be encouraged, as research has shown that this can be an important contributor to minimising the energy demands of the city.

In the meantime, Sheffield is expecting larger-scale developments, defined as buildings of 1000 sq m gross floorspace or more, or of 10 dwellings or more, to be providing at least 10% of their energy needs from renewable sources.

Sheffield is committed to exceeding these targets, and the Preferred Options of the City Policies proposes that from around 2009 all large and medium developments (from 500 sq m gross floorspace or five dwellings) will be required to generate renewable energy on-site to provide at least 20% of their predicted energy needs.

Developers in the city have already introduced features to significantly reduce the negative impact on the environment.

The major Polestar building on Shepcote Lane, which was developed by Gazeley on a former steelworks site, has many of these features, including a 20 kwp wind turbine and solar panels on the roof as well as rainwater harvesting and re-cycling.

Mary Lea added: "Gazeley are to be applauded for incorporating these features into the warehouse and they set a great example for others to follow across the city."

By incorporating the environmental initiatives, Gazeley has achieved a reduction on carbon dioxide emissions of 171 tonnes and a saving of nearly £12,000 a year on running costs.

The Government's Energy White Paper sets a target that 10% of the UK's electricity needs should be from renewable energy sources by 2010, and the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy sets a target of 10.6MW to be achieved in Sheffield by 2010.

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