4 Sustainable development

4 Sustainable development

National policy

4.1 The NPPF identifies in paragraph 7 that “the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner”.  In paragraph 8 it goes on to explain that achieving sustainable development means that the planning system has an economic objective, a social objective and an environmental objective.  At the heart of the NPPF is a presumption in favour of sustainable development (NPPF, paragraph 11) and for plan-making this means that “all plans should promote a sustainable pattern of development that seeks to: meet the development needs of their area; improve the environment; mitigate climate change (including by making effective use of land in urban areas) and adapt to its effects”.

4.2 The Climate Change Act 2008 sets a duty for the net UK carbon account for the year 2050 to be at least 100% lower than the 1990 baseline.  The 1990 baseline is the aggregate amount of net UK emissions of carbon dioxide for that year and net UK emissions of each of the other targeted greenhouse gases for the base year for that gas.

4.3 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 states that development plan documents must include policies designed to secure that the development and use of land in the planning authority’s area contribute to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change.

Evidence base 

Key issues

  • Cheshire West and Chester unanimously declared, on 21 May 2019, that the borough was in a climate emergency.  The Council agreed that climate change presents a threat to our way of life; recognised the need to act in-line with the worldwide agreements on climate change and the best available evidence, which states that to limit emissions to 1.5 OC, there is a requirement to reach ‘net zero’ by 2045; and the Council must play its part by evidencing leadership on this issue.    
  • Carbon Dioxide per capita estimates for 2022 within the scope of influence of Local Authorities (including commercial, domestic, industry, transport and public sectors) were 7.3kt per capita in Cheshire West and Chester, compared to 4.3kt per capita for England.  This is partly due to the very high industrial emissions in Cheshire West and Chester due to industrial sources such as Stanlow refinery.
  • Private car use is high in Cheshire West and Chester compared to general figures for England.  In 2021, 83% of households in the borough had at least one car or van, whereas the figure for England is 77%.  In 2021, 50.8% of employed Cheshire West and Chester residents’ method of travel to work was driving a car or van, compared to 44.5% in England as a whole.  As such, transport has a significant impact on carbon emissions and air quality in the borough.
  • Cheshire West and Chester has significant areas of agricultural land, including some large areas of Best and most versatile agricultural land (Grade 1 – Grade 3a).  This land is important for food production, but the pressure for the use of agricultural land for alternative uses (such as ground-mounted solar or housing) is increasing.
  • Sustainable development links with and has positive impacts on many other topic areas, such as deprivation, health, transport, air quality, flood risk and biodiversity.  

Current adopted policy

Local Plan

Policy reference

Policy summary

Local Plan (Part One)

STRAT 1 Sustainable development

Identifies that the Local Plan seeks to enable development that improves and meets the economic, social and environmental objectives of the borough in line with the presumption in favour of sustainable development.  Sets out a series of sustainable development principles that proposals must support. 

Suggested policy approach

4.4 The suggested policy approach is to amend and expand current Local Plan (Part One) policy STRAT 1 to make the requirements clearer, particularly in relation to mitigating and adapting to climate change.  Climate change is a particularly important issue in Cheshire West and Chester given the relatively high per capita carbon dioxide emissions and the fact that the Council has declared a climate emergency.  This new policy should ensure that climate change mitigation and adaptation is prioritised.

SD 1

Sustainable development

New developments must, where relevant:

Mitigating climate change 
  1. Maximise opportunities to secure significant reductions in carbon emissions through low carbon design, embodied carbon and energy consumption;
  2. Maximise opportunities to generate energy from renewable sources and to re-balance the grid through energy storage.  All new buildings should include solar panels unless it can be shown that this is impractical or not viable.  Strategic sites should be connected to a district heat network. Where this is not currently feasible, new homes should be built with the necessary infrastructure in place to enable such connections to be easily integrated in the future. Opportunities should be sought to connect commercial development producing sufficient levels of waste heat, with residential development or other developments with demand for heating, where they are located within close proximity;
  3. Be designed to make walking, wheeling and cycling as safe and easy as possible.  Providing for sustainable transport choices to create healthy and inclusive communities, whilst reducing the need to travel.  Incorporating electric vehicle (EV) charging points in every new home with off-street parking, and outside new commercial developments, village halls, community facilities and services;
  4. Deliver high quality, interconnected and multifunctional green and blue infrastructure, which will be designed to provide sequester carbon, improve air quality and enhance biodiversity. Tree planting and other carbon sequestering habitat types should be incorporated into new developments; and
  5. Maximise resource efficiency and supporting the transition to a circular economy by minimising waste, maximising the reuse of materials, and prioritising low embodied carbon materials.  
Adapting to climate change
  1. Be designed to be resilient and adaptive to the future impacts of climate change. Schemes should minimise the risk of overheating and buildings must be able to withstand the impact of extreme conditions, such as from flooding and heat exposure; 
  2. Be located in accordance with the Sequential Test and the Exceptions Test (where appropriate) and have regard to the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. Areas at risk of flooding, both now and in future, should be avoided and development should contribute to reducing flood risk on site without exacerbating flood risk elsewhere.  Natural flood management features such as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) should be incorporated into design of schemes and should also provide amenity value and / or biodiversity improvements; 
  3. Incorporate water efficiency, water recycling and rainwater harvesting measures to mitigate the impact of drought and reduce resource and associated energy consumption. 
Additional environmental and social requirements
  • Protect, enhance or improve the natural and historic environment whilst enhancing or restoring degraded and despoiled land and seeking opportunities for habitat creation;
  • Encourage the use and redevelopment of previously developed land and buildings and minimising the development of greenfield land as much as possible;
  • Avoid development in locations of high environmental value and on high-grade agricultural land ; and
  • Support development that achieves regeneration of the most deprived areas of the borough.

The Council will always work proactively with applicants where proposals are not in accordance with the Plan to find solutions which mean that proposals can be made sustainable and approved wherever possible.  However, proposals that fundamentally conflict with the above principles or policies within the Local Plan will be refused.

Question SD 1

Do you agree with the suggested policy approach towards sustainable development, as set out in SD 1 ‘Sustainable development’ above? If not please suggest how it could be amended?

Question SD 2

Do you have any comments on how feasible district heat networks are? Should district heat networks be a requirement on strategic sites?

Question SD 3

Are there any other sustainable development issues or requirements that should be included in the new Local Plan?