DEFINITIONS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT APPRAISAL CRITERIA

9.0 INTRODUCTION

9.1 The sustainability criteria are defined below. In formulating the criteria and definitions account has been taken of social, economic and environmental well being. These are not clear-cut categories and no attempt has been made to group criteria into particular categories largely because some criteria may fit within more than one of these. Policies beneficial to the Transport criterion for example can result in improvements to social, economic and environmental well being. There will also be strong links between some of the criteria. No attempt has been made to identify these links, but they may emerge as part of the appraisal.

10.0 THE CRITERIA AND DEFINITIONS

10.1 Transport and Accessibility

10.2 Objective: Reduce the need to travel and increase accessibility by a choice of means of transport.

10.3 Reducing the need to travel is a major requirement of sustainable development and of national planning policy. This aspect of sustainable development has the potential to impact upon social, economic and environmental factors through for example reducing pollution and congestion and creating safer living environments. Linked with reducing the need to travel is the need to improve access for the whole community to facilities and services, especially for those with impaired mobility.

10.4 B&NES has produced a Local Transport Plan (Provisional) 1999. This has been formulated in accordance with the Council’s transport vision based around several principles including: the need to provide high levels of accessibility; the need to reduce overall levels of travel and, in particular, that associated with the private car; and the need to conserve and promote environmental well-being through policies which discriminate in favour of non-car travel. Since transport and land use are inextricably linked, the Local Plan and Local Transport Plan should be consistent and integrated with one another.

10.5 Policies will benefit transport and accessibility where they seek to reduce the need to travel by promoting mixed developments in existing urban areas providing opportunities to live and work locally; increase the potential for walking, cycling and public transport; and improve access to facilities for all sections of the community.

10.6 Economy and Employment

10.7 Objective: To promote economic growth, employment and a diverse economy.

10.8 While it is beyond the scope of the Local Plan to promote sustainable local economic development, ensuring that there are local employment opportunities and a diverse local economy will provide employment and enable a resilient economy able to adapt to changing circumstances. Providing adequate land for new employment development and expansion of local industries is essential to this process. Inward investment also helps to create employment.

10.9 Policies will benefit the local economy where they safeguard existing employment sites from alternative development; provide land for new development; and promote diversity within the local economy.

10.10 Vitality and Viability of Centres

10.11 Objective: Maintain and enhance the vitality and viability of the City and town centres and support local service centres in urban and rural areas.

10.12 Ensuring that the City and Town and village centres are viable and vital places providing a variety of retail and other services means that they remain accessible to everyone and reduce the need to travel by private car as they are usually well served by public transport or accessible by walking and cycling. The centres also perform a vital economic role where many people work.

10.13 Policies will benefit the viability and vitality of centres where they protect and promote appropriate retail and other uses within centres; support and improve access to local centres; improve the functions and attractiveness of centres; and promote mixed use development.

10.14 Minerals and Waste

10.15 Objective: To conserve mineral resources and reduce their consumption. To reduce waste and promote the recovery of resources from waste.

10.16 The Local Plan has an indirect effect on the consumption of mineral resources, through its control over the amount and nature of development taking place. It may also have some influence over the production of waste, including waste water, as well as its treatment and disposal.

10.17 Policies will benefit minerals and waste where they encourage the re-use and rehabilitation of buildings; increase the density of development; promote the re-use and recycling of materials; and reduce the production of waste or encourage the recovery of resources from it through for example CHP schemes.

10.18 Air Quality

10.19 Objective: To maintain and improve the quality of air.

10.20 Air pollution includes noxious gases, particulates and smells which are unpleasant or harmful to health. The effects are primarily localised, but pollutants can also contribute to problems in other geographical locations and globally for example in the case of acid rain and global warming. The Local Plan can have both direct and indirect impacts on air quality for example by influencing the location of polluting industries, allocating land for open space or for housing. Policies relating to urban form, transport and landscape and location of polluting industrial processes will impact on air quality.

10.21 Policies will benefit air quality where they reduce the need to travel by concentrating development and services; promote less polluting modes of travel such as walking, cycling and public transport; and increase the quantity of green spaces and tree cover within built up areas. Also policies which seek to minimise any adverse impact from development upon air quality will also be beneficial.

10.22 Water Quality

10.23 Objective: To maintain and improve the quality and quantity of water resources necessary for the natural environment and for consumption.

10.24 Water resources should be protected to ensure good quality and adequate supply for consumption purposes and the water environment in general. Planning can have an impact through the protection of water resources as well as through the location of development and ensuring that it is adequately serviced. Issues include the safeguarding of the flow and quality of water within streams, rivers and other waterways and the protection of flood plains and underground aquifers.

10.25 Policies will benefit water resources where they protect the water environment including flood plains, aquifers and water courses; ensure that demand from development is in step with supply and adequate services are provided in new development; and reduce the potential for pollution.

10.26 Land and soil

10.27 Objective: To conserve land and soils as natural resources.

10.28 Planning impacts on the conservation of land and soils through the protection of land, the allocation of land for different uses and the promotion of development on appropriate brownfield sites.

10.29 Policies will benefit the conservation of land and soil where they protect the best and most versatile agricultural land from development; reduce the need for greenfield development including promoting the re-use of buildings and increasing the density of development; reduce and prevent land contamination; and otherwise minimise damage to land and soil resources.

10.30 Energy Consumption and Energy Sources

10.31 Objective: To reduce energy consumption and increase the potential for energy from renewable sources.

10.32 Planning has an indirect influence over the consumption of energy especially within the transport and building sectors. Energy consumption is increasing within the transport sector while consumption within buildings accounts for a higher percentage than that for transport. Planning has the potential to influence these through the location of development in terms of density and layout, for example increasing the potential for exploiting natural light and passive solar gain and through the generation of trips between different types of development. Within the built environment however, planning has limited control over the implementation of energy efficient design and the replacement of the building stock takes place over a very long time period reducing the potential for change.

10.33 Policies will benefit energy use in the transport sector where they restrict out of town development; reduce the need to travel by increasing building densities; promote minimum parking standards; and promote walking, cycling and public transport. Policies will be beneficial to energy use within the building sector where they consider design, layout and siting of new development with regard to energy consumption.

10.34 Renewable energy has the potential to reduce the use of finite fossil fuels as well as atmospheric pollution and CO2 emissions resulting from their combustion. Policies will benefit renewable energy where they promote the potential for renewable energy or energy recovery.

10.35 Health

10.36 Objective: To promote the safeguarding of public health as a result of land use decisions.

10.37 The location of development can have an impact on health for example ensuring that residents are separated from particular industrial uses and processes which may cause pollution or nuisance such as noise and smells. Similarly, planning policies can affect the quality of air and water for example by seeking to reduce the need to travel or by protecting sources of drinking water.

10.38 Policies will benefit health where they separate sensitive developments such as housing from sources of pollution or nuisance. The provision of recreation resources will also provide opportunities to improve health as will the creation of pleasant living environments.

10.39 Safety and Security

10.40 Objective: To create safe and secure environments.

10.41 Planning should help protect against physical threats such as those from flooding, land instability and contamination. Planning also has the opportunity to influence the opportunities for crime through urban design. Increasing natural surveillance of streets and open space, improving lighting and the amount of activity on streets for example can reduce opportunities for crime to take place.

10.42 Policies will benefit public safety and security where they safeguard flood plains from development; require treatment of site instability and contamination, or prevent contamination occurring; seek to improve road safety and conditions for walking cycling and public transport; and foster good urban design principles.

10.43 Open Space

10.44 Objective: Maintain and improve access to, and the quality of, open space and recreation for people.

10.45 Open space may consist of public or private open areas within the built up area or provide links to the open countryside. They provide a variety of functions such as children’s play space, sports activities and formal and informal recreation. Such spaces may also enhance visual amenity and the character of places as well as absorbing pollution and providing access to the countryside.

10.46 Policies will benefit open space where they protect, extend and enhance the quality of provision of open space, especially publicly accessible space; provide for new provision within new development; and extend access to the countryside. This should be viewed primarily from the human perspective.

10.47 Landscape

10.48 Objective: To maintain and enhance landscape character.

10.49 The character of the District’s landscape is being described in work being undertaken by the Council. It is important that this character is retained and enhanced in terms of local diversity and visual amenity.

10.50 Policies will benefit landscape character where they protect important landscapes and provide for the improvement of landscape character through, for example, the restoration of damaged landscapes or appropriate tree planting.

10.51 Nature Conservation

10.52 Objective: To maintain and enhance sites of nature conservation value and nature conservation interests throughout the District.

10.53 Planning has a major role in the conservation and enhancement of wildlife, habitats and important geological and geomorphological sites. Where new development takes place important geology, flora and fauna and their habitats need protection and, where appropriate, enhancement to ensure that there is no net loss as a result.

10.54 Policies will benefit nature conservation where they protect important wildlife habitats, corridors and sites; safeguard nature conservation interests in general and particularly within new developments; and protect or provide areas of green open space capable of benefiting wild flora and fauna.

10.55 Built Environment

10.56 Objective: To maintain and enhance local distinctiveness through the conservation of the archaeological and built heritage, and improve the quality of the townscape.

10.57 This aspect of sustainable development covers the townscape within the City, towns and villages and the conservation of historic heritage. Planning influences this through the form and location of development, urban design and conservation policies.

10.58 Policies will benefit the built environment where they promote the re-use of buildings and derelict sites; promote high quality design and materials; preserve or enhance the distinctive character of conservation areas and archaeological sites, or preserve; and enhance local distinctiveness.

10.59 Housing

10.60 Objective: To meet the housing needs of the District by providing a range of housing types in different locations including affordable housing.

10.61 Sustainable development includes meeting social needs and improving the quality of life, providing a variety of affordable housing in locations where it is needed and accessible to facilities is a key element of helping to meet people’s housing needs.

10.62 Policies will benefit housing where they allocate land for a variety of types of housing in different locations; provide for other housing development opportunities; and seek provision of affordable housing.