Sustainability Common Policy Framework

Achieving sustainable and environmentally sensitive development across the sub region requires joint working and the application of consistent standards and principles. The impact of all development on, and its resilience to, climate change is a global challenge which each authority within PUSH will need to meet with local innovation and through collaboration with its spatial partners. Each Council’s spatial plans and its development proposals must include measures to mitigate their impact on and to adapt to climate change.

PUSH partner authorities resolved to endorse and support a Sustainability Policy Framework taken to the PUSH Joint Committee held on the 18th March 2008 for this purpose. Following this decision each PUSH partner authority has begun to integrate the Policy Framework, set out in the report to the Joint Committee, into their Local Development Framework, at the earliest opportunity. The policy framework provides a level of detail appropriate for shaping policies in a Core Strategy.

Sustainability Common Policy Framework  72Kb

The policy framework provides a set of principles, which each authority should reflect in their Core Strategy's. The policy framework principles were not intended to be prescriptive: instead they provide a consistent basis upon which each authority can tailor the wording in its own policies. The consistent use of all the policy framework principles within Core Strategies and other Local Development Documents is essential to ensure a high level of sustainability in new development over the whole PUSH area. This will be an important factor in reassuring existing and new communities about the overall impact of new development.

Sustainability supplementary guidance document

There is much more detail that developers, members, planning control officers and the public will need in order to understand how new development can be made sustainable. A background guidance document has been produced by PUSH officers to provide just such an evidence base. This will add detail on the justification for the policy framework principles and on the practicalities of building sustainable homes, employment space and shops.

Sustainability Guidance - Introduction  5Mb

Sustainability Guidance - Water  3Mb

Sustainability Guidance - Energy  4Mb

SusPurPol

Working in partnership with the Environment Centre in Southampton, PUSH was successful in securing European Funding from the GROW programme to promote best practise in environmental sustainability. This was known as the SUSPURPOL project, and is focused on developing relevant technical skills for planners and developers and those involved in the procurement of new buildings. The European partners that participated in the project and shared best practise were the University of Technology, Cracow in Poland and the Andalusian Institute of Technology, Seville, in Spain.