APPENDIX 2
SECCP RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
CRITERIA IN THE SOUTH EAST PLAN
1. With regard to climate change, the overarching
aims for local and regional decision takers and stakeholders in
the South East should be to:
(a) work to reduce the extent of future
global climate change, through effective measures to reduce net
emissions of greenhouse gases within the region;
(b) work with a changing climate, through
adaptation to its impacts (both risks and opportunities) within
the region and to manage these for the benefit of present and
future generations.
2. The guiding principle for 1a) must be
to reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases within the region
by:
(a) designing any new developments to
standards of high energy efficiency, low embedded carbon and good
accessibility by public transport [eg high levels of insulation;
minimal use of plastics; green transport plans for major employers,
hospitals etc];
(b) promoting changes to existing development
that will increase the efficiency of energy use in power, heating
and transport [eg insulation];
(c) promoting local services to increase
resource efficiency [eg local shops, recycling services etc];
(d) promoting land uses that serve as
carbon sinks [eg community woodlands].
(e) Encouraging development and use of
renewable sources of energy, preferably local [eg PVs, wind power,
biomass etc];
(f) Reducing the amount of waste (particularly
biodegradable waste), reducing the volume sent to landfill and
maximising capture and use of greenhouse gases, particularly methane
[eg waste minimisation, composting etc]
3. The guiding principle for 1b) must be
to reduce risks from climate change by:
(a) guiding any new development to locations
that best offer protection from the likely impacts—including
flooding and drought, sea level rise, storminess, soil subsidence
and heave and implications for supply and demand of essential
services [eg preference to locations that have sustainable existing
water supply rather than those that require long distance supply];
(b) ensuring that the design and layout
of new developments (including buildings, open spaces and infrastructure)
will be resilient or adaptable to the likely impacts during the
development's lifetime [eg designing in flood protection and water-saving
features; orientation to take advantage of solar gain for PVs
etc];
(c) promoting changes to existing development
that will enhance its resilience or adaptability to the likely
impacts during its lifetime [eg improving site drainage; connecting
to neighbourhood SuDS; introducing grey water recycling etc].
4. Within these guiding principles, there
are a number of subsidiary principles that will be important in
helping planners and other decision takers to take proper account
of the causes of climate change and the risks and opportunities
from its impacts. Policies and plans should:
(a) Protect existing land uses from the
impacts of sea level rise and flooding only when it can be justified
in social, economic and environmental terms, taking account of
both costs and benefits;
(b) Avoid new development in locations
that could constrain or reduce the effectiveness of future options
for adaptation [eg development now that is not likely to prevent
effective flood management in the future];
(c) Enable new development in areas at
risk only where the development is itself resilient or adaptable
to the likely impacts of climate change, can enhance other local
adaptation to these and does not displace the effects elsewhere
[eg raising floor levels in flood risk areas];
(d) Adopt technical solutions to impacts
(for example, flooding and water supply issues) only where necessary
and having considered other adaptive options beforehand, including
alternative locations in areas at less risk;
(e) Locate new development so that it
can be supplied with water and other resources in a sustainable
manner under changing and variable climatic conditions. Sustainable
supply should also include the requirements for water and other
resources within the natural environment;
(f) Design new development and changes
to existing development that are resilient to climate change impacts
(eg subsidence);
(g) Where new or existing development
may arise from responses to climate change, protect existing terrestrial,
freshwater and marine habitats from adverse impacts;
(h) Seek to compensate for any loss of
habitat as a result of climate change or new development by creation
of similar habitats in areas that will be suitable under changing
climatic conditions;
(i) Minimise the negative health impacts
associated with climate change [eg through provision of shading];
(j) Recognise the relationships between
different natural and human activities, including the implications
of climate changes responses (adaptation and mitigation) in one
area for the ability of other areas to develop their own responses.
5. It is also important that policies and
plans should promote development that enhances the natural environment
and takes advantage of social, economic and environmental opportunities
that may be afforded by climate change impacts or by the need
for mitigation. Subsidiary principles here include:
(a) Promote local goods, services and
facilities; and promote accessibility to these via public transport
and transport infrastructure that is resilient to climate change
impacts [eg farmers' markets, entrepreneurial responses to shifting
consumer demand];
(b) Seek to create corridors and stepping
stones that will allow species to migrate and adapt in response
to climate change;
(c) Promote agricultural practices that
are compatible with and adaptable to the impacts of climate change
[eg winter water storage, new crops, farm diversification etc);
Promote social and economic benefits of new
habitat opportunities [eg tourism] and other land use changes
[eg recreation at reservoirs].
1 October 2004
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