Memorandum submitted by the Town and Country Planning Association (ACC03)

 

1.0 Summary of TCPA Submission

1.1 Climate change is the most pressing social, economic and environmental challenge facing UK society today. It will have a significant impact on all sections of the UK population, particularly members of vulnerable groups, across geographical and political boundaries. The changing climate with higher temperatures, wetter winters and increasingly uncertain climatic conditions across all the seasons will have a lasting impact on how people live, work and play. Climate change will radically change the way our towns and cities are planned, how they develop into the future and, most significantly, the way that human society views its place within the eco-system in the UK and beyond.

 

1.2 The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is working to influence policies now to ensure their implementation for the benefit of future generations. Representing the views of our cross-sectoral membership, TCPA is currently leading on several strands of important policy development and project work. This commitment is founded in our new manifesto, Towns and Countryside for a New Age of Challenge (2009), in which we set out the vision for the future. One priority is to plan for the future of our towns and countryside to address, directly, the challenges arising from climate change.

 

1.3 In this submission, the TCPA highlights the following issues:

· Statutory Basis: The statutory basis for delivering climate change adaptation through planning is in the right direction for the UK as a whole. However for the respective UK nations there is a need to concentrate on delivery at the grass-roots level led by local authorities,

· Potential conflicts: The need for a practical alignment between mitigation and adaptation in terms of policies in development plans alongside advice and guidance on delivering developments,

· Resources: Significant resources and greater capacity are needed to deliver adaptation measures through co-ordinated spatial planning across national, regional, sub-regional and local scales. However these are likely to adversely affected through across the board planning reforms for development planning and development management,

· Inconsistent Information: The inconsistency of available information and data sources to support decision-makers looking at new development across the UK nations may impede effective iterative adaptation action through the spatial planning process,

 

1.4 In this submission, the TCPA highlights the following opportunities:

· To embed adaptation and wider sustainability principles: Planning for the upturn in development provides a timely opportunity to embed adaptation and wider sustainability principles in development proposals,

· To make more effective use of planning obligations and infrastructure investment: The more effective use of planning obligations and proposals for a new infrastructure funding mechanism aligned with the local planning process will ensure a co-ordinated planning and investment programme for adaptation,

· To align existing monitoring and reporting processes: Align with existing processes of monitoring and reporting, including greater encouragement by central Government for English local authorities to take up National Indicator 188 as part of their corporate reporting activity.

 

1.5 Finally the TCPA makes the following recommendations:

· Transformational change in spatial planning: There must be transformational change in the culture of spatial planning to place climate change and adaption at the heart of decision making. This requires greater prescription in national policy as to the importance of climate change

· A step change in the skills and education of decision makers, both political and professional, in local and regional government.

· To establish a Climate Change Technical Advice Body: A new technical advice body on climate change is required to provide a trusted source of advice and information for local government on climate change. This advice body would agree key methodologies and data sets as well integrating the advice of differing agencies on adaptation and mitigation.

 

2.0 About the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA)

2.1 Founded in 1899 the TCPA is the UK's oldest independent charity focused on planning and sustainable development. Through our work over the last century we have improved both the art and science of planning in the UK and abroad. The TCPA puts social justice and the environment at the heart of policy debate and seeks to inspire Government, industry and campaigners to take a fresh perspective on major issues, including planning policy, housing, regeneration and climate change. Our objectives are to:

· secure a decent home for everyone, in cohesive, well designed communities;

· empower communities to influence decisions that affect their future; and

· promote high-quality development through better planning of the use of our land.

 

2.2 The TCPA is currently undertaking the following major policy development and project work around climate change adaptation:

 

· From Autumn 2008 - The TCPA is leading a 3-year project financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund under the INTERREG IVC Program called GRaBS (Green and Blue Space Adaptation for Urban Areas and Eco-towns - www.grabs-eu.org ). There are 14 partners, all with varying degrees of experience, drawn from 8 member states representing a broad spectrum of authorities and climate change challenges. GRaBS is designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience and good practice in climate change adaptation strategies. For further information see Annex 1,

 

· From July 2009 - TCPA established a new Climate Change Unit. Led by TCPA's Chief Planner, Dr Hugh Ellis, it will take forward the TCPA's climate change policy development and campaigning work. A major part of this work will be support for the Planning and Climate Change Coalition. The coalition will be publishing a mock Planning Policy Statement or 'position statement' in the Autumn, and

 

· On-going - TCPA continues policy work on the review of Regional Spatial Strategies and UK-wide policy consultations to ensure climate change adaptation is embedded in decision-making and plan-making where appropriate and necessary in pursuit of sustainable development through planning objectives.

Main TCPA Submission

The TCPA welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this timely inquiry by the Environmental Audit Committee into climate change adaptation. This Inquiry follows closely from, and must seek to make the most effective use of, findings from recent inquiries and studies by the RCEP (2009), EAC (2008) and Pitt Review (2008) so as to avoid duplication of work. This submission provides evidence under specific issues of interest outlined in the Committee's Call for Evidence.

 

The Committee should note that the emphasis of the TCPA's submission is on the capacity and capability of the spatial planning systems of the four UK nations to deliver on adaptation, in accordance with our area of expertise and experience.

 

3.0 ISSUE 1: How well the overall direction for work on adaptation has been set, the effectiveness of the statutory framework (including the use of the Reporting Power and its accompanying statutory guidance), the allocation of powers and duties and how well issues like social justice are addressed in adaptation policies

Overview of the Planning Systems' Capacity to Deliver Adaptation

3.1 The TCPA believes that the UK's four statutory frameworks as a whole, and as individually established by the devolved administrations, are beginning to move in the right direction. Public authorities broadly have the necessary duties and powers to take adaptation action as part of carrying out their functions. This is particularly with respect to the planning and development of land although uncertainties exist with their application specifically for adaptation purposes[1]. While the TCPA does not question the UK's overall commitment to adaptation action, our concerns relate to conflicting statutory action taken amongst the four nations.

 

3.2 As an illustration, the TCPA commends the Climate Change Acts as an important step for the UK as a whole to build adaptive capacity in policy terms. However, unlike the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the Climate Change Act 2008 applicable to England, Wales and Northern Ireland falls far short of the mark in ensuring that the adaptive action is, and should be taken, at the local level of implementation. The Scottish 2009 Act places a statutory duty on local authorities as a public body to with respect to climate change. In contrast the 2008 Act simply empowers the Secretary of State to require designated authorities to report on their adaptation action. Of great concern to TCPA is the fact that local authorities are not included in the draft designated list, Wales has yet to take the step to identify such a designated list of reporting authorities, and the duty for adaptation in Northern Ireland is comparatively weak.

 

3.3 In addition, there continues to be uncertainty and delay as a result of planning reforms implementing new development plans across England, Wales and Scotland, and those emerging from Northern Ireland. In particular in England the suggested abolition of regional planning would create a potential hiatus in effective planning between national and local levels and ultimately affect the capacity and capability of planning professionals to deliver effective and co-ordinated adaptation action.

 

3.4 The need that the TCPA sees for national targets set at national level reflects the principle of subsidiarity in which decisions should be made by the most competent local, regional, national or international level. Climate change is a global issue with targets agreed by international treaties, national governments are responsible for national policy to deliver - or exceed such targets. In this context local authorities should be free to determine how and where (in land use terms) to meet the targets which apply to all other tiers of government as to themselves. The TCPA case is that local authority abrogation of international and national targets would be irresponsible and hugely damaging to our chances of meeting the climate challenge head on and thus nationally / internationally imposed planning targets imposed are appropriate for all the players in the planning and development system including local authorities.

 

3.5 To further highlight the TCPA's perspective, we refer to the following statements taken from the executive summary of TCPA's study commissioned by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) to help inform their final report. (Please see the full report attached as Annex 2 for further detailed findings)

 

3.6 The overall conclusions of the (RCEP) study are that its findings reinforce the powerful statutory basis of the UK planning systems. At its best, the system is capable of integrating and giving spatial expression to a range of policy priorities within the sustainable development paradigm. Policy-makers and practitioners recognise that delivering adaptation needs to be embedded within the development plan-led approach of the planning systems. From national policy guidance to regional, sub-regional and local development plans, measures to adapt the built environment and various land use development activities need to be implemented in an integrated manner.

 

3.7 But for now, the complexities of implementing adaptation across stakeholders from different sectors, parallel strategies and plans, and organisational structures and hierarchies in the context of significant planning reforms have surpassed the capability and capacity of planners and planning departments. The study also indicates the lower tiers of the planning system hierarchy are underperforming - particularly when measured against the ambition of some national planning policy.

3.8 Therefore, it is imperative that policy-makers take note of the findings of this report as well as the final report from the RCEP, and seek to ensure that the institutional capacity of the UK planning systems will be fit-for-purpose as part of the wider co-ordinated effort to tackle the challenges of climate change.

 

Eliminating Conflicts in Planning Policy and Delivery

3.9 Policy measures aimed at combating climate change must be coherent and coordinated. Policies, and indeed research and practical guidance, have focused particularly on climate change adaptation or mitigation but never as part of a coherent approach to sustainable development. TCPA believes that specific research is required to address this issue in current policy and range of existing practical guidance for planners.

 

3.10 In addition, cases of conflicts between other areas of planning policy that could prevent planning authorities effectively delivering on wider adaptation objectives. An example of this is the "Effective Use of Land" policies (paras. 40 - 44) in Planning Policy Statement 3 on Housing. Government sets a national target of 60% for the re-use of brownfield land for redevelopment. Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) and Local Development Frameworks (LDF) have used this target to encourage urban regeneration and discourage potentially sustainable greenfield developments, rather than considering the benefits of proactive planning and re-use of brownfield and greenfield land to form a network of green infrastructure to contribute towards adaptation. Planning authorities use the 60% target as an indicator of the preferred level of development and consider the higher the percentage the better.

 

4.0 ISSUE 2: The funding, support, training and other resources available, including at a local and regional level, for:

· building capacity to adapt to climate change

· specific actions to adapt to climate change, such as investment in flood risk management or the resilience of critical national infrastructure

· helping individuals and organisations conduct their own climate change risk assessments and judge what actions they need to take

Improving Institutional Capacity

4.1 The TCPA emphasises the scale of support, training and resources needed to enable the delivery of effective adaptation action. TCPA believes local authorities are best placed to lead on this. However current demand for experienced and skilled planners is increasing. This is in addition to planning resources are being absorbed by the preparation of local plans under new development planning processes. One of the first steps to ensuring the necessary capacity to deliver adaptive action through planning is having a sound policy framework in place. Recent research by TCPA in partnership with Cushman and Wakefield found that less than 15% of English local authorities have a sound core strategy with similar slow progress and/ or out of date development plans across Wales, Scotland and particularly Northern Ireland.

 

4.2 Furthermore, planners are expected to mediate competing priorities in a wide variety of areas including housing, economic development, transport and renewable energy planning, including embedding adaptation measures. The skills required of planners to be able to coherently communicate these priorities is lacking. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), under its 'Planning to Live with Climate Change' initiative, promised to take appropriate action to ensure climate change skills will be part of the tertiary core curriculum for spatial planning as well as continuing professional development. The TCPA will increasingly commit its work programme to help raise awareness and profile of climate change skills and knowledge as indicated through our endorsement of the 'Delivering Better Skills for Better Places' action plan led by the Housing and Communities Agency Academy.

 

4.3 It is vital that the planning system responds quickly to the risks posed by climate change. If the skills are not there, the role of planning in delivering adaptation is hampered. This is particularly relevant for adaptation measures, where negotiation, risk assessment skills, and effective communication will be required to affect change in development proposals. Generic and technical skills need updating, improving and adapting to deliver on climate change.

 

4.4 The TCPA highlights the following studies and inquiries which examined the capacity of professionals, in terms of skills and resources, and degree of effectiveness in addressing current and emerging challenges:

· Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Improving the Capacity of the Planning System in England and Wales: A View from the Regions, March 2009

· Communities and Local Government Committee, Planning Matters - labour shortages and skills gaps, July 2008,

· CAG Consultants, Capability for Local Sustainability: Final Report, Sustainable Development Commission/ Defra, May 2008,

· Audit Commission, The planning system: Matching expectations and capacity, February 2006

 

New Climate Change Technical Advice Body

4.5 TCPA has been leading a Planning and Climate Change Coalition to inform the CLG's forthcoming draft revision of its Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change. The following extract from the emerging draft makes the case for a new streamlined technical advice body:

 

4.6 A Climate Change Technical Advice Body (CCTAB)

The need for proper evidence gathering and target setting requires tools and methodologies, and involves considerable complexity and skills.

 

4.7 There is a need for a new body which can supply the 'heavy lift' on evidence gathering, and provide a unified model for baseline conditions and target setting in relation to both mitigation and adaptation. The CCTAB would build upon the experience of other technical advice bodies for housing (NHPAU), waste and aggregates and draw on existing expertise from a range of agencies and organisations with a key role in the climate debate (Such as EA and UKCIP). It would provide a technical bridge between high level national climate requirements and detailed localised policy delivery. Above all it would provide a simpler and more certain process for regional and local policy making with a substantial efficiency and delivery gains

 

4.8 'CCTAB functions on mitigation and adaptation

· To provide strategic guidance to regional and local planning authorities on climate change. To provide a strategic technical bridge between the EU requirements, CCC and regional and local authorities.

· To provide agreed carbon assessment tools, provide assessments and set targets on mitigation and adaptation including making clear how differing carbon reduction regimes interrelate and the role of spatial planning.

· To understand energy capacity and constraints through agreed methodologies, and to map these in a way in which creates an agreed evidence base for development planning and site allocations.

· To ensure local authority and community aspirations on climate solutions are considered in capacity and constraint mapping

· To provide strategic guidance on the risks and vulnerabilities of climate change and identify key adaptation priorities, particularly where these have both inter regional and sub regional dimensions.

· To act as a resource centre, providing reliable data and training to local authorities

 

4.9 The functions of the CCTAB do not remove the need for local data collection where LAs felt it was necessary to provide more detailed understanding of particular issues. It would, however provide a minimum standard of evidence to inform policy development. It would therefore ensure that the system was much better equipped to mediate between opposed interests based on a rational and considered view of opportunities and constraints

 

4.10 It has been suggested that CCTAB should be a function of the Committee on Climate Change. This was primarily because of the need for logical and transparent linkage with national climate regime and because the committee sat above individual departments and had a greater opportunity to drive an integrated approach to climate solutions. However, this would require new guidance from Government and major change to remit and skills of the CCC. Some members of coalition favoured other options such as CCTAB being a government office function. As result while the coalition was unanimous in the need for improved technical integration and standard sit did not reach a view as to who should host this body.'

Building Adaptive Capacity through Policy and Operational Measures

4.11 Within the GRaBS project, building adaptive capacity is part of a process of working towards effective regional and local adaptive action. It is divided into two key areas; policy measures and operational measures:

· Policy Measures: adopt new or to strengthen existing strategic policies, which will provide the incentive and regulatory framework to encourage future development to incorporate climate change adaptation responses.

· Operational Measures: put in place new operational mechanisms that have the capacity to strengthen climate change adaptation responses. Examples of such measures include the establishment of a climate adaptation team in the organisation and/or climate change adaptation partnership with other stakeholders and the community.

 

4.12 The first expert paper of the GRaBS project championed the contributing role of the planning statutory framework in delivering adaptation through the various spatial scales of development and spatial plans (Henderson, 2009). This was first highlighted in TCPA's Climate Change Adaptation by Design (Shaw, Colley and Connell, 2007), and Biodiversity by Design (TCPA, 2004).

 

4.13 The Committee should note that most studies into the delivery of climate change adaptation, as reviewed in the TCPA study for the RCEP, emphasised the lack of effective delivery such as issues with development plans, capacity and coordinated action while the necessary statutory and policy frameworks already exist and are relatively robust. This takes the focus back to improving capacity as highlighted in paragraphs 4.1 to 4.4.

 

4.14 The GRaBS project will also facilitate the much needed exchange of knowledge and experience and the actual transfer of good practice on climate change adaptation strategies to local and regional authorities among partners.

 

Delivering Positive Adaptation Action through Planning Measures

4.15 As highlighted previously, the TCPA believes that planning, and the planning system, is vital in delivering adaptation action to enable necessary development while securing measures to improve built environment resilience.

4.16 At the development level, implementing adaptation measures through hard infrastructure to increase the resilience of the built environment can take several forms and at different scales. This ranges from region-wide green and blue (water) infrastructure network to the provision of local green spaces, gardens and permeable surfaces as part of development. Their provision in terms of planning to construction requires financing. Certainly local authorities cannot be expected to completely foot the bill for their provision if these effects are attributed directly to the proposed development. Therefore planning authorities are empowered to use planning obligations or developer contributions to legitimately secure financial or in-kind contributions from planning applicants:

· England and Wales: Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Community Infrastructure Levy of Section 205 of the Planning Act 2008,

· Scotland: Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997,

· Northern Ireland: Article 40 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.

 

4.17 Studies commissioned by the responsible government planning departments in England (Crook et al., 2006 & 2008), Wales (Rowley, 2007) and Scotland (McMaster, 2008) highlighted a wide-ranging use of planning obligations by planning authorities to finance infrastructure, including environmental infrastructure[2]. They looked at variations in the ability of planning authorities to successful secure contributions based on the method for calculating contributions, robustness of the local planning policy frameworks, and the degree of dedicated staff resources. Their findings indicate the primary justifications for those LPAs that are more able to secure contributions are due to clear policies in place and better experience in the process. Again, this takes the focus back to improving capacity to deliver robust policies and plans as highlighted in paragraphs 3.9 to 3.12.

 

4.18 The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) provides a significant opportunity to create a fair and transparent way of recovering value uplift created by the grant of planning permission. However we are concerned whether CIL will be properly directed towards tackling climate change by ensuring it can support wider adaptation measures in local communities.

 

5.0 ISSUE 3: The monitoring and evaluation of work on adaptation, including thoughts on how progress on adaptation can be quantified and success measured

5.1 The TCPA believes it is right for the Committee to identify monitoring and evaluation as an important issue. It will increasingly become essential in delivering effective adaptation action through planning. Monitoring against indicators of how well adaptation is delivered through the planning system must be embedded in the existing processes of monitoring and review in plan-making as a statutory responsible of the relevant authorities of all UK nations with the exception of Northern Ireland :

· England: Regional Planning Body for the Regional Spatial Strategy[3], Mayor of London for the Spatial Development Strategy for London[4] and Local Planning Authority for the Local Development Framework[5],

· Wales: Welsh Assembly Government for the Wales Spatial Plan[6] and Local Planning Authority for the Local Development Plan[7],

· Scotland: Scottish Ministers for the National Planning Framework[8], the Strategic Development Planning Authority for Strategic Development Plan[9] and the Planning Authority for the Development Plan[10].

 

5.2 TCPA accepts that unlike mitigation measures in energy generation and CO₂ emissions, adaptation measures can be difficult to measure and do not enjoy a comparatively comprehensive set of datasets. However the TCPA believes that a picture of progress on, and opportunities for, adaptation action can be painted through examining indicators to report on policy and operational measures:

· Inputs: eg. time and financial resources;

· Outputs: eg. production of relevant plans and programs;

· Outcomes: eg. quantitative and qualitative surveys on specific aspects of adaptation action, organisation, processes, professional and citizen views.

5.3 These indicators can be formulated from publically available datasets related to the built environment's impact and contribution to climate change adaptation, including and not limited to, :

· Local council annual report on corporate resources and activities,

· Biodiversity indicators from regional and local biodiversity action plans,

· Green infrastructure indicators from local open space strategies and studies, including green belt data,

· 'Blue' infrastructure from the Environment Agency, strategic flood risk assessments and flood management plans, and

· Development management and changing land use statistics from local authorities and collated by the responsible government department (England- Department for Communities and Local Government, Wales - Department for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, Scotland - Scottish Executive Planning Directorate, and Northern Ireland - The Planning Service),

· Other development statistics such as the number of development schemes with SUDs, use of developer contributions etc.

 

5.4 However there are serious issues with the consistency of data collection arrangements by the relevant local authorities as well as the relevance of indicators to policies[11]. The TCPA recommends that further research be commissioned to establish a set of common indicators for measuring progress towards effective adaptation action.

 

5.5 In addition, The TCPA believes that the national indicator as part of the local authority's comprehensive area assessment framework in England, NI188, is a welcome step towards addressing the monitoring and evaluation issue highlighted by the Committee.

 

5.6 Finally, the Climate Change Act 2008's adaptation reporting duty is another important statutory mechanism to measuring progress within the planning and development system (see comments to ISSUE 1). However draft consultation proposals not to include regional and local planning authorities as adaptation reporting authorities in England is an indication that the Government does not fully appreciate the scale of impact developments can have on the resilience of the built environment and the potential contribution planning can have to increase this resilience.

 

 

Summary Trends in Current Planning Statistics Relevant to Adaptation

5.7 Currently progress on adaptation can be measured and reported through the statutory requirements highlighted above, by examining the nature of planning statistics, particularly about collective decisions made on individual planning applications and the trend of changing land uses. This would provide the necessary link in assessing how adaptation has been properly filtered down from policy to implementation, aspirations to reality, spatial planning to developments on the ground.

 

5.8 Local authorities provide planning performance information to the relevant government departments and they are collated on a quarterly or half-yearly basis. TCPA found that the scope and availability of the statistics varies considerably from nation to nation. This may partly be due to full statistics not being analysed and published. This would have some impact on the effectiveness of monitoring progress through the spatial planning systems for the UK Adaptation programme and Adaptation Sub-Committee's work.

 

5.9 In undertaking a scoping review for the development statistics currently available, TCPA highlights key trends for England. Full outputs from this exercise are presented in Annex 3.

 

5.10 Changing patterns of land use of urban vacant and derelict land indicate a growing trend towards the intensification in the urban areas, in particular the increase in development on previous residential land use. While the redevelopment of previously open space and agricultural land have been steadily decreasing or stabilising, the primary concern is the proportion of minor development of less than 5 hectares (ie on urban back gardens and small plots of land) being redeveloped.

 

5.11 Without proper control of householder and minor developments through the removal of permitted development rights the incremental loss of urban backgardens will have a large impact. This will be greater than larger scale developments which go through a more rigorous environmental assessment and coherent masterplanning process.

5.12 TCPA believes an URGENT CALL for further detailed study of development statistics is required in the UK to fully comprehend their implications for adaptation action.

·

Reference Documents

Chang, M., Dickins, S. and Ellis, H., August 2009, Helping to Deliver Climate Change Adaptation through the UK Planning Systems, TCPA, London

 

Crook, T., Henneberry, J., Rowley, S., Smith, RS. And Watkins, C., August 2008, Valuing Planning Obligations in England: Update Study for 2005-06, DCLG, London

 

Henderson, K., June 2009, GRaBS Expert Paper 1. The case for climate change adaptation, TCPA, Available on www.grabs-eu.org/downloads/20090617_GXP.pdf

 

House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, July 2008, Climate change and local, regional and devolved government, Eighth Report of Session 2007-08, TSO, London

 

McMaster, R., U'ren, G., Carnie, J., Strang, G. & Cooper, S., 2008, An Assessment of the Value of Planning Agreements in Scotland, Scottish Government Social Research

 

Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP), forthcoming, Adapting the UK to Climate Change

 

Rowley et al, August 2007, The Use and Value of Planning Obligations in Wales. A Report to the Welsh Assembly Government, WAG, Cardiff

 

Shaw, R., Colley, M. and Connell, R., Climate Change by Design, TCPA, London

 

TCPA, 2004, Biodiversity by design, TCPA, London

 

TCPA, March 2008, TCPA Submission to the Pitt Review Interim Report

Recommendations, TCPA, London

 

TCPA, June 2009, Towns and Countryside for a New Age of Challenge. A Manifesto from the TCPA, TCPA, Available on www.tcpa.org.uk/data/files/tcpa_manifesto.pdf

 

 

Statistical Documents

Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), August 2008, Development Control Statistics, England, 2007-08, CLG, London

 

The Scottish Government, 2007, Planning Performance Statistics 2004-2007

 

The Scottish Government, January 2009, Statistical Bulletin: Planning Series. Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2008

Annex 1: Summary Description of the GRaBS European Project

GRaBS (Green and Blue Space Adaptation for Urban Areas and Eco-towns - www.grabs-eu.org) will assess the current and future roles of green spaces and blue spaces (water bodies) in urban areas and in programmed new towns (Eco Towns in the UK) in adapting to the inevitable degree of climate change and helping to mitigate this. The GRaBS project commenced in the Autumn 2008 and will run for 3 years.

 

GRaBS Objectives

Objective 1:

To increase the existing knowledge and expertise of key actors responsible for spatial planning and development on how green and blue infrastructure (green roofs, green walls, green corridors, sustainable urban drainage systems etc.) can help new and existing settlements adapt to projected climate scenarios, particularly exposure to higher temperatures and flooding.

 

Objective 2:

To research and demonstrate the costs and benefits of urban greening and blue infrastructure, focusing on both retrofitting such infrastructure to existing settlements and the integration of the infrastructure in planned development.

 

Objective 3:

To assess what delivery mechanisms exist in each partner country to deliver new settlements and urban regeneration and develop good practice action plans to co-ordinate the delivery of urban greening, adaptation strategies and cooperation among planners, stakeholders and local communities.

 

Objective 4:

To develop an innovative, cost effective and user friendly risk assessment tool, to aid the strategic planning of climate change adaptation responses.

 

Objective 5:

To improve decision makers, stakeholders' and communities' understanding and involvement in planning and delivering green infrastructure in new and existing settlements, based on positive community involvement techniques.

 

GRaBS Partners

Provincial Government of Styria

Municipality of Kalamaria

Etnambiente SRL

University of Catania

Province of Genoa

KU CORPI

The Amsterdam City District of Geuzenveld-Slotermeer

Regional Environment Centre for Eastern Europe (Slovakia)

City of Malmö

Town and Country Planning Association

University of Manchester

London Borough of Sutton

North West Development Agency

Southampton City Council

 

GRaBS Outputs

Henderson, K., June 2009, GRaBS Expert Paper 1. The case for climate change adaptation, Available on http://www.grabs-eu.org/downloads/20090617_GXP.pdf

Annex 2: TCPA report: Helping to Deliver Climate Change Adaptation through the UK Planning Systems

Annex 3: Planning Statistical Analysis for Adaptation Action

The TCPA has conducted a brief analysis of the most recent statistics available for land use and development management datasets for England and Wales. The range and depth of the statistics vary among the UK nations as there is no single UK source, and partly contributes to a lack of statistical evidence base for adaptation.

 

England

 

As an illustration of the potential cumulative impact of development on adaptation, the TCPA examines the following development control statistics from the Department for Communities and Local Government.

 

FIGURE 1. Planning applications decided in England 2007-08

Data source: CLG, August 2008, Development Control Statistics, England, 2007-08, Table 1.6

 

Residential development is defined by Use Class C3 Of the Use Class Order 1987 as amended. Major is ten or more dwellings, or where the number is not given a site area of a half-hectare or more. Minor excludes householder development and Change of Use.

 

Figure 1 above shows that householder planning applications are by far the largest category, with 296,800 applications decided in 2007/08. This is followed by applications for new dwellings, with 79,600 applications decided. Although the majority of these applications are minor, housing and residential development is the main land use activity of planning departments in terms of proportion of applications, and will have a major influence on construction and climate change.

 

FIGURE 2. Planning applications decisions in England 2007-08

Data source: CLG, 2008, Development Control Statistics, England 2007/08, Table 1.4

 

Figure 2 shows that for the year ending March 2009, 4,420 planning applications for major residential developments were approved (65% of total applications decided), and 36,992 approved for minor residential developments in the same period (64% of total applications decided). The numbers of residential development applications being approved have fallen since the previous year, which saw 6,285 major and 44,144 minor residential applications approved. However, there were proportionally fewer minor applications decided in 2007/08, so producing a rise in the rate of approval of minor applications from 63% in 2007/08 to 64% in 2008/09.

 

Housing shortages, and subsequent increased house building and applications for development as already discussed, in England is creating changes in land use. The amount and type of land use change can be indicative of the level of sensitivity to sustainable development issues. Figure 3 below shows that the amount of land changing to residential use has generally experienced a decline since 2000.

 

 

 

FIGURE 3. Land use changes in England 200-2006

Data source: CLG, July 2009, Land Use Change Statistics, Table P222

 

Between 2000 and 2003 dwelling density on previously developed land was 31 dph, rising to 47 dph between 2004 and 2007[12]. For the same time periods, dwelling density on not previously developed land increased from 23 dph to 30 dph.

 

Figure 4 shows that in 2008 the majority of land changing use to accommodate new residential development was not originally residential. However, over recent years this amount has declined significantly, from only 18% of land in 2000 already residential in use, to 39% in 2008.

 

There has also been an increase in the amount of previously developed land (+17%) being changed to residential use between 2000 and 2008, and so a decline in the percentage of not previously developed land being used for residential development. Particularly of note is the decline in the amount of agricultural land changing use, from 34% in 2000 to 24% in 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIGURE 4. Land use changes in England 2000-2008

Data source: CLG, July 2009, Land Use Change Statistics, England, Table P226

 

Figure 5 below shows a decline in flood risk land changing to residential land, from 404ha in 2002 to 256ha in 2005. However, the data begins to show a rise in land use change again, which may be the result of advances in flood management and house building techniques.

 

FIGURE 5: Land use changes in high flood risk areas in England 2000-2006

Data source: CLG, July 2009, Land Use Change Statistics, Tables P252 and P222

 

Previously developed land statistics are another indicator of sustainable development and ability to adapt to climate change. Figure 6 shows the overall amount of previously developed land available has declined between 2001 and 2007 from 65,500ha to 62,130ha, while the proportion of this land currently in use has increased.

 

FIGURE 6: Previously developed land in England 2001-2007

Data source: CLG, October 2008, Previously Developed Land that may be available for Development: England 2006 & 2007, Table P301

 

The percentage figures of new dwellings built on designated green belt land over the past few years is also encouraging. A decline from 4% of new dwellings built on green belt land in 2000 to 2% of new dwellings in 2007 has occurred[13].

 

 

Wales

There is no data available for planning applications approved or for land use changes, to compare with data for England. However, there is data available on the number of planning applications decided, and the speed with which planning applications are determined. In 2007/08, a total of 34,243 planning applications were decided across Wales, 62.3% of which were decided within 8 weeks of being received[14].

 

 

 

FIGURE 7: Planning applications decisions in Wales

Data source: WAG, January 2009, Development Control Quarterly Surveys

 

Figure 7 above shows there has been an increase in the speed with which minor residential and householder applications have been determined over the past few years. However, this data does not tell us the numbers of applications approved and those rejected, and so while this may indicate improvements to applications, if many are being rejected it could mean that applications are not meeting the required standards.

 

October 2009

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[1] In reference to the sustainable development duty, use of well-being powers, use of planning conditions and agreements, and use of compulsory purchase orders.

[2] For example in the study for England found that financial and in-kind contributions for open space rank relatively high on par with contributions towards transport and travel (Crook et al, August 2008, Chapter 3)

[3] Section 3 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004

[4] Section 340 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999

[5] Section 35 of the 2004 Act

[6] Section 60 of the 2004 Act

[7] Section 69 of the 2004 Act

[8] New Section 3A(6) to the Principal Act introduced by the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006

[9] New Section 4 (1) (b) to the Principal Act introduced by the 2006 Act

[10] New Section 16 (1) (b) to the Principal Act introduced by the 2006 Act

[11] This issue was noted in the East Midlands Regional Plan Annual Monitoring Report 2007-08

[12] CLG, July 2009, Land Use Change Statistics, England, Table P223

[13] CLG, July 2009, Land Use Change Statistics, England, Table P241

[14] WAG, January 2009, Development Control Quarterly Survey, January-March 2008