Regulation 19 Rutland Local Plan

Chapter 4 – Climate Change Comment

The Council recognises the need for urgent action to address climate change and has declared a Climate Crisis and Ecological Emergency. The Corporate Strategy, refreshed in 2024, identifies tackling the climate emergency as one of the four priorities for action, setting out policies which will support the county to tackle the climate crisis, helping to reduce carbon emissions and minimise the impact of climate change on the lives of residents and local businesses. Specific objectives in the strategy are to:

• reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the impact of climate change
• maintain our rural identity and support nature recovery
• further increase recycling rates and reduce levels of waste
• improve public transport links and opportunities for greener forms of travel

The Rutland Local Plan sets out both a strategic approach and relevant policies, supported by robust evidence, to address climate change, carbon reduction, as well as seeking to mitigate against the impact of climate change and supporting adaptation to such changing circumstances. Supporting and enhancing sustainable forms of transport can play an important role in reducing carbon emissions and, in addition to the policies in this chapter, there are policies covering this in Chapter 11: Infrastructure and delivery.

Whilst this Local Plan cannot do everything (it especially has very limited influence over existing buildings, for example), it can ensure that new development is appropriate for a zero-carbon future, contributes to the transition to a net-zero carbon society, and is responsive to a changing climate.

Circular economy

A circular economy is one where materials are retained in use at their highest value for as long as possible and are then reused or recycled, leaving a minimum of residual waste. Application of circular economy principles to the built environment creates places where buildings are designed for adaptation, reconstruction, and deconstruction, extending the useful life of buildings, and allowing for the salvage of building components and materials for reuse or recycling, known as design for disassembly.

What will the policy do?

Policy CC1 aims to support development proposals that will contribute to the delivery of circular economy principles requiring proposals to demonstrate the approach to site waste management and how construction waste will be addressed following the waste hierarchy together with 5 Rs of waste management: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle.

Why is this policy needed?

Addressing climate change is one of the core land use planning principles within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Section 14 of the NPPF considers the role of planning in dealing with climate change and flood risk, noting the role of planning in supporting the transition to a low carbon future in a changing climate.

Planning should help to shape places in ways that contribute to radical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, with footnote 56 of paragraph 158 of the NPPF noting that planning policies should take a proactive approach that is be in line with the objectives and provisions of the Climate Change Act 2008. The Climate Change Act 2008 was amended in August 2019 to set a legally binding target for the UK to become net zero by 2050.

Section 182 of the Planning Act (2008) places a legal duty on local planning authorities to ensure that their development plan documents include policy to secure the contribution of development and the use of land in the mitigation of climate change.

Policies to extend the useful life of buildings as well as ensuring that, at the end of a building's life, its constituent parts are easily reused and retain maximum value, are also an important element of reducing the environmental impact of construction. Taking such an approach reduces the need to extract raw materials and the manufacture of new building components, further reducing global carbon emissions and assisting with the achievement of net zero carbon.

The Government's Resources and Waste Strategy (2018) aims to eliminate avoidable wastes of all types by 2050 in England. This includes waste from the construction sector, which is the largest user of materials in the UK and produces the biggest waste stream in terms of tonnage.

Avoiding waste and re-using waste products reduces the need for the manufacture and transport of new materials, which is an important element in achieving net zero carbon. Furthermore, efficient recycling of waste places less demands on natural and virgin resources, thereby conserving environments.

A circular economy can also be positive for the local economy, as it can create jobs in a local area to serve the circular economy, rather than support a consumption economy which relies on imports from outside the area (including international imports).

A circular economy is based on three fundamental principles: designing out waste and pollution; keeping products and materials in use; and regenerating natural systems.

The first principle requires businesses and organisations to rethink their supply chain and identify ways that they can avoid creating waste and pollution through their operations. The second principle centres around maximising the recycling, reusing, refurbishing, repairing, sharing, and leasing of resources. The third principle requires businesses and organisations to consider how they can not only protect the natural environment but also improve it. The circular economy principles can be applied at all scales- globally, locally, individual business level.

The policy approach above follows the waste hierarchy set out in the National Planning Policy for Waste (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-for-waste). This is shown in figure 3 below.

Figure 3 – Waste hierarchy

Prevention: The most effective environmental solution is often to reduce the generation of waste, including the re-use of products.
Preparing for re-use: Products that have become waste can be checked, cleaned or repaired so that they can be re-used
Recycling: Waste materials can be reprocessed into products, materials, or substances.
Other recovery: Waste can serve a useful purpose by replacing other materials that would otherwise have been used.
Disposal: The least desirable solution where none of the above options is appropriate.

Policy CC1 aims to support development proposals that will contribute to the delivery of circular economy principles. Examples of such proposals include:

• Proposals that conserve and reuse any existing buildings, structures, or materials on site to the greatest possible extent, rather than demolishing and disposing or 'downcycling' these resources;
• Proposals that will reuse unwanted materials from the local area or region;
• Proposals which have been designed to reduce material demands and enable building materials, components, and products to be disassembled and re-used at the end of their useful life;
• Proposals that incorporate sustainable waste management on-site;
• Proposals which make specific provision for the storage and collection of materials for recycling and/ or re-use; and
• Proposals for the co-location of two or more businesses/services for the purpose of sharing resources or maximising use of waste products or waste energy.

Supporting Evidence

Climate change evidence base
Zero Carbon Policy Options for Net Zero Carbon Developments A Climate Change Legislation (July 2023)
Zero Carbon Policy Options for Net Zero Carbon Developments B(i) Carbon Reduction (July 2023)
Zero Carbon Policy Options for Net Zero Carbon Developments B(ii) Risk Matrix (July 2023)