Regulation 19 Rutland Local Plan

Ends on 2 December 2024 (25 days remaining)

Climate-resilient and adaptable design Comment

Overheating is also an area of growing concern. The Government published alongside the Future Homes Standard consultation in October 2019 research on home overheating which demonstrated that during warm years, overheating will occur in most new homes in most locations in England.

This is becoming an increasingly pressing and prevalent issue, given that climate change is already making 'hot' summers (like those of 2018 and 2022) increasingly frequent. Projections from the Met Office show that the probability of such hot summers is currently 12-25% but will reach 50-60% by the middle of the 21st Century (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/ukcp/ukcp18_headline_findings_v4_aug22.pdf).

What will the policy do?

Policy CC3 requires new development to be future proofed by being designed and constructed to be resilient to overheating and to be flexible in structure to adapt to future social, economic, environmental and technological changes. The role that the wider Green and Blue Infrastructure (a network of green spaces and water environments) has in mitigating the impacts of climate change is acknowledged under Local Plan Policy EN7.

Policy CC3 - Resilient and Flexible Design Comment

In order to ensure new development is resilient and flexible to future change, developers should set out in an Energy Statement (that is commensurate with the scale and type of development proposed) how the following have been considered in the design of their proposals:

  1. the design of the development minimises and prevents overheating and avoids the need for air conditioning systems;
  2. the design of the development has assessed flood risk and integrated mitigation measures in line with Policy CC14;
  3. the design of the development has assessed and responded to any identified need to mitigate risks related to wind exposure (including risks to occupant safety, occupant amenity, building integrity, and safety in the immediate surroundings);
  4. the proposal is flexible to future social, economic, technological, and environmental requirements in order to make buildings both fit for purpose in the long term;
  5. minimising future resource consumption in the adaptation and redevelopment of buildings in response to future needs with reference to the Circular Economy set out in Policy CC1, and;
  6. the potential to incorporate a green roof and/or walls to aid cooling, add insulation, assist water management and enhance biodiversity, wherever possible linking into a wider network of green infrastructure.

Why is this policy needed?

Research has shown that overheating mitigation techniques, such as solar shading and increased ventilation, are highly effective at reducing indoor temperatures, which in turn reduces the risk of morbidity, mortality and the impact on productivity associated with sleep loss. Accordingly, as of 2022 Government has introduced a new section of Building Regulations that sets certain minimum requirements for overheating risk mitigation, in new-build homes. This new 'Part O' of Building Regulations should be read in conjunction with the above policy requirements.

Adaptations could include:

  • Allow for future adaptation or extension by means of the building's internal arrangement internal height, detailed design, and construction, including the use of internal stud walls rather than solid walls to allow easier reconfiguration of internal layout;
  • Provision of internal space that could successfully accommodate 'home working';
  • Infrastructure that could support car free development and lifestyles;
  • Having multiple well-placed entrances on larger non-residential buildings to allow for easier subdivision;
  • The incorporation of a green roof and/or walls to aid cooling, add insulation; unless such roof space is being utilised for photovoltaic or thermal solar panels; or on a whole life cycle basis, it is demonstrated that a lower specification roof has a significantly lower carbon impact than a green roof; or the nature of the development makes it impracticable to incorporate a green roof, and;
  • Is resilient to flood risk, from all forms of flooding.

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)

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