SUPPORTING AND DELIVERING ZERO CARBON DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH WEST A POLICY PERSPECTIVE

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SUPPORTING AND DELIVERING ZERO CARBON
DEVELOPMENTIN THE SOUTH WEST- A POLICY
PERSPECTIVE

• Jane Lavick
• Principal Sustainable Development Advisor
• South West Regional Assembly

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Summary

• Introduction to Regional Spatial Strategy
• What RSS says currently and why
• Why we undertook Zero carbon study
• Suggested amendments to policy
• How study fits into national picture

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Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)

• Draft submitted to Govt in May 2006
• Sets out the broad scale and location of
  development in the SW region to 2026
• Details challenges facing the region and how they
  can be addressed
• Contains sustainability policies SD1 - SD4 to
  guide the spatial strategy
• Subject to Examination in Public (April July
  2007)

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What does RSS say ?

• Subject to Strategic Sustainability Assessment
• Climate change dealt with as golden thread
• Regional greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced
  at least in line with national target of 30 by
  2026 (Policy SD2)
• Additional research on carbon implications of RSS
  policies focused on potential for CO2 reductions
  from new development (residential non
  residential).

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Renewable Energy and New Development (Policy RE5
- extract)

• Larger-scale developments will be expected to
  provide, as a minimum, sufficient on-site
  renewable energy to reduce CO2 emissions from
  energy use by users of the buildings constructed
  on site by 10........

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• Development Policy G
• Sustainable Construction (extract)
• Developers, local authorities, regional
  agencies and others must ensure that their
  strategies, plans and programmes achieve best
  practice in sustainable construction by
• Requiring that all larger scale developments and,
  in particular, urban extensions, are designed and
  constructed to meet the top Level 5 of the
  emerging Code for Sustainable Homes, including
  carbon neutrality.
• BUT is this feasible now technically and
  financially ?

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Questions about original RSS policy ?

• Is it technically deliverable now for all types,
  scales and locations of development ?
• Will it result in an unreasonably high cost
  burden ?
• Can it be clearly applied to both residential and
  non-residential sectors ?
• Does it give time for the industry to react and
  adapt ?
• Will it help tackle climate change ?
• Does it fit with the national context ie Building
  Regs, new Code for Sustainable Homes, draft
  Climate Change PPS ?

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Collecting the evidence

• Little evidence available nationally, so we
  commissioned Faber Maunsell et al in Sept 2006 to
  -
• Assess the deliverability and implications of a
  carbon neutral policy for the South West,
  including costs, benefits and opportunities
• Test the compatibility of the carbon neutral
  (DPG) and integrated renewables (RE5) policies in
  RSS and assess what targets would be appropriate
• Examine how the policy could be implemented in
  different locations and on what timescale, using
  a range of theoretical case studies
• Recommend how the policy could be best applied
  universally, ensuring it is not dependent on site
  specific wind technology
• Recommend how the policy might be best monitored,
  enforced and implemented.

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Zero Carbon Development

• Defined by the study as -
• development that delivers zero net emissions
  (over the course of a year) of carbon dioxide
  into the atmosphere resulting from energy use in
  buildings.
• The study includes regulated emissions (space
  water heating, lighting, pumps and fans) and
  unregulated emissions (the rest, ie appliances)
• It excludes energy used for transport and
  embodied energy in materials.

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Outputs

• Full technical report now available
• Policy recommendations report
• Revised wording agreed by Assembly Members and
  submitted at EiP
• Additional studies commissioned to fill gaps ie
  small scale development (lt10 homes)

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Key Findings

• Even based on worst case scenarios it is possible
  to ramp up introduction of carbon savings ahead
  of national Code for Sustainable Homes timetable
  (2016) in some cases.
• Revised DPG would reduce carbon emissions from
  new build in the SW by 34-50 over the lifetime
  of the RSS.
• The region would follow national policy from 2016
• The regional policy could provide around 1,000
  additional jobs for the SW in the
  micro-renewables sector, with a GVA per year of
  20-30 million.

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Continued.

• Zero carbon standards are feasible for all
  developments of 50 homes from 2016 onwards
• Even from 2016 zero carbon is not achievable on
  all small sites unless use offsetting.
• Merton Rule style policy (RE5) increased to 20
  on site renewable energy requirements

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Suggested revised policy DPG(Residential)

• Requiring that all new and refurbished
  residential buildings achieve as a minimum the
  requirements of Level 3 of the Code for
  Sustainable Homes in order to minimise lifetime
  resource use, energy consumption, water use and
  waste production
• Requiring that all larger scale residential
  developments and, in particular, urban
  extensions, are designed and constructed to meet
  or exceed the levels of the Code for Sustainable
  Homes set out in appendix XX table 1

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NB. Baseline refers to Building Regs, Part L, 2006
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Suggested revised policy DPG (Non-residential)

• Requiring that all new and refurbished
  non-residential buildings achieve as a minimum,
  the requirements of BREEAM Very Good standard in
  order to minimise lifetime resource use, energy
  consumption, water use and waste production
• Requiring that all larger scale non-residential
  developments are designed and constructed to meet
  or exceed the carbon reduction minimum
  requirements set out in appendix xxx table 2

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Suggested revised policy RE5Renewable Energy and
New Development

• When meeting carbon reduction requirements in
  new developments set out in Development Policy G,
  larger-scale developments will be expected to
  provide, as a minimum, sufficient on-site
  renewable energy to reduce CO2 emissions from
  energy use by users of the buildings constructed
  on site by the equivalent of 20 of regulated
  emissions. Developers will be expected to
  demonstrate that they have explored all renewable
  energy options, and have designed their
  developments to incorporate any renewable energy
  requirements.

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What happens next ?

• EiP Panel report expected Dec 2007
• SW RSS to be adopted in 2008
• National speculation about Merton Rule
• Finalised Planning Policy Statement (PPS)
  Planning and Climate Change expected from DCLG
  soon
• Wide support for regional level playing field but
  will it be allowed ?

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• FULL TECHNICAL REPORT http//www.southwest-ra.gov.
  uk/media/SWRA/RSS20Documents/Technical20Document
  s/Technical20Work/final_technical_report_v23.PDF
• FULL POLICY REPORT http//www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/
  media/SWRA/RSS20Documents/Technical20Documents/T
  echnical20Work/final_policy_report_v11.PDF
• ADDITIONAL WORK ON SMALL SCALE RESIDENTIAL
  http//www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/media/SWRA/RSS20Do
  cuments/Technical20Documents/Technical20Work/ext
  ra_modelling_final_report_v4.pdf

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

• Jane Lavick
• jane.lavick_at_southwest-ra.gov.uk
• 01823 425244
• www.southwest-ra.gov.uk