To receive and consider any notices of motion from members of the Council under Standing Order 15.
Motion a) From Councillor Sam Jenkins
Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit in Runnymede
Motivation:
This motion is being brought forward to encourage local developers to go above and beyond towards building energy efficient, zero carbon homes that will reduce overall Borough emissions and contribute towards tackling the climate crisis.
This council notes:
Due to uncertainty around the Government’s policy direction, the decision was made at Planning Committee in June 2023 to pause the review of the Runnymede Local Plan until the new plan making regime is introduced. This is not expected to take place until late 2024 at the earliest and it could take a further 30 months from there to introduce a new Local Plan.
In May 2023, it was reported that the Earth is likely to break the key temperature limit of 1.5C between now and 2027 as a result of human activity (see note 1). Therefore an urgent need exists to promote and actively encourage sustainable development that supersedes the speed at which any new Local Plan can be implemented.
Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit enables interim measures to be put in place to encourage energy efficient, zero carbon developments whilst underpinning the core principles of the existing Local Plan until it can be reviewed. It also provides Councillors with an opportunity to put the knowledge gained from recent Carbon Literacy training into action, by encouraging developers to build zero carbon homes and to retrofit existing properties, thereby reducing overall Borough emissions.
Cotswold District Council, in collaboration with West Oxfordshire District Council and Forest of Dean District Council worked with leading technical experts from Etude, the Passivhaus Trust, Levitt Bernstein and Elementa Consulting to produce a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit template (see note 2).The template provides best practice guidance for small-to-medium sized builders, architects and developers to deliver new-build net zero homes or retrofits of existing homes.
The template is available under Creative Commons for any authority to adapt as they wish, to make it specific to the needs of their local area. One example of a local authority who has adapted the toolkit in this way includes Somerset Council (see note 3).
There are a number of ways that Runnymede Borough Council could adapt this template to suit the needs of our local area, such as by:
· Adding RBC branding and relevant images.
· Amending the introduction – setting out Runnymede’s climate goals, referring to existing planning policies and relevant planning guidance (e.g. Design SPD / Green and Blue Infrastructure SPD).
· Making minor changes throughout the document to reference Runnymede’s Climate Change Strategy / Action Plan / Local Plan.
· Introducing a couple of pages on ‘beyond energy’ issues – to consider wider sustainability issues such as sustainable transport and drainage, and gigabit capable connectivity (e.g. refer to Surrey County Council’s Healthy Streets guidance and Sustainable Drainage Systems guidance).
It is important to note that a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit does not constitute a Supplementary Planning Document and should be considered as a separate entity. However, if a developer can demonstrate that they have used the Toolkit to meet or exceed Local Plan energy policy requirements in a sustainable manner, and that their proposal therefore brings about climate change benefits, this would be a material consideration which would be weighed in the balance in deciding whether to grant planning permission.
The Council Believes that:
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit gives Runnymede Borough Council an opportunity to proactively encourage greater sustainability within the Borough, providing a framework which inspires developers to go beyond the bare minimum and to actively reduce emissions within their work.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit will strongly encourage the introduction of zero carbon new-build homes as well as increased retrofitting of existing properties.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit provides the Council with a means of encouraging sustainable development across the Borough between now and the next Local Plan review.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit will help to reduce a significant portion of overall Borough emissions by promoting greater energy efficiency.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit falls into line with recommendations which arose from a recent study commissioned by officers on Climate Change policy options which could be pursued as part of a revised Local Plan.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit will help Runnymede Borough Council to get a head start on implementing its upcoming Climate Change Action Plan, as the adoption of a toolkit is one of the goals listed on this plan (sub action 1.1.4).
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit could potentially be used to incentivise developers to meet the initial capital cost of providing heat pumps and improving cooling systems.
The Council resolves to ask the Corporate Management Committee to consider:
1. Asking officers in the Climate Change team to adapt the existing template as described above to create a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit for the Borough of Runnymede.
2. Adopting the Net Zero Carbon Toolkit once a working draft has been scrutinised by the Climate Change Members Working Party.
3. Including the Net Zero Carbon Toolkit into the 2024/25 Climate Change Delivery Plan to ensure that the adopted document is promoted in a timely and effective manner to the local development community.
Note 1 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65602293
Note 2 - How to achieve net zero carbon homes - Cotswold District Council
Minutes:
On introducing the published motion Cllr Jenkins sought to make a small alteration to one of the proposed resolutions, which received the consent of both the Mayor and Cllr Gates as seconder.
Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit in Runnymede
Motivation:
This motion is being brought forward to encourage local developers to go above and beyond towards building energy efficient, zero carbon homes that will reduce overall Borough emissions and contribute towards tackling the climate crisis.
This council notes:
Due to uncertainty around the Government’s policy direction, the decision was made at Planning Committee in June 2023 to pause the review of the Runnymede Local Plan until the new plan making regime is introduced. This is not expected to take place until late 2024 at the earliest and it could take a further 30 months from there to introduce a new Local Plan.
In May 2023, it was reported that the Earth is likely to break the key temperature limit of 1.5C between now and 2027 as a result of human activity (see note 1). Therefore an urgent need exists to promote and actively encourage sustainable development that supersedes the speed at which any new Local Plan can be implemented.
Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit enables interim measures to be put in place to encourage energy efficient, zero carbon developments whilst underpinning the core principles of the existing Local Plan until it can be reviewed. It also provides Councillors with an opportunity to put the knowledge gained from recent Carbon Literacy training into action, by encouraging developers to build zero carbon homes and to retrofit existing properties, thereby reducing overall Borough emissions.
Cotswold District Council, in collaboration with West Oxfordshire District Council and Forest of Dean District Council worked with leading technical experts from Etude, the Passivhaus Trust, Levitt Bernstein and Elementa Consulting to produce a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit template (see note 2).The template provides best practice guidance for small-to-medium sized builders, architects and developers to deliver new-build net zero homes or retrofits of existing homes.
The template is available under Creative Commons for any authority to adapt as they wish, to make it specific to the needs of their local area. One example of a local authority who has adapted the toolkit in this way includes Somerset Council (see note 3).
There are a number of ways that Runnymede Borough Council could adapt this template to suit the needs of our local area, such as by:
· Adding RBC branding and relevant images.
· Amending the introduction – setting out Runnymede’s climate goals, referring to existing planning policies and relevant planning guidance (e.g. Design SPD / Green and Blue Infrastructure SPD).
· Making minor changes throughout the document to reference Runnymede’s Climate Change Strategy / Action Plan / Local Plan.
· Introducing a couple of pages on ‘beyond energy’ issues – to consider wider sustainability issues such as sustainable transport and drainage, and gigabit capable connectivity (e.g. refer to Surrey County Council’s Healthy Streets guidance and Sustainable Drainage Systems guidance).
It is important to note that a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit does not constitute a Supplementary Planning Document and should be considered as a separate entity. However, if a developer can demonstrate that they have used the Toolkit to meet or exceed Local Plan energy policy requirements in a sustainable manner, and that their proposal therefore brings about climate change benefits, this would be a material consideration which would be weighed in the balance in deciding whether to grant planning permission.
The Council Believes that:
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit gives Runnymede Borough Council an opportunity to proactively encourage greater sustainability within the Borough, providing a framework which inspires developers to go beyond the bare minimum and to actively reduce emissions within their work.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit will strongly encourage the introduction of zero carbon new-build homes as well as increased retrofitting of existing properties.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit provides the Council with a means of encouraging sustainable development across the Borough between now and the next Local Plan review.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit will help to reduce a significant portion of overall Borough emissions by promoting greater energy efficiency.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit falls into line with recommendations which arose from a recent study commissioned by officers on Climate Change policy options which could be pursued as part of a revised Local Plan.
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit will help Runnymede Borough Council to get a head start on implementing its upcoming Climate Change Action Plan, as the adoption of a toolkit is one of the goals listed on this plan (sub action 1.1.4).
· Adopting a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit could potentially be used to incentivise developers to meet the initial capital cost of providing heat pumps and improving cooling systems.
The Council resolves to ask the Corporate Management Committee to consider:
1. Asking officers in the Climate Change team to adapt the template published under Creative Commons by Cotswold, West Oxfordshire and Forest of Dean Councilsto create a Net Zero Carbon Toolkit for the Borough of Runnymede, and to continue considering other measures and tools that can be deployed alongside this to reduce carbon emissions between now and the next Local Plan review.
2. Adopting the Net Zero Carbon Toolkit once a working draft has been scrutinised by the Climate Change Members Working Party.
3. Including the Net Zero Carbon Toolkit into the 2024/25 Climate Change Delivery Plan to ensure that the adopted document is promoted in a timely and effective manner to the local development community.
Note 1 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-65602293
Note 2 - How to achieve net zero carbon homes - Cotswold District Council
The proposed amended motion was debated by the Council.
A named vote was requested on the proposed amendment and the voting was as follows:
For (31):
Councillors Saise-Marshall, Bromley, Balkan, Burton, Clarke, Coen, MK Cressey, Darby, Davies, Dennett, Gates, E Gill, Gracey, Howorth, Hulley, Jenkins, A King, Lewis, Mann, Mavi, Nuti, Prescot, Ringham, Singh, Smith, Snow, Walsh, D Whyte, S Whyte, Williams, Willingale
Against (0):
-
Abstain (0):
-
The motion was carried.