Comments on: Sustainable development – a new material consideration?

By: Nick Wright

Nick Wright — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:28:57 +0000

Very interesting post, Neil. Planning has a huge potential role in promoting sustainable development – but has dragged its feet for years in actually using the powers that it has its disposal. Although I know no more about Bristol’s approach than you mention in your blog, I welcome it.

Of course there will be difficulties in defining and testing this potential “new material consideriation”. But that shouldn’t stop us moving down this line.

Nick

By: John MacCallum

John MacCallum — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:59:07 +0000

This is an interesting development in the interpretation of sustainable development as a material consideration. It perhaps already exists to some extent in some Scottish Planning Authorities whose policy approach requires that materials in the construction of a development proposal should be from sustainable sources.

I attended a seminar this week entitled “Future Performance and Innovation in Low Carbon Construction” organised by Fife Construction Form (I would recommend registering – enquiries@fifeconstructionforum.com). In light of the Bristol City policy apporoach, I wonder if Councils will be seeking to establish whether the manufacturing process itself of low carbon technologies in the construction of buildings will be included in their overall assessment of sustainable development. I fear a global “material planning consideration” coming on in terms of sustainable development.

Just for information, Fife Council are in the process of preparing a draft version of a Sustainability Checklist to be produced as Supplementary Guidance which (I think) would make theirs the second following Edinburgh’s Standards for Sustainable Buildings Checklist. The advice is that Fife Council will be consulting internally but hadn’t thought about consulting with the wider public/development industry.

New open and accountable planning era?!

By: robertseaton

robertseaton — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:40:49 +0000

There is a similar debate to that on the NewEnergyFocus application – the Forth Ports proposed new biomass plant in Leith (see the Evening News http://news.scotsman.com/environment/39Green39-biomass-plant-to-ship.6092418.jp). The application is for section 36 consent under the Electricity Act, so it’s the Scottish Ministers who will be taking the decision. It will be interesting to see how they treat their own planning policy in that decision.