South Kesteven District Council discusses how to mitigate climate change when allowing new developments
A proposal for greater emphasis to be placed on climate change when a council determines major planning applications has prompted debate.
At a meeting of South Kesteven District Council on Thursday last week (January 27), Coun Phil Dilks (Ind - Deeping St James) asked members to support a motion to reduce carbon emissions in major planning applications.
Coun Dilks, a member of the planning committee, believes there is a 'conflict' between the council's climate pledge and allowing developments to go ahead without anything in place to protect the environment.
He said 40 per cent of carbon emissions - something the district hopes to reduce to zero by 2050 - come from family homes.
"Last year more than 2,700 new homes across South Kesteven were given approval," said Coun Dilks. "The average home releases four to seven tonnes of carbon each year.
"We decided to put climate change at the heart of everything we do but we are effectively approving eight million tonnes [of carbon] each year."
Coun Dilks proposed that climate change is made a material consideration in all major planning applications, that a specific climate change paragraph is included in all reports to the planning committee, and information is provided in the reports detailing whether developments are proposed to be carbon neutral.
The motion was seconded by Coun Amanda Wheeler (Lib Dem - Stamford St George's), who is also on Stamford Town Council's Climate Action Group.
She said: "Quite frankly I'm surprised we needed this motion. I assumed because we declared a climate emergency two years ago we are already putting climate matters at the heart of decision making, particularly in planning when decisions are so important to residents."
Cabinet member for planning, Coun Nick Robins (Con - Castle), described design guidelines adopted by South Kesteven District Council which champion sustainable development and include climate change mitigation, adding that 'climate change is already at the forefront of the council's agenda'.
He believes that there is not any lawful way to implement it as a requirement in planning applications.
“Through the next version of the local plan we will be able to take a more proactive approach,” he said.
Coun Penny Milnes (Ind - Loveden Heath) said: "It's a difficult one. We are often told on the planning committee we can't ask for the climate change requirements because of restrictions on current building regulations."
She asked councillors to push the Government to change the planning application process to implement climate change restrictions.
It was decided the motion would be taken to the district council's Climate Change Action Group before being brought back to a meeting of the full council.
