Policy information sourced from Bexley Core Strategy

Policy CS01 Achieving sustainable development

The Council will seek to achieve sustainable development, in line with the vision set out in Bexley’s Sustainable Community Strategy, to create a ‘strong, sustainable and cohesive community’, in order to provide people equal access to a better quality of life, protect the environment, promote the local economy and encourage an active and healthy lifestyle.

The Council will seek to meet: the London Plan housing target for Bexley, by seeking to achieve the minimum average housing target of 335 units; and projected growth in jobs, by maximising the potential of the Thames Gateway and London Plan Opportunity Areas; ensuring that higher density, mixed use developments are located in town centres and other accessible locations with supporting infrastructure. These types of development will only be permitted outside of the identified growth areas where it can be additionally shown that they demonstrably contribute to the sustainable development of the borough and that the principles set out below have been applied.

Developers will be required to address the sustainable development principles set out below.

In conjunction with the requirements identified in this Core Strategy, as well as the requirements of all other documents that make up Bexley’s Development Plan, sustainable development will be achieved by applying the following principles:

  • adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, including sustainably retrofitting existing building stock where possible;
  • maximising the effective and efficient use of natural and physical resources, including land, water and energy, whilst addressing pollution issues, such as contamination, noise and air quality, to contribute to the health and well being of the community and the environment;
  • ensuring housing provision meets the needs of Bexley’s current and future population, including those unsuitably housed, and that housing type and tenure reflect local circumstances and requirements, as well as other relevant Development Plan targets;
  • helping the borough to continue to play a key role in contributing to London’s economic growth and prosperity;
  • preserving and enhancing the existing network of town centres, including their role as a focus for new services and infrastructure, whilst enhancing the role and contribution of local neighbourhood centres;
  • minimising the distances people need to travel and contributing to the improvement of sustainable transport connections;
  • protecting designated areas, such as metropolitan green belt, from inappropriate development so as to preserve, enhance and promote Bexley’s network of open spaces and waterways, heritage, biodiversity and geological assets;
  • maintaining and improving the best elements of Bexley’s suburban character by ensuring new development reflects or, where possible, enhances the unique characteristics of these areas, including residential gardens and the historic environment;
  • ensuring that building height, mass and setting enhances the character of the surrounding locality, and requiring proposals for tall buildings to make a positive contribution to the existing character of the surrounding area by being of high architectural quality and appropriate to their local and historic context. The eastern end of Bexleyheath town centre has been identified as the best opportunity for locating tall buildings, subject to further detailed analysis. Old Bexley town centre has been identified as an area particularly sensitive to locating tall buildings and is considered inappropriate for tall buildings. While the majority of the borough is not considered appropriate for tall buildings, potential may exist for such development to be considered, for example: in locations which benefit from good public transport accessibility, exhibit an existing local built character that would allow for taller buildings, would not cause harm to heritage assets and the wider historic environment, and would not increase the risks of flooding, subject to further detailed area/site analysis and meeting various criteria;
  • providing a complementary mix of land uses as part of well designed developments in order to contribute positively towards meeting the needs of the local community, to create safe and inclusive places, and manage flood risk; and,
  • ensuring existing or proposed infrastructure (including green infrastructure), services and facilities are safeguarded to help improve accessibility and address deficiencies, and that adverse impacts of development, including waste arisings, are mitigated.

For more information please see the Bexley Core Strategy