Policy information sourced from Bexley Core Strategy

Policy CS08 Adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, including flood risk management

All development should contribute to the delivery of sustainable development by planning for, adapting to, and mitigating the impacts of climate change, by reducing the carbon emissions related to the construction and operation of all development.

The Council will achieve this by applying the requirements and targets outlined in national and regional planning policy and guidance to new development. In particular, this will encompass the requirements of the Mayor’s London Plan with regard to environment policies such as: reducing CO2 emissions; the Mayor’s energy hierarchy; integrating energy efficiency; decentralised energy (in particular district heating where appropriate); site-wide communal heat networks supported by CHP; adopting on-site renewable energy technologies; sustainable transport (in particular public transport, cycling and walking); green infrastructure; flood risk management; and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), including supporting the Mayor’s drainage hierarchy.

In addition, this will comprise:

  • working with local organisations such as schools to invest in energy efficient improvements;
  • monitoring and setting improvement targets for the energy efficiency of Council buildings and developments;
  • improving the efficiency of Bexley’s housing stock by educating residents in methods to reduce energy use in the home and actively engaging with relevant retrofitting programmes;
  • requiring the use of sustainable design and construction techniques in new built development, including exceeding current Building Regulations requirements through energy efficiency alone, and sustainably retrofitting existing building stock where possible;
  • investigating opportunities within the borough for the location of zero carbon developments, prioritising those areas being investigated for decentralised energy networks;
  • investigating opportunities for the funding and development of decentralised energy networks in Bexleyheath town centre, Crayford town centre, Belvedere town centre and Employment Area and Erith town centre;
  • following the sequential approach to flood risk management advocated in national planning policy and its associated practice guidance;
  • applying the recommendations of Bexley’s Strategic Flood Risk Assessment;
  • supporting green infrastructure (e.g. green and brown roofs) and the contribution it can make, to managing flood risk and surface water, and to the mitigation of the urban heat island effect;
  • supporting the protection of key infrastructure assets, such as Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, from the risks of flooding; and
  • working with partners to prepare a joint urban drainage strategy for London, as well as a local Surface Water Management Plan (SWMP) for Bexley, to address surface water and drainage flooding, including sewer flooding.

For more information please see the Bexley Core Strategy