Policy information sourced from the Merton Core Planning Strategy.

CS15 Climate Change

All minor and major development, including major refurbishment, will be required to demonstrate the following unless developers can robustly justify why full compliance with the policy requirements is not viable:

  • How it makes effective use of resources and materials, minimises water use and CO2 emissions;
  • How development proposals are making the fullest contribution to minimising carbon dioxide emissions in accordance with the following energy hierarchy:
    • Be lean: use less energy
    • Be clean: supply energy efficiently
    • Be green: use renewable energy
  • How it is sited and designed to withstand the long term impacts of climate change, particularly the effect of rising temperatures on mechanical cooling requirements;
  • Regeneration plan in town centre are an excellent opportunity to implement District Heat and Power networks, and all major development would be strongly encourage to be ‘Multi Utility Services Company (MUSCo) ready where viable and actively contribute to the networks where possible;
  • We will require all new development comprising the creation of new dwellings to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4;
  • All non-domestic development over 500m2which does not qualify for assessment under Code for Sustainable Homes will be expected to be built to a minimum of BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Assessment Method) Very Good standard, and meet CO2 reduction targets in line with the requirements of the London Plan or national policy, whichever is the greater.

For more information, please see the Core Planning Strategy.