Policy information sourced from Redbridge Local Plan

LP32: Sustainable Design and Construction

The Council will require all development to contribute towards the mitigation of the efects of climate change. The Council’s objective is to ensure all development meets the highest possible environmental standards, whilst considering the economic viability of development schemes.

The Council will aim to promote zero carbon development by requiring all development proposals to:

  • cut carbon emissions by adhering to the energy hierarchy – new development will:
    • use less energy;
    • supply energy efciently; and
    • use renewable energy.
  • Show how London Plan targets for cutting carbon emissions will be achieved through the development scheme;
  • Reduce the need for travel by car, and promote decentralised energy networks by locating development and mix of uses sustainably;
  • Incorporate energy efciency improvements into existing buildings where possible;
  • Provide evidence to show that it is not possible to preserve and re-use an existing building where proposals involve major demolition; and
  • Optimise resource efciency.

The Council will require development proposals to adopt climate change adaptation measures by

  • Incorporating new green infrastructure and protecting existing green open spaces;
  • Using permeable surfaces and sustainable drainage systems to help reduce surface water run-of;
  • Incorporating green roofs where appropriate;
  • Minimising water consumption in accordance with the London Plan by incorporating water saving measures and equipment into new developments, and designing residential development so that water consumption does not exceed110 litres per head per day; and
  • Applying measures to mitigate dwelling overheating.

The Council will promote Sustainable Design and Construction in the borough through the following measures:

  • Seeking the achievement of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ ratings, including specifcally within the water efciency category, where viable on:
    • The refurbishment of non- domestic buildings;
    • New non-domestic buildings over 1000 sq.m in size; and
    • Extensions to non-domestic buildings where the proposed extension is equal to or greater than 50% of the existing building foorspace.
  • The Council will require 90 per cent of new build housing to meet Building Regulation requirement M4(2) ‘Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings’, with the remaining 10 percent meeting Building Regulation requirement M4(3) ‘Wheelchair User Dwellings’ (designed to be wheelchair accessible or easily adaptable).

Implementation

The Council will produce Redbridge specifc guidance regarding the level of information required to demonstrate compliance with the above standards. This will be set out in a Supplementary Planning Document.

For more information please see the Local Plan