Policy information sourced from the Sutton Local Plan 2016-2031

34: Environmental Protection

Water Quality and the River Wandle

a. Development proposals should maintain and improve water quality and minimise pollution of adjacent water bodies or groundwater resulting from surface water run-off by applying the principles of ‘water sensitive urban design’ as part of the proposed SuDS strategy (Policy 32).

b. Where water quality issues are potentially significant, planning applications should be supported by an assessment of the likely impacts of the proposed development on water quality, river flow, groundwater and biodiversity together with details of any measures proposed to minimise pollution of adjacent water bodies or groundwater. All proposals located within the River Wandle catchment or adjacent to other watercourses should make a positive contribution to the aims of the Environment Agency’s Thames River Basin Management Plan, the Wandle Catchment Plan, and the council’s Biodiversity Action Plan. Where necessary, the council will negotiate Section 106 agreements with developers to deliver river restoration objectives.

c. Prior to the occupation of any development resulting in additional demand for on-and off-site water supply, surface water drainage, foul drainage and sewerage treatment capacity:

  1. the developer together with the relevant statutory undertaker, should demonstrate that sufficient water supply, surface water drainage, foul drainage and sewerage treatment capacity exists to serve the development; or
  2. extra capacity will be provided prior to any discharge of foul or surface water from the site being occupied.

Air Quality

d. All major development proposals with potentially significant adverse impacts on air quality, located within 150m of a sensitive receptor or incorporating CHP or biomass boilers, should be accompanied by an Air Quality Assessment setting out:

  • impacts on existing receptors during the demolition /construction phase;
  • impacts on existing receptors once the development is occupied and operational;
  • impacts on future occupants of the development from exposure to the predicted levels of air pollution and
  • cumulative impacts from other committed developments in the vicinity.

e. All development proposals should seek to contribute towards the achievement of national air quality objectives as far as possible and support the objectives of the council’s Air Quality Action Plan. Any proposal that would have significant adverse impacts on air quality or expose the public to existing sources of air pollution will not be permitted unless appropriate mitigation measures are put in place to reduce these impacts to acceptable levels. Where necessary, the council will negotiate Section 106 agreements with developers to offset any unacceptable air quality impacts, including through the implementation of measures in Sutton’s Air Quality Action Plan.

f. All development proposals should be at least ‘air quality neutral’ with respect to particulates (PM10s) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) based on the emissions benchmarks set out in Appendix 7 of the Mayor’s Sustainable Design and Construction SPG as amended. Any proposed CHP or biomass boilers should meet the emissions standards in the Mayor’s Sustainable Design and Construction SPG. Any individual or communal gas boiler should achieve a NOx rating of less than 40mg/kWhr.

Contaminated Land

g. Development proposals located on or near potentially contaminated sites should be supported by a preliminary risk assessment, consisting of a desk top study, site walkover report and a conceptual site model, taking account of existing site conditions, available environmental information, previous uses, the groundwater regime, pollution pathways and potential receptors.

h. Where necessary, a detailed site investigation should be undertaken prior to construction to assess the nature and extent of contamination and potential risks to human health, adjacent land uses or the local environment having regard to the Environment Agency’s ‘Managing and reducing land contamination guiding principles’ (2016) or any successor documents.

i. Where unacceptable risks are identified, a proposed remediation scheme, with arrangements for implementation, validation, monitoring and maintenance, should be submitted to the council. The council may use conditions or planning obligations to ensure that such sites are remediated to the required standard by determining the scope of site investigations and remediation schemes.

Noise and Vibration

j. Developments that would generate noise or vibration affecting existing noise-sensitive land uses, such as housing, schools and hospitals, will not be permitted unless adequate mitigation measures are proposed to reduce the adverse impacts to acceptable levels, having regard to the Mayor’s Sustainable Design and Construction SPG. Where necessary, the council may set conditions or negotiate planning agreements to (reduce noise to acceptable levels, taking account of ambient noise levels and local character.

k. Noise-sensitive developments should be separated from major noise-generating activities wherever practicable. All planning applications for noise-sensitive developments located near to an existing noise-generating activity should be accompanied by a Noise Assessment, which should determine whether the overall effect of noise exposure (including construction impacts) would be above or below the ‘significant observed adverse effect’ and ‘lowest observed adverse effect’ levels defined in DEFRA’s ‘Noise Policy Statement for England 2010’.

Light Pollution

l. All development proposals should incorporate measures to minimise the intrusiveness of artificial lighting and thus the potential adverse impacts on residential amenity, the character and appearance of the historic environment, public safety, protected wildlife and quality of life. Applicants are encouraged to use low energy lighting systems in order to conserve energy and preserve the darkness of the night-time sky, particularly near public open spaces, woodlands and land protected for nature conservation.

m. Lighting schemes submitted in support of major development proposals should have regard to the Institution of Lighting Engineers’ ‘Guidance Notes for the Reduction of Obtrusive Light’ (2005), and the Mayor’s Sustainable Design and Construction SPG. Details of proposed measures should be provided through submission of a scheme prior to the start of construction on site. Where necessary, the council may set conditions to control levels of luminance, glare, spillage, angle, lighting type and hours of operation.

Construction Impacts

n. All development proposals should minimise the impacts of air pollution, dust, odour, noise, vibration, water pollution, soil contamination, CO2 emissions and biodiversity on nearby sensitive locations arising from demolition and construction.

o. For all major developments, developers must submit a Construction Environmental Management Plan prior to construction in line with the council’s Code of Practice on the ‘Control of pollution and noise from demolition and construction sites’, the Mayor’s guidance on ‘Control of dust and emissions from construction and demolition’ and other sources of best practice. Certification should also be achieved under the Considerate Constructors’ Scheme.

Hazardous Substances and Installations

p. Development proposals involving the use, storage, installation or processing of explosive, inflammable, corrosive, toxic or other harmful / hazardous substances that are a potential safety risk will not be permitted. Planning permission will only be granted for developments involving hazardous substances, or uses requiring hazardous substances consent, where there are no unacceptable risks to occupiers, public health and safety or to nature conservation interests.

q. Proposed developments within the vicinity of existing notified sites or other known hazards will be assessed on the basis of potential adverse impacts resulting from this close proximity.

For more information please see the Local Plan 2016-2031