25 July 2024

Cabinet agrees key planning document seeking sustainability in development

The Royal Borough has agreed an important planning document designed to ensure sustainability and tackling climate change are fully considered in the area’s future development and growth.
Bike, road and bus

The Sustainability Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) aims to shape new development in the direction of net zero carbon, protect and enhance the natural environment, reverse biodiversity decline, drive carbon reductions in the borough and deliver wider climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The SPD provides detailed guidance and best practice recommendations on environmental standards for development across five key themes: energy and carbon, climate adaptation, sustainable materials and construction, biodiversity, and sustainable transport.
Agreed by Cabinet last night and finalised through a public consultation and engagement with community groups, environmental groups and developers, the document is a key action within both the Council Plan and the Environment and Climate Strategy.

The SPD includes guidance on achieving at least 10 per cent biodiversity net gain, sustainable drainage, opportunities for local food production, renewable energy requirements for new builds, reuse and retrofitting of existing buildings, and requirements for electric vehicle charge points within new developments.

From September 2024, developers will be required to submit a Sustainability and Energy Statement with planning applications where appropriate, to demonstrate how proposals comply with planning policies and match-up against the SPD recommendations and guidance. The SPD will be a material planning consideration.

Councillor Adam Bermange, Cabinet member for planning, governance and asset management, said: “Tackling climate change is a key priority for everyone, and this SPD ensures that genuinely sustainable development is high on the agendas of developers and decision-makers as we strive for a cleaner, greener, safer and more prosperous borough. 

“In providing transparent guidance for applicants with more detail about existing policy requirements and best practice expectations, it ensures developers consistently submit information to demonstrate compliance, helps officers and councillors fairly assess the environmental credentials of proposed developments and encourages developers to go further than current policy too. I’d like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation in finalising this document.”

Councillor Karen Davies, Cabinet member for climate change, biodiversity and Windsor Town Council, said: “Having a sustainability-focussed SPD, along with a requirement for developers to demonstrate compliance when submitting planning applications, is incredibly important in putting climate change firmly at the forefront of people’s minds when shaping and deciding plans. 

“While policies already set in the adopted Borough Local Plan and financial viability considerations do place limitations of how far we can go with our requirements on developers, the SPD I feel achieves the right balance, setting out the clear existing policy requirements and championing best practice to help developers further strengthen their proposals.”

This decision by Cabinet is subject to the standard call-in period.