Sustainable Development Guidelines

The Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas Guidelines were set out in order to provide planning authorities with a framework for the sustainable development of residential areas. The aim of the guidelines is to set out the key planning principles, which should be reflected in development plans and local area plans. They should also guide the preparation and assessment of planning applications for residential development in urban areas. In terms of energy efficiency, the guidelines will promote settlement patterns that can help minimise transport-related energy consumption, increase the use of energy efficient technology and best practice, thereby reducing energy consumption of the community.

The guidelines also outline the importance of planning in energy efficiency. The guidelines indicate that by promoting sustainable approaches to the design and layout of a new development and by encouraging the use of renewable resources, where necessary, the planning process can help to reduce the emissions of the residential sector (which currently accounts for 9.5% of energy related CO₂).

These guidelines describe three ways in which the planning process can increase energy efficiency:

• By encouraging the use of passive solar heating in the design stage, orientating as many dwellings as possible within 30 degrees of south facing, and by avoiding obstructions to light reaching windows, greater energy savings can be made. Other buildings should not, where possible, overshadow south facing buildings and ideally a distance of 21 metres should be kept between two-storey buildings.
• Higher buildings or taller trees should preferably be located to the north of the site. Similarly, car parks and garages should be located to the north of housing, where possible.
• Trees in shelterbelts can be used to protect dwellings from cold winds or create suntraps within a scheme.
• Residential developments could benefit from renewable energy sources within the district or the site, including such technologies as wind power, combined heat and power schemes where biomass provides the energy, or district heating, particularly if waste from nearby industries can be used.